Around the branches (of the Canadian Institute of International Affairs).

The Boston members of the CIIA, who are in the process of forming a branch, heard from former CIIA Chairman Peter White on 15 June at a breakfast seminar at the Four Seasons Hotel. Mr White spoke on the subject of `The Evolving Newspaper Industry -- Are International Rules Necessary?' The audience comprised Americans and Canadians in approximately equal numbers, including several editors and publishers.

Following the line of argument advanced in his talk to the Ottawa branch earlier this year, Mr White, in his capacity as a director of Hollinger, Inc, said that no international rules should be necessary, and he questioned some of the nationalist-inspired restrictions on foreign ownership found in countries such as Canada and Australia. In one of his more provocative moments Mr. White asked rhetorically whether `such restrictive laws' perhaps reflected `the remnants of a colonial mentality.' His basic argument was that there is relatively little `globalization' of the newspaper industry, that international or domestic rules can easily become restrictions on freedom of expression, and that in countries which are politically free the media business is inherently so competitive as to curb most potential abuses of newspaper concentration.

Though his appearance at a media forum in Toronto might well stir controversy and even acrimony given the imminent launch of a new `national' paper, the CIIA group in Boston listened attentively to Mr White and were remarkably detached and analytical. At one point Mr White observed that `our society is far too pluralistic and open, and our media far too fragmented and competitive, for any one media person or company to have a preponderant influence on defining or determining the national identity of Canadians.' In the question-and-answer session, however, there was a diversity of opinion expressed on the central issues. Mr White's call for radical freedom of the press naturally struck a positive chord before a US-based audience, but there were those who questioned whether there was a point at which concentration of media ownership would pose a threat to a free public opinion and healthy democratic processes of public discussion. Inevitably there were also questions about plans for the new `national' newspaper in Canada and questions about the precise competitive situation among newspapers in Toronto. Since Peter White is also president of the Council of Canadian Unity, there were questions as well about the Calgary Declaration and the prospects for a near-term resolution of outstanding constitutional issues.

In saying good-bye to the CIIA group in Boston, Mr White expressed gratitude at their warm and thoughtful reception of his views and expressed the hope that `you will be with the CIIA for a very long time.'

In the 1998-9 season, the Boston CIIA group hopes to hear from President Alan Sullivan and from former President and sometime MP for Kitchener, John English. The programme for the year is expected to include a mix of Canadian and American speakers. Key issues to be discussed are expected to include the financial crisis in Asia, prospects for the Free Trade Area of the Americas, the Middle East peace process, and the arms race in South Asia. Plans are also under way for a discussion group on US-Canada relations and for a major conference to be held sometime in 1999.

Dr James Reed 

Harvard University