Bill C-18, the Online News Act, appeared to be headed to clause-by-clause review this week. Indeed, as many small media outlets have noted, eligibility requirements to have QCJO status or regularly employ at least two journalists means that many small weeklies or digital startups will fall outside the system. The corporate media lobby perspective is easier to understand given that most of the Bill C-18 money would go to those lobby groups. Much the same dynamic is now playing out with Bill C-18. As for the big payouts for Bell, Rogers and the CBC and the exclusion of small media outlets, he suggests that the small outlets aren’t much interested in the bill.

Source: CBC News October 27, 2022 13:31 UTC