Media Beat: February 28, 2020

By David Farrell

A multi-million-dollar class-action lawsuit filed against Insight Productions

The issue of worker rights in the unscripted space has been thrust into the spotlight once again after a CA$35-million (US$26.4M) class-action lawsuit was filed against Insight Productions.

The 35-page statement of claim was made by Anna Bourque, the same plaintiff also named in the $35-million class-action lawsuit brought against Cineflix in the fall of 2018. — Jordan Pinto, RealScreen

Toss out sports. Ditch drama. Why the CBC needs radical change to survive

What will it sound like in Canada when the throbbing heartbeat of a healthy 21st-century democracy — the culture of free expression and independent journalism — goes eerily silent?

There will be no sound, of course, except the complacent murmurings of a distracted society that — in spite of many warnings — will claim it never saw it coming.

But what will it look like?

Well, if some analysts are proven right, imagine this scenario in Canada — not in the next 50 years, but in a mere five years:

It will be a Canada without viable daily newspapers, stripped clean of effective local news and public accountability, even more awash in empty-headed American media than now — Tony Burman, The Star

Canada’s news media demand tax and regulatory changes

The news industry in Canada is in trouble,' the letter addressed to Justin Trudeau says. 'A strong democracy depends on diverse sources of trusted news'. — Stuart Thomson, National Post

Should Canada treat China’s state media outlets as foreign missions?

A member of the special parliamentary committee on Canada-China relations says this country should consider following in the footsteps of the United States and forcing state-owned media outlets from mainland China to register as foreign missions.

That means they would be considered the same as embassies and consulates instead of media outlets. — Jeremy Nuttall, The Star

Heritage Minister looks to tax Netflix, Facebook within the year

Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault is appearing confident that large, foreign corporations operating in the digital realm like Netflix and Facebook will soon be paying sales taxes in Canada. — Rachel Emanuel, iPolitics