Subhead:Government-subsidized journalists controlling access to politicians “becomes a closed feedback loop,” said Sheila Gunn Reid, warning this erodes public trust in journalism.#
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Sheila Gunn Reid was invited to speak in the House of Commons this week, addressing a heritage committee meeting as part of its ongoing inquiry into the state of media and journalism in Canada.
The Rebel News editor-in-chief, who also serves as president of the Independent Press Gallery (IPG), detailed how “Canada already has a two-tier media system,” citing the divide between the outlets receiving government subsidies and those that do not.
Ezra Levant, who was in the gallery sharing his live analysis of the hearing, joined Sheila for a debrief in front of the Terry Fox statue just a short walk away from Parliament.
Addressing Conservative MP Kerry Diotte’s inquiry about outlets like Rebel News or others apart of the IPG being unable to access press galleries across the country, Sheila said independent journalists “have been blocked from membership” by gatekeepers like the Parliamentary Press Gallery.
