The Globe and Mail's editorial on tax cuts for struggling Canadians is a perfect example of why the government should get rid of all subsidies to legacy media outlets like the Globe. It's time to put an end to the government's handouts to Canada's mainstream media outlets.
00:02:57.180As mainstream media outlets become increasingly dependent on the government to transfer taxpayers' money to them,
00:03:02.340these outlets are naturally going to find themselves beholden to their government masters.
00:03:05.720They'll feel less inclination to cover the government with a critical eye,
00:03:08.680and will be increasingly tempted to write puff pieces made to make the government officials smile.
00:03:14.020It's gross, crony capitalism at its worst and ugliest.
00:03:17.820Currently, there's a group of five government-appointed members who form a committee that determines
00:03:22.700who is or isn't an official journalist and what outlet is or isn't a legitimate news source.
00:03:28.100Their meetings are held in secret, and the requirements for what they consider to be qualified outlets are kind of nebulous.
00:03:33.640In a recent interview on the Canada Alliant podcast, the committee chair was repeatedly said of outlets,
00:03:40.860when asked what is or isn't considered journalism, that's journalism, but not the kind of journalism that qualifies for the program.
00:03:47.200So the standards are arbitrary and fuzzy, and these guys just kind of make it up on the go.
00:03:52.280We, more than likely, they'll consider journalism whatever the liberal masters tell them to consider journalism.
00:03:56.920The Western Standard applied and qualified, actually, as a Trudeau government-approved outlet, by the way,
00:04:01.900but we refused to apply for or take any of those media subsidies.
00:04:04.860We just wanted to see if we could do it.
00:04:06.520If we took subsidies, we'd lose our sense of editorial independence and be on the road to becoming just another trumpet beholden to the government.
00:04:13.880Principles remain more important to us than government handouts, as they do with many alternative outlets.
00:04:19.520Of course, that's why the government doesn't like alternative media.
00:04:22.720That's why it's so important that we don't allow the federal government to continue with its quest to centralize and control media.
00:04:28.480They would shut down every alternative media outlet in the country if they could, and rest assured, they're trying to find ways to do it.
00:04:34.380The federal government's dividing media into a preferred class and a subclass.
00:04:38.680The preferred class is subsidized, celebrated, and gets good government access.
00:04:42.740The subclass is often decried as being a provider of fake news and is denied access to government press events,
00:04:48.280and it's under constant attack from legislation such as Bills C-11 and C-18.
00:04:53.420The state-manufactured media hierarchy has fostered a sense of elitism and entitlement among the members within the legacy media outlets.
00:05:01.640The insulting piece in The Globe and Mail wasn't written by some lone columnist.
00:05:05.900That was the official opinion from their editorial board.
00:05:08.560Their paper, while shamelessly taking subsidies from the pockets of taxpayers,
00:05:12.140is officially opposed to giving citizens a tax break.
00:05:15.280So please, keep that in mind as you consider subscribing to or reading material from legacy outlets such as The Globe and Mail.
00:05:21.940I mean, you can't yet stop the government from showering your tax dollars on the mainstream media,
00:05:26.700but you can at least stop giving them any more of your own money directly.
00:05:30.040They won't respect your wallet or your right to keep the money you've earned,
00:05:32.900so why should you do them any favors in return?
00:05:35.480Let them slide into full state broadcaster status like the CBC.
00:05:40.460While they still cost a fortune, at least people have stopped reading and viewing them as their ratings prove out.