Opinion | Free Press roundup: Canada fallout, another try for press shield law

Brier Dudley

Facebook parent Meta is following through on threats to block news from its platforms in Canada, for now at least.

The company threatened to block news if Canada passed a law requiring tech giants to fairly compensate news publishers for online content. It did this temporarily in Australia in 2021 when a similar law was being finalized.

Canada’s Parliament passed its Online News Act last week.

Brier Dudley's SAVE THE FREE PRESS columns are made available for free to the public and to other newspapers for their use — to build awareness of the local journalism crisis and potential solutions. The entire body of work is viewable here: st.news/SavetheFreePress

Meta is following through and declining to negotiate with Canada’s government, Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Tuesday, though it’s unclear how long the snit will last.

“We are proceeding toward ending the availability of news permanently in Canada,” Meta’s public policy head in Canada, Rachel Curran, told CBC’s Power & Politics show.

Google made similar threats but delayed its decision after a last-minute meeting with Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, CTV reported.

According to a new Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism report, 45% of Canadians use social media as a source of news. Facebook is the top social media source for news, providing that need for 29% of Canadian users, and Instagram provides it for 10%, according to the report.

Federal shield proposal: Another important bill to support journalism was reintroduced in the U.S. Congress last week.

The PRESS Act would shield journalists from being forced to disclose information about and from sources except in extreme situations. It would also prevent the government from spying on journalists by secretly obtaining their communications records from third parties, like phone companies.

As noted by sponsoring U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., 48 states and the District of Columbia have various shield laws and reporter protections but they vary and there’s no federal law. Washington state passed its shield law in 2007.

“Spying on reporters to learn the identity of their sources is a finger in the eye of the First Amendment. Unnecessary surveillance of journalists makes it harder to bring waste, fraud and abuse to light, by scaring off sources and reporters who are essential to a well-functioning democracy,” Wyden said in a news release. “Our bipartisan legislation creates strong protections for reporters, with common sense exceptions for cases when the government truly needs information immediately.”

The bill passed the House unanimously last year but failed to clear the Senate.

Co-sponsors include Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Richard Durbin, D-Ill. A House version is being reintroduced by Reps. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., and Jamie Raskin, D-Md.

“In a world where information is power, the role of reporters as truth-seekers and watchdogs cannot be understated,” Lee said in the release. “Recent events, however, have cast a chilling shadow over their pursuits. Law-enforcement agencies have resorted to clandestine tactics, subpoenaing emails and phone records in an effort to unmask confidential sources.”

Senate Bill 2074 is formally called the Protect Reporters from Exploitive State Spying Act. As described by sponsors, it would shield journalists from court-ordered disclosure of information about a source and information received from sources. Exceptions are allowed, with notice, if disclosure is needed to prevent terrorism or identify a terrorist, or is necessary “to prevent a threat of imminent violence, significant bodily harm, or death, including specified offenses against a minor.”

Washington state’s congressional delegation is traditionally very supportive of the press. I encourage members to also support the PRESS Act.

Lawmakers supporting the PRESS Act should also considering backing proposals that would help protect news organizations from financial collapse. Financial stability is also needed for news outlets to fulfill their watchdog role and consistently bring waste, fraud and abuse to light.

Durbin is the only senator so far to sponsor both the PRESS Act and the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, which would enable news outlets to collectively bargain fair compensation from tech giants.

Alden cuts comments: At least two dailies owned by Alden Global Capital are ending the reader comment feature on their websites July 1, following a similar decision by publishing giant Gannett in February.

At The Denver Post, editor Lee Ann Colacioppo wrote that the Alden-owned paper “long valued” the comments section as a place to hear different viewpoints, note errors and have readers engage in debate.

But the section became “an uncivil place that drives readers away” with hateful, personal attacks driving away those trying to engage in thoughtful conversation.

Different approaches, including full-time moderators, did not work out and the paper needs to devote its resources “to bringing you news that matters,” she wrote.

That was followed by a similar decision at The Boston Herald, another Alden-owned paper, reported Dan Kennedy, a Northeastern University journalism professor.

This is excerpted from the free, weekly Voices for a Free Press newsletter. Sign up to receive it at the Save the Free Press website, st.news/SavetheFreePress.

Brier Dudley on Twitter: @BrierDudley is editor of The Seattle Times Save the Free Press Initiative. Its weekly newsletter: https://st.news/FreePressNewsletter. Reach him at bdudley@seattletimes.com.