New immigrants trust Canadian media, but support falls the longer they live here: StatsCan

Among those who trust Canadian media, new immigrants are at the top of that list over those born in the country.

However, Statistics Canada said confidence in the press generally declined the longer immigrants lived here.

"Recent immigrants had a substantially higher level of confidence in the media," said a StatsCan report Confidence. "For example, among South Asians, 25% of those born in Canada had confidence in the Canadian media compared with 57% of recent immigrants," it added.

According to Blacklock's Reporter, only one-third (33%) of the general public trusts news corporations, whereas South Asian immigrants (57%), Filipinos (54%), Arabs (47%), Blacks (43%) and Chinese immigrants (42%) who had spent fewer than ten years in Canada trust them more.

Among "established immigrants" who spent more than ten years here, only 45% of Filipinos trusted the media, followed by 39% of South Asians, 34% of Chinese and 33% of Blacks and 29% of Arabs.

Blacklock's Reporter said the study provided no reason for the discrepancy between recent immigrants and naturalized Canadians and their support of the press.

Media analysts testifying at the Commons heritage committee said federal subsidies like a $595 million press bailout approved by Parliament in 2019 accelerated distrust of newsrooms. 

According to the Western Standard, "Canada is facing not one news crisis but two," said Jeanette Ageson, publisher of the Vancouver news site The Tyee, who testified last September 27. "One is financial, and the other is the crisis of mistrust."

"Canadians are expressing unprecedented distrust towards the news and the reporters who deliver it," said Ageson, speaking on behalf of Canada's Independent Online News Publishers. "Canadians need to know who is funding the news they receive and on what terms."

"Trust in Canada's media has never been lower," testified Peter Menzies, former Calgary Herald editor-in-chief. He added that confidential subsidy terms with publishers fueled public mistrust.

"The more government assistance news media gets, the more broken the relationship with readers becomes. The more that relationship is broken, the more subsidies will be required," said Menzies.

Sue Gardner, a former CBC executive, testified last November 2 that Canadian media are dreadful. "It's appalling," said Gardner.

"It's terrible," she said. "I don't think anyone is arguing differently."

"I had lived outside Canada for 11 years, and I returned about a year and a half ago," continued Gardner. "The institutions, even the ones that still exist, are hollowed-out versions of their former selves. They're memories of what they used to be."

"A Nanos poll published in April 2019 claimed Canadians have the 'highest intensity of trust' in the CBC to protect Canadian identity and culture on television."

"Almost four in five Canadians report having the highest trust and confidence in the CBC to protect Canadian identity and culture on television," it reads. 

While agreement is down marginally from previous waves, over four in five Canadians agree or somewhat agree that local TV news is valuable to them. Seven in ten said they agree or somewhat agree that their federal member of Parliament should work to keep local broadcasting strong in their community. 

Nearly half (46%) of Canadians said they would increase funding if allowed to provide advice to their MP on CBC funding. One-third (33%) would vote to maintain funding.

When asked which political party they most trust to protect the public broadcaster, respondents most frequently said the Liberal Party (34%), followed by the NDP (15%) and the Conservative Party (11%). 

According to the poll, nearly three in five Canadians said their democracy was weaker (28%) or somewhat weaker (31%) in 2019 than in 2014.

Featured Stories

COMMENTS

Be the first to comment

Please check your e-mail for a link to activate your account.