Media Beat: September 10, 2018

By David Farrell

Canada must tax and regulate online tech giants

Few would argue that all businesses should not be treated equally under the law, yet today’s political consensus delivers the exact opposite result: a two-tiered system where Canadian businesses are subject to Parliament’s will and foreign internet giants are allowed to write their own rules.

In 1984, Orwell depicted the final conquest of totalitarianism with characters who had come to believe that “War is peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength.” The innovation fantasy maintains its power by normalizing exactly this type of absurd language. The “sharing economy” involves no sharing. “Social media” empowers the most anti-social elements in our society. – Editorial by Daniel Bernhard, Toronto Star

Corporate America Is standing up for a better change

Ford, Levi Strauss and Nike are prominent in a growing wave of big brands that are showing leadership in a country where the elected leaders have seemingly gone mad. – Ellen McGirt, Fortune

Nike sales surge following Colin Kaepernick ad campaign

According to Edison Trends, a digital commerce research company: “Nike sales grew 31% from Sunday through Tuesday over Labor Day this year, besting 2017’s comparative 17% increase.” – Martin Pengelly, The Guardian (UK)

Colin Kaepernick Nike Commercial

Why it’s time news got to know its readers

Readers have distinct needs and behaviours. The challenge for publishers, both new startups like Synopted or large-scale national outlets, becomes: What part of a reader’s habitual information routine can we occupy? And what community of readers can we serve? – Ipsita Agarwal, Medium