Some of the province’s major media organizations are calling on the Quebec government to grant journalists greater access to facilities within the health network, as the novel coronavirus pandemic continues.

In an open letter published Tuesday and signed by Global News, media representatives argue that showing the reality of what is going on in Quebec hospitals and long-term care facilities is paramount.

“It is of utmost of importance for Quebecers to hear directly from embattled doctors, nurses and orderlies, as well as the patients they are treating, in order to accurately report the harsh realities being experienced behind those closed doors,” the letter reads.

“Health-care workers, after all, are the primary witnesses to what goes on inside our health institutions. They must be allowed to speak freely about what they are observing during this crisis.”

The group credits images out of Italy in March 2020, showing overcrowded hospital rooms and overwhelmed staff, for helping to bring the full impact of the health crisis to the public’s attention.

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“It was this imagery, more than any World Health Organization announcement or press release, that made people the world over aware of the gravity of the pandemic. It also helped many of them more readily accept government confinement measures.”

According to media representatives, more often than not, journalists’ requests to document the pandemic from inside long-term care facilities or within hospitals, have been denied by government and public health authorities alike.

Global News, as well as its fellow signatories, cited freedom of information for the request.

“It’s shocking that the government would not let journalists in, journalists are being safe about it, they’re protecting themselves as they go in. This is exceptionally important,” said Karyn Pugliese, past-president of the Canadian Association of Journalists and co-chair of the association’s advocacy committee.

“There’s also the issue of accountability, we want to know how severe the crisis is, we want to know that patients are getting the care and that health-care workers are getting what they need in order to deliver care to people.”

The province says it’s looking into ways they can safely allow journalists into health facilities.

“I think we could benefit as a society to have more information, better communication with what’s happening in our health establishments, buildings and facilities,” said Christian Dubé, Quebec’s Minister of Health and Social Services.

2:05
Coronavirus: Health-care workers on the front lines calling on Quebecers to follow rules

A full copy of the open letter can be found below.

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Recently, a friend approached me regarding the future of social media.

She was curious about things like The Social Dilemma, Twitter’s permanent suspension of Trump’s account, and many platforms’ new regulations—and the effect all of this may have on the industry as a whole. It is truly a fantastic question, and as the founder of a social media agency, these are all things that have been top of mind for a long while now.

Here’s how I responded.

Social Media Will Evolve, Not Go Away

Social media is absolutely addictive, and is built to be that way—so that part of The Social Dilemma is true. And this won’t change. Social media will always be addictive, for better or for worse. It is part of human behavior now. Networks will change. They’ll evolve. New ones will emerge. Older ones will die out. But consumer behavior—and the desire to connect and communicate online via networks—is forever here to stay. Users are not leaving social anytime soon. 

I do, however, believe that the recent comeuppance of the false narrative of Trump and his followers has forced the hand of networks to take stronger action to avoid the spread of false information. I strongly believe that this will happen—and it will both be good for the world and affect the stock of some of the networks.

Brands Will Have to Meet People Where They Are

For advertisers, it is imperative to meet people where they are. And if you look at the spends, there is no sign of stopping. The data will tell you this: A third of brands currently spend more on Facebook than any other platform, and 76 percent of brands plan to increase their ad spend in 2021. 44 percent have upped Twitter spending post–Trump removal, and 38 percent have increased on Instagram. If consumers are there, advertisers simply have to be there. 

One interesting observation: In July, there was a Facebook boycott called #StopHateForProfit where brands pulled their advertising from Facebook and demanded the network do more to combat bias, misinformation, harassment, and hate speech on the platform. This initiative was fantastic; however, it did not really hurt Facebook’s bottom line at all—advertisers came right back. Personally, what I found during that time was that advertisers reallocated their dollars. They would ask our team: “Is this the time to try Pinterest advertising? TikTok? What can we do that’s new?” The appetite is not to leave social media; it’s to find an opportunity that meets people where they are in a natural way.

Brands Need to Align with Consumers’ Values

There’s also a deep desire for brands to create content that is good for the world. A recent study from Accenture talked about how consumers want the brands they purchase from to care about the things they care about—including social and environmental issues. In fact, brands that don’t do this could see some big losses! 43 percent of consumers said they will walk away if they’re disappointed by a brands’ words or actions on a social issue—and 21 percent wouldn’t come back. This is new for many brands, and so using social media to lean into the good that they do is transitioning from a “nice-to-do” to a “must-do.”

So, I’m not worried about social media going away. I’m hopeful about it maturing and getting better. I’m not worried about advertisers going away. I’m focused on making sure they know about new networks, and keeping them educated on new platforms and on meeting people where they are. And I’m inspired by the amount of “good content” we will be able to put out into the world. Ultimately, I think that brands will have no choice but to do good—and that’s great.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

Source link

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us

Share

Share

Share

Share

Share

Recently, a friend approached me regarding the future of social media.

She was curious about things like The Social Dilemma, Twitter’s permanent suspension of Trump’s account, and many platforms’ new regulations—and the effect all of this may have on the industry as a whole. It is truly a fantastic question, and as the founder of a social media agency, these are all things that have been top of mind for a long while now.

Here’s how I responded.

Social Media Will Evolve, Not Go Away

Social media is absolutely addictive, and is built to be that way—so that part of The Social Dilemma is true. And this won’t change. Social media will always be addictive, for better or for worse. It is part of human behavior now. Networks will change. They’ll evolve. New ones will emerge. Older ones will die out. But consumer behavior—and the desire to connect and communicate online via networks—is forever here to stay. Users are not leaving social anytime soon. 

I do, however, believe that the recent comeuppance of the false narrative of Trump and his followers has forced the hand of networks to take stronger action to avoid the spread of false information. I strongly believe that this will happen—and it will both be good for the world and affect the stock of some of the networks.

Brands Will Have to Meet People Where They Are

For advertisers, it is imperative to meet people where they are. And if you look at the spends, there is no sign of stopping. The data will tell you this: A third of brands currently spend more on Facebook than any other platform, and 76 percent of brands plan to increase their ad spend in 2021. 44 percent have upped Twitter spending post–Trump removal, and 38 percent have increased on Instagram. If consumers are there, advertisers simply have to be there. 

One interesting observation: In July, there was a Facebook boycott called #StopHateForProfit where brands pulled their advertising from Facebook and demanded the network do more to combat bias, misinformation, harassment, and hate speech on the platform. This initiative was fantastic; however, it did not really hurt Facebook’s bottom line at all—advertisers came right back. Personally, what I found during that time was that advertisers reallocated their dollars. They would ask our team: “Is this the time to try Pinterest advertising? TikTok? What can we do that’s new?” The appetite is not to leave social media; it’s to find an opportunity that meets people where they are in a natural way.

Brands Need to Align with Consumers’ Values

There’s also a deep desire for brands to create content that is good for the world. A recent study from Accenture talked about how consumers want the brands they purchase from to care about the things they care about—including social and environmental issues. In fact, brands that don’t do this could see some big losses! 43 percent of consumers said they will walk away if they’re disappointed by a brands’ words or actions on a social issue—and 21 percent wouldn’t come back. This is new for many brands, and so using social media to lean into the good that they do is transitioning from a “nice-to-do” to a “must-do.”

So, I’m not worried about social media going away. I’m hopeful about it maturing and getting better. I’m not worried about advertisers going away. I’m focused on making sure they know about new networks, and keeping them educated on new platforms and on meeting people where they are. And I’m inspired by the amount of “good content” we will be able to put out into the world. Ultimately, I think that brands will have no choice but to do good—and that’s great.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

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Tweet

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Share

Share

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