Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Friday, January 29, 2016

The capitalist model for journalism is failing

The news this week that Rogers will send 200 of its TV, radio and publication workers packing is just the latest in a series of corporate media contractions that are bringing the entire system to the brink of collapse and forcing hundreds of media workers out of jobs across the country.

Just five companies -- Bell, Rogers, Shaw, Quebecor, and TELUS -- control nearly 90 per cent of Canada's media landscape.

Every job cut, merger and acquisition by corporate media magnifies the need for non-profit, independent media alternatives:

rabble.ca's kind of media

    Our content is free, not hidden behind paywalls.
    rabble.ca is a registered non-profit. We don't have shareholders. We have grassroots support of people like you.
    We don't endorse conservatives, we expose them.

Rather than promoting the neoliberal business tactics you see in corporate-owned media, at rabble, we push back against multinational corporations that try to smooth over their image problems with cheap fundraising tactics. This is what you get when you support rabble.ca.

Your contribution right now means that together, we can report the news that has working people's interests at heart -- not CEOs.

2016 is rabble's 15th anniversary. It all started with a committed group of activists including Judy Rebick, Margaret Atwood and David Suzuki. We've since grown to a half million readers a month, making rabble Canada's most visited progressive news site.

We've always believed the capitalist business model for journalism would fail. Wealthy corporations bought up already concentrated newspaper chains and squeezed out their last drops of profit, hacked and slashed jobs, and are now picking the carcasses clean while walking away with outrageous personal profit.

You can help rabble.ca expand and build a non-profit media model while corporate news shrinks. The independent media alternative in Canada starts with you. Support rabble's writers, editors and staff with a donation here.
                                                   
Giving monthly helps rabble plan coverage and use our resources as efficiently as possible. For as little as the cost of one latte per month, you can become a crucial supporter of non-corporate news in Canada.

Want some swag? Become a rabbler for $8/month and choose from of The best of rabble.ca 2015 edition, Indigenous Nationhood by Pam Palmater, or a copy of This Changes Everything, the new film by Avi Lewis.

Original Article
Source:
Author:  Kim Elliott

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