The majority of Canadians oppose government funding of media organizations and newsrooms, and most want the consolidation of news outlets discouraged in order to maintain healthy competition in the industry, according to a new Angus Reid survey.
A July 13 news release from the polling company says that two possible solutions to declining newsroom revenues, a reduced workforce of journalists, and fewer readers have been rejected by Canadian poll respondents.
“A majority (59 percent) oppose the government funding of private newsrooms, believing it ‘compromises journalistic independence,’” Angus Reid said.
A similar proportion of those polled (57 percent) say the consolidation of media—such as the recently considered merger between Torstar and Postmedia that has since collapsed—should be discouraged “so there is more competition in news coverage in Canada.”…