Media Beat: September 10, 2020

By David Farrell

Steven Guilbeault took on polluters. Now he’s heritage minister and he’s going after Big Tech

This is a minister who has said that “data is the new oil,” so the polluters metaphor isn’t just tossed off the top of his head. In Guilbeault’s view, the tech giants are failing to appreciate that a reckoning is coming for big social-media corporations that fail to assume their societal responsibilities — much like those big polluters of the last century.

“I think you can bully one country around, you may be able to bully two countries, but at one point, they won’t be able to do it,” Guilbeault said. “Soon enough, it’s going to be France and it’s going to be Australia and Canada will be on board… – Susan Delacourt, The Star

Manitoba orders end to print subscriptions for government orgs, including schools

A new provincial policy requires government offices and publicly funded entities, including school divisions, to cancel print subscriptions to newspapers, magazines and periodicals.

The policy was introduced last fall to find savings, reduce paper waste and “demonstrate government leadership” in line with Manitoba’s climate plan. – Maggie Macintosh, Winnipeg Free Press

A guide to bullshit, power-serving journalism phrases

In Canada, the majority of newsrooms follow the Canadian Press (CP) style guide. Many of the rules within this guide are ultimately inconsequential (i.e., “per cent” vs “percent”) even if journalists dislike them. Others are more important, such as CP’s decision earlier this year to begin using “Black” instead of “black” to refer to people and culture.

The CP style guide doesn’t contain all the rules, as there are countless other unwritten ones. Unlike many in the guide, however, they can be incredibly consequential by subtly shifting how readers understand stories. And while Canadian style guides may eventually suggest not using them, they now seem encouraged or at least tolerated within newsrooms. I call them bullshit phrases. – David Mastracci, Passage

'We know where your parents live': Hong Kong activists say Canadian police helpless against online threats

For Cherie Wong, the threats of rape and murder she receives on social media are only a semi-constant reminder that many supporters of the Chinese Communist Party see her as an enemy.

They're not what scares her the most.

Back in January, Wong — executive director and co-founder of Alliance Canada Hong Kong, a group pressing the Canadian government to defend the former British colony's democracy — flew to Vancouver for events associated with the alliance's launch. Someone had been keeping tabs on her, she said.

"My hotel room was booked by someone else as a security measure. And two days after the launch ... I received a threatening phone call to my hotel room demanding that I leave immediately, that these people are coming to collect me," she said. – Evan Dyer, CBC News

A half-century of Geraldo Rivera

This month is the 50^th as a broadcaster who started as a reporter at WABC New York on Sept. 8, 1970.

Asked about his regrets, Rivera mentioned on-air brawling, the Al Capone’s vault debacle of 1986 and “raucous and racy show topics” earlier in his career. “I’m on a first-name basis with all of America,” he said. “I can’t say I have many regrets.”

His influences include former Congressman Herman Badillo, Dan Rather and John Lennon, who he calls “a dear friend” who “taught me to give peace a chance.” – Michael Malone, Next TV

Facebook says it will block news in Australia if media royalty plan becomes law

Following an inquiry into the state of the media market and the power of the U.S. platforms, the Australian government late last year told Facebook and Google to negotiate a voluntary deal with media companies to use their content.

After those negotiations failed, Australia’s competition regulator drafted laws that it said would allow news businesses to negotiate for fair payment for their journalists’ work. – Reuters

Google rolls out robocall killer

On Tuesday the company said it's rolling out a new Verified Calls feature in its Phone app for Android devices in an effort to separate calls you actually want to answer from spam and robocalls. Verified Calls will show the business' name, a business logo, the reason for calling and a verification symbol, Google said. The initial rollout covers the US, Mexico, Brazil, Spain and India. – Carrie Mihalcik, CNET

More robot and robotic system deployments expected across industries

Robots have moved off the assembly line and into warehouses, offices, hospitals, retail shops, and even our homes. How are robots affecting industries and impacting issues such as IT support and workplace safety?

TechRepublic Premium conducted an online survey of IT professionals to find out.

Local news works when cost structure isn’t screwed up

When newspapers are spending tens of millions on operating costs, is it any wonder they can’t be profitable. – Jacob Cohen Donnelly, A Media Operator

After a near-death experience, Australia’s wire service is turning to crowdfunding

A month after Australian Associated Press 2.0 was launched as a not-for-profit company the 85-year-old newswire is under financial pressure and appealing to the public for monetary contributions. – Amanda Meade & Anne Davies, The Guardian

Bloomberg and The Washington Post are betting big on gaming. Here's why

The Washington Post, Bloomberg, and Wired have each announced investments in gaming coverage in recent months. These publications and others are looking to capitalize on this multibillion-dollar industry with the same rigor they've shown in reporting on Hollywood and Silicon Valley. The plan is to investigate the business and culture of the gaming industry with stories that appeal to gamers and non-gamers alike. – Kerry Flynn, CNN

New awards show honours LiveXLive performers

Pronounced Live by Live, the music streaming platform has announced today that it launched its inaugural awards show with voting for winners in various categories including Best Virtual Festival shot with an iPhone, Best Use of Technology using Zoom, and a Legend Award for the most omnipresent act during the pandemic. The Lockdown Awards -- airing on October 23. During the lockdown, LiveXLive has streamed over 1,200 artists that have racked up 81M livestreams. Since launching its livestream Pay-Per-View (PPV) and digital touring platform in May 2020, LiveXLive has sold over 30K PPV tickets in over 96 countries at an average price of $27. LiveXLive reports having over 877K paid subscribers. – Media release