Who owns our news?

If you were wondering why it seems we have no free press in this country, the point was driven home with even more force than usual when I received a notice from the Writers Union of Canada, regarding the Heather Robertson legal action against the unlicensed use of works by the Thomson Group.

The suit, which has dragged on through Canadian courts since 1996, and has finally resulted in a settlement, “concerns media outlets that reproduced the work of freelance writers and artists on electronic databases without consent or additional compensation.”(Deadline for claims is 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on January 18, 2010 by the way, unless a requested extension is granted; more details on the Cole & Partners website.)

The length of the list is staggering. It would have been easier, I think, for them to send out a list of titles that were not owned by Thomson. Here’s the first list they sent out, which consists of titles affected by virtue of inclusion on a searchable database; and here following is the supplementary list:

Dailies
Toronto Star
The Hamilton Spectator
The Record
Guelph Mercury
METROLAND TITLES
Weekly
Acton Free Press
Ajax News Advertiser
Alliston Herald
Almaguin Forester
Almaguin News
Almonte Gazette
Ancaster News
Annex Guardian
Anrnprior Chronicle-Guide & Weekender
Arthur Enterprise News
Aurora Era-Banner
Barrhaven Weekender
Barrie Advance
Beach Mirror
Bloor West Villager
Blue Mountains Courier Herald
Bobcaygeon Independent
Bracebridge Examiner
Bradford West Gwillimbury Topic
Brampton Guardian
Brock Citizen
Burlington Post
Caledon/Bolton Enterprise
Cambridge Times
Canadian Statesman
Carleton Place Canadian
City Centre Moment
Clarington This Week
Collingwood/Wasaga Connection
Dundas Star News
Dunnville Sachern
East York Mirror
Elmira Independent
Erin Advocate
Etobicoke Guardian
Etobicoke Guardian Apartment & Condominium Edition
Exeter Times Advocate
Fenelon Falls Gazette
Fergus-Elora News Express
Flamborough Review
Georgetown Independent
Georgina Advocate
Glanbrook Gazette
Grand River Sachem
Gravenhurst Banner
Grimsby Lincoln News
Guelph Tribune
Haldimand Sachem
Hamilton Mountain News
Huntsville Forester
Innisfil Journal
Iroquois Chieftain
Kanata Kourier Standard
Kawartha Lakes This Week
Kemptville Advance-Accent Weekender
Listowel Banner
Manotick Review
Markham Economist & Sun
Meaford Express
Midland/Penetanguishene Mirror
Milton Canadian Champion
Minto Express
Mississauga Booster
Mississauga News
Mississauga This Week
Mississippi Weekender
Mount Forest Confederate
Muskoka Sun
Muskoka Weekender
Muskokan
Nepean This Week & Weekender
New Hamburg Independent
Newmarket Era-Banner
Niagara This Week
North York Mirror
Northumberland News
Oakville Beaver
Oakville Today
Orangeville Banner
Orillia Today
Oshawa This Week
Ottawa South Weekender
Parry Sound Beacon Star
Parry Sound North Star
Perth Courier & Weekender
Peterborough This Week
Pickering News Advertiser
Port Colborne Leader
Port Perry Star
Renfrew Mercury & Weekender
Richmond Hill Liberal
Riverdale Mirror
Scarborough Mirror Apartment & Condominium Edition
Smith Falls This Week
St. Mary’s Journal Argus
Stayner Sun
Stoney Creek News
Stouffville Sun & Tribune
Stratford City Gazette
Stittsville News & Weekender
Thornbury Courier-Herald
Thornhill Liberal
Uxbridge Times Journal
Vaughan Citizen
Walkerton-Herald Times
Wasaga Sun
Waterloo Chronicle
West Carleton Review
Whitby This Week
Wingham Advance-Times
York Guardian
BLACK PRESS TITLES
Alberta
Red Deer Advocate (PD)
The Stettler Independent
The Castor Advance
Bashaw Star
Rocky Mountain Outlook
Ponoka News
British Columbia
Lower Mainland
Abbotsford News
Agaassiz Observer
Aldergrove Star
Bowen Island Undercurrent
Burnaby/New West News Lewader
Business Examiner Fraser Valley
Chilliwack Progress
Hope Standard
Langley Times
Maple ridge News
Mission City Record
North Shore Outlook
Peace Arch News
Richmond Review
Sought Delta Leader
Surrey Leader
The Tri-City News
WestEnder
Vacouver Island
Alberni Valley News
Business Examiner
Campbell River Mirror
Courtenay Commox Valley Record
Duncan News Leader and Pictorial
Goldstream News Gazette
Ladysmith Chronicle
Lake Cowichan Gazette
Monday Magazine
Nanaimo News Bulletin
North Island Gazette
North Island Midweek
Oak Bay News
Parksville Qualicum News
Peninsula News Review
Saanich News
Sooke News Mirror
Victoria News
Real Estate Victoria
BC Interior North & South
100 Mile House Free Press
Arrow Lakes News
Ashcroft Cache Creek Journal
Barriere Star Journal
Burns Lakes District News
Castlegar News
Clearwater Times
Fort Saint James Courier
Golden Star
Houston Today
Invermere Valley Echo
Kamloops This Week
Kelowna Capital News
Kitimat Sentinel
Kootenay News Advertiser
Kootenay Western Star
Merritt Herald
Northern Connector
Penticton Western News
Prince George Free Press
Quesnel Cariboo Observer
Revelstoke Times Review
Salmon Arm Lakeshore News
Salmon Arm Observer
Sicamous Eagle Valley News
Similkameen Spotlight
Smithers Interior News
Summerland Review
Terrace Standard
The Northern View
Trail Rossland News
Vanderhoof Omineca Express
Vernon Morning Star
Winfield Lake Country Calendar
Williams Lake Tribune
Wine Trails