Cross-Media Ownership and Democratic Practice in Canada

This benchmark study is the first in-depth analysis of major French- and English-Canadian news companies to show the impact of cross-media ownership on the provision of new content through content-sharing. The book addresses the role of news media in providing diverse information and a forum for the public debate needed for a healthy democracy. Contrary to common perceptions about convergence, the authors of this study found that content-sharing within the newspaper and television properties of Canadian media giants Canwest Global, CTVglobemedia, and Quebecor did not occur, leading the authors to examine why. Through interviews with media executives, journalists, journalist educators, media labour groups, and policy-makers, the authors assess problems that mass media in Canada will likely face in the coming years, particularly as newsrooms strive to adapt to new media and the online environment. Policy makers and media executives along with students in journalism and their professors will find this study invaluable. About the Authors Walter C. Soderlund is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Political Science at the University of Windsor. Colette Brin is Professor, Département d'information et de communication, Université Laval in Québec. Lydia Miljan is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Windsor. Kai Hildebrandt is Associate Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Windsor. Soderlund and Hildebrandt (with Romanow and Wagenberg) co-wrote Canadian Newspaper Ownership in the Era of Convergence: Rediscovering Social Responsibility.