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2006 saw many changes and shifts in terms of stories covered, actions taken, and expectations about the mainstream media.
1. Canadian media shut out of new Harper government: The mainstream media outlets found themselves in a very different situation after the Conservatives took power in January. Harper’s decision to bypass the media questioning left many long-time journalists feeling rather isolated. Harper’s people gave interviews to favourable journalists, and shut out those who might be critical. 2. Environment once again emerges as a hot topic in media circles: After years of limited reporting on environmental issues, 2006 was the year that the environment was again in the news. From the problems with meeting Kyoto targets, to Rona Ambrose’s abysmal handling of the environment portfolio, issues about the environment were no longer relegated to the back page. 3. Re-emergence of weather as news: Like the environment, Canadian weather proved to be particularly interesting to the mainstream media this year. British Columbia’s long, hot summer, followed by a windy, rainy and cold fall, received coverage across the country. 4. Canadian pop stars in the news: The trend towards celebrity news continued in 2006, with a few different Canadian magazines about celebrities launched in the summer. These magazines report on important news stories such as Nelly Furtado’s latest hairstyle and the sordid details of the break-up of Pam Anderson’s latest marriage. 5. American media’s increased questioning of Iraq war: 2006 will be remembered by many in the U.S., as the year that the mainstream media began to seriously question what was going on in Iraq. As the number of deaths of American soldiers continued to rise, and new books about the failures of the Bush administration in the Middle East flew off the shelves, formerly supportive news outlets started to direct tougher questions to the White House. 6. Recognition of the power of online mediums: This was the year that YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, and other online entities finally began to get some recognition from the mainstream news. The realization that many people are interacting with the world around them through mediums such as these has made the mainstream media take note. The increased importance placed on their online divisions reflects this new understanding.
The copyright of the article Looking Back at 2006 in Newspaper Journalism is owned by Kate Butler. Permission to republish Looking Back at 2006 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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