Question

Can someone explain to be the basic concept of the link between democracy and the media in Canada?

Answer 1

Whether you are concerned with issues pertaining to health care, the economy, or the environment, the current democratic deficit in media limits opportunities for social change.

Social change is propelled by open public discussion, and public discussion is suffocated by undemocratic media. As Nicholas Johnson, a former U.S. Federal Communications commissioner put it, "Whatever your first issue of concern, media had better be your second, because without change in the media, progress in your primary area is far less likely."

We live in tumultuous times where simultaneous environmental and economic crises raise the specter of a major social, cultural, political and economic shift. While the sense of uncertainty felt by many is palpable, the prospects for a better and more just world also appears within reach. If we are to successfully navigate past this uncertain time, access to an open and democratic media system is essential.