Canadian Media Industries Policy in the Streaming Era

Abstract

The traditional structure of the Canadian media industries has been upended by technological, political, and global economic forces in the 2020s. In response, the government of Canada passed two powerful and controversial pieces of legislation in 2023: the Online Streaming Act and the Online News Act. These two laws attempt to reassert the sovereignty of the Canadian nation-state in an age of global platforms. They stand as examples of government effort to maintain stability in the system while recognizing the ongoing role for new foreign-based digital technologies. The Canadian state’s role is traditionally to protect and promote national culture and encourage a vibrant free press in the face of powerful foreign political demands. The case of Canada serves as a useful exemplar for all political jurisdictions struggling with similar contemporary issues of sovereignty over media sectors that have traditionally been subject to varying degrees of state involvement. An assessment of the impact of these two acts upon the Canadian media industries more than 2 years after their passage in parliament when the pressures from beyond Canada’s borders over this period have only intensified provides an important perspective on the status of journalism and mass media in the era of streaming.