The NWT government and city of Yellowknife are describing in tweets, Instagram messages etc. how to search key evacuation information on CPAC and CBC. The broadcast carriers have a duty to carry emergency information, but Meta and X are blocking links.
While internet access is reportedly limited in Yellowknife, residents are finding this a barrier to getting current and accurate information. Even links to CBC radio are blocked.
Whose work is bringing who profit?
The cruel reality is that the Canadian media need Facebook more than Facebook needs Canadian media.
Journalists and media company produce content, journalists are paid by media company that profit from their work and pay taxes on that profit.
Facebook is used to share content from media companies and make profit from it, they don’t compensate media companies or pay taxes in Canada.
Media companies receive a small bump in traffic compared to the total number of views, they get a small bump in profit from ads revenues on their website and they pay taxes on it.
In the end the majority of revenues generated from views on Facebook doesn’t profit the content creators/owners in any way nor does it profit the country in which the owners are established.
So you need me to make it even simpler than that? You’re arguing that medias should settle for the scraps when Facebook is feasting by exploiting their work.
The reality is that the Canadian media need Facebook more than Facebook needs the Canadian media.
If the “bump” is so small, why is everyone complaining when this “exploitation” is removed? They should be cheering!
Reaction from Radio-Canada and La Presse has been negative only in the sense that they think it sucks that because some people only take their needs from Facebook they’ll now lose access to reliable information if they don’t bother going directly to the source. There’s also the obvious criticism that comes with Meta saying “We can still do it in case of emergency like we did in Australia” and then turning around and not sharing critical info when the situation presents itself.
I honestly believe they should simply be banned from Canadian internet at this point unless they start paying taxes on all profits made from Canadians and their content, but I don’t make the rules.
