Media and H1N1 – An example of the Current State of our Media Industry in Canada

On March 19th, 2010, I had the pleasure to attend the second annual health communication workshop hosted by the department of Journalism and Exercise Science at Concordia University. The theme of this year’s workshop encompassed the debate over of the appropriateness of the media’s coverage of the H1N1 pandemic in Canada. It included presentations from media and health experts discussing their roles during the H1N1 pandemic. This was followed by an open forum debate.

The presentations and discussion surrounding this topic illuminated some issues concerning the media that affected public reaction to the H1N1 pandemic. These issues are important to highlight because they illustrate how the media works in Canada and how it impacts the types of news and information that we consume and use to make decisions that impact how we live.

Red and White with Pride all Over: The Olympics, the Creation of National Unity and the Media

Since the conclusion of the 2010 winter Olympics, there has been a lot of national and international media coverage devoted to Canada’s sense of nationalism expressed during the Vancouver Olympic Games. Headlines such as Canada's golden Games leave critics red-faced (CanWest news service, March 1, 2010) and It was Canada at its Best (Boston Globe, March 2nd, 2010) describe Canada as a country that, although polite, is no longer the quiet Country living in the shadow of its American neighbours. Rather, Canada is a country that is loud and proud and is not afraid to show it.

Some reports even suggest that these Olympics have started a new chapter in Canadian history by creating a more united country; a sense of nationalism that has been lacking for several generations. For instance, according to an Ipsos-Reid poll conducted on March 4th, 2010, more than 80% of Canadians in general, and nearly two-thirds of Quebecers, are willing to call themselves Canadian nationalists. This is a sharp rise from an identical poll conducted last March where only 48% of Quebecers and 72% of Canadians surveyed would categorize themselves as Canadian nationalists (Mark Iype, Canadian unity in 'sweet spot' , CanWest News Service, March 8th, 2010).

Why the sudden rise in Canadian Nationalism? Could it be attributed to the Winter Olympics?

How Canadian is CanCon?

I wrote an article for the Media Awareness Network( http://www.media-awareness.ca) looking at how current popular programs, including Greys Anatomy, 24 and House, relate to Canadian content regulations.

You can access it at the following link

http://bit.ly/9lLPgi


The Media Awareness Network is a Canadian non-profit organization that has been pioneering the development of media and digital literacy programs since its incorporation in 1996. They promote media and digital literacy by producing education and awareness programs and resources, working in partnership with Canadian and international organizations, and speaking to audiences across Canada and around the world.