Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told a radio audience she is “concerned” with the Canadian government's plan to introduce federal regulation on online news media.."I've been talking with some of the members of the media, and in particular the alternative media, who are very concerned about some of the laws that are coming down at the federal level that they think might run them out of business. Because they're interfering with their ability to freely put messages out there," said Smith. .Last week, the House of Commons passed the Online News Act (Bill C-18). It has to make its way through the Senate before it finally becomes law..Once Bill C-18 receives Royal Assent, the governor in council would publish regulations specifying the application of the act .The federal government stated this enactment regulates digital news intermediaries to “enhance fairness in the Canadian digital news marketplace” and “contribute to its sustainability.”.“It establishes a framework through which digital news intermediary operators and news businesses may enter into agreements respecting news content that is made available by digital news intermediaries," said Bill C-18.."The framework takes into account principles of freedom of expression and journalistic independence.".Bill C-12 will require platforms, primarily Facebook and Google, to pay publishers for hosting links to news stories..C-18 will require Google and Facebook to make agreements with news publishers to compensate them for Google and Facebook “making available [publishers’] material,” to increase “fairness” in the marketplace. .If a publisher cannot reach an agreement with Google or Facebook, they will be able to ask the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission to appoint a mediator to help them reach a deal. It appears this process will benefit big legacy media companies at the expense of startups and indie publishers..“If this bill passes, they will simply shut down all Canadian news sharing on their platform," said Western Standard publisher Derek Fildebrandt. "And I hate to say it, but they would be right to do so,” .Fildebrandt said this bill would "mean the overnight death of the new media industry in Canada." Online news outlets would lose the most important platform for distributing information, he claims..The Western Standard reached out to the Office of the Premier of Alberta for comment, but one was not received before press time.
