The House of Commons Heritage committee study of media and local communities continued looking at the state of the news industry in the digital era

GENERAL:

The House of Commons Heritage committee study of media and local communities continued Tuesday, looking at the state of the news industry in the digital era. This week marked the Heritage committee’s 32nd meeting on the subject, hearing from the Globe & Mail and online news and opinion site Rebel Media. Both Globe publisher Philip Crawley and Rebel’s Brian Lilley told MPs, the publicly-funded CBC is creating an uneven playing field in competing for digital ad dollars.

Bell and the True Patriot Love Foundation have announced a renewed four-year $1 million partnership to support community mental health programs serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces, veterans and their families. Since 2013, the Bell True Patriot Love Fund has distributed $1 million in grants to 61 mental health programs delivered through Military Family Resource Centres and other groups.

The Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma has created a new award for journalists reporting on mental health issues in the workplace. The $1,000 prize is being offered by the Forum in connection with its widely-used guide for journalists, Mindset: Reporting on Mental Health. The guide was published in 2014 to help general assignment reporters deal with breaking stories that involve mental illness.

A survey of 129 Canadian writers and journalists that shows concern about government and corporate surveillance is causing writers to think twice about what they publish and how they conduct research. The study was conducted this past June by The Centre for Free Expression at Ryerson University, in collaboration with PEN Canada and the Canadian Association of Journalists. Close to a quarter of those surveyed reported that they avoid writing about certain topics. A fifth said they refrain from conducting internet searches or visiting web sites on topics considered controversial or suspicious. More than 70 per cent of respondents agreed most Canadians are unconcerned or unaware about government surveillance.

Videotron has topped the list of the best telecommunications service providers in Québec for the fifth time, according to the 7th edition of Léger’s survey on customer experience, published in Les Affaires. The Quebecor Media Inc. subsidiary now serves nearly 1.7 million cable customers and is the Quebec leader in high-speed internet access.

Vancouver’s Music Therapy Ride has now raised over $1 million in support of music therapy programs. This year’s 15th annual music industry and media motorcycle event brought in over $150K to pass the million dollar milestone. The event has the support of music labels like Warner, Universal, Reliant, and Sony Music, as well as media support from local TV and radio including, Rogers, Corus, Bell, Pattison, Newcap, Roundhouse Radio, City and Global.

CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais rapped Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. in a prepared speech in Ottawa Wednesday for shutting down video-streaming site Shomi. During his remarks at the annual conference of the Canadian chapter of the International Institute of Communications, Blais said he was shocked the two companies would “throw in the towel on a platform that is the future of content – just two years after it launched.”