in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, S ep te m be r 12 ,2 01 9 | 6 which have felt the effects of sharing a digital market- place with behemoths like Google and Facebook. This duopoly, according to News Media Canada pres- ident and chief executive of- ficer John Hinds, has madeficer John Hinds, has madef it extremely challenging for local news providers to com- pete on a number of fronts. We're up against big firms with vast amounts of data and savvy algorithms, and competing for digital ad dol- lars. "When you've got 70 to 80 per cent of the digital ads be- ing sold by two players, and they are not Canadian play- ers, that's a real problem," said Hinds. "We need to be in a position where we can con- tinue to have viable busi- ness models that will allow us to provide news and in- formation to our citizens."formation to our citizens."f It's no secret the newspa- per industry has taken a sig- nificant financial hit. Newsrooms, here and across the globe, have been impacted. Reports suggest more than 100 local news outlets have been shuttered in Ontario since 2008, leav- ing some citizens to live in news-poor areas. Service re- ductions at other media companies mean fewer boots on the ground to re- port on important issues af- fecting your community.fecting your community.f Reduced advertising has a direct influence on the type of journalism a news media business is able to produce. It's one of the many risks identified in a July re- port by Australia's Competi- tion and Consumer Com- mission, which carried out an inquiry focused on the impacts of digital platforms such as search engines, so- cial media and digital con- tent aggregators have on consumers and businesses, including news media busi- nesses. The commission made 23 recommendations that called for regulatory and legislative changes, the creation of codes of conduct, as well as further inquiries to examine specific tech ser- vices. This type of thorough ex- amination of the digital mar- ketplace and its challenges is desperately needed here to ensure businesses are competing on a level playing field.field.f Canada might be late to the game -- the European Union and United States have each launched anti- trust investigations on "market-leading online plat- forms" -- but better lateforms" -- but better latef than never. We welcome your ques- tions and value your com- ments. Email our trust committee at trust@met- roland.com. Catherine O'Hara is Regional Managing Editor for Torstar Corporation's Community Brands in Halton, Hamilton, Peel and Niagara. OPINION Continued from page 3 NEWSROOMS ACROSS GLOBE IMPACTED 2525 Old Bronte Rd, Suite 470, Oakville Inside Palermo Professional Centre at Dundas www.bhandaridental.com 905.825.5110 ACTUAL PATIENT TREATMENTS BY DR. 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Vehicle must be purchased/leased, registered and delivered by September 30th, 2019.*Lease offers provided through Lexus Financial Services, on approved credit. *Representative lease example based on a 2020 NX 300 sfx 'A' on a 39 month term at an annual rate of 1.9% and Complete Lexus Price of $46,356. Bi-weekly lease payment is $188 with $5,080 down payment or equivalent trade in, $0 security deposit and first bi-weekly lease payment due at lease inception. Total of 84 bi-weekly lease payments required during the lease term. Total lease obligation is $20,753. kilometre allowance; charge of $0.20/km for excess kilometres. Complete Lexus Price includes freight/PDI ($2,075), EHF Tires ($20.70), EHF Filters ($1), A/C charge ($100), and OMVIC Fee ($10).Taxes, license, registration (if applicable), dealer fees (if applicable) and insurance are extra. Lexus Dealers are free to set their own prices. Limited time offers only apply to retail customers at participating Lexus Dealers. Dealer order/trade may be required (but may not be available in certain circumstances). Offers are subject to change or cancellation without notice. Offers are effective beginning September 4th and expire on September 30th unless extended or revised. Visit Lexus of Oakville, lexusofoakville.ca, or email sales@lexusofoakville.ca for complete details. IN A LANE OF ITS OWN Make YoU Mark iN a leXUs eXeXperieNce aMaziNgperieNce aMaziNg RX LEXUS NX lease apr 1.9%*39 MoNths Bi-WeeklY lease paYMeNt FroM $188*doWN paYMeNt $5,080* deliverY credits oF Up to $2,500^ 2020 NX 300 NX 2020 NX 300 NX 300 series shown LETTER TO THE EDITOR Re: Gun Owners De- serve a Voice in Gun-Con- trol Debate Gun owners have a voice in the gun debate, just like everyone else does. They are entitled to their opinions, of course, and in the past, they have man- aged to convince the Con- servative party, at least, that they need to have guns - which has slowed the pro- gressive movement to largely rid us of those weap- ons. The dangers of guns greatly outweigh any need for guns being available forfor guns being available forf 'sport' hunting or shooting. Take up bowling or crafts. Your hobby is just too ex-Your hobby is just too ex-Y pensive in human life. Unless you are subsis- tence hunting, nobody needs that 'sport' and the cost to society for 'sports- men' to have their toys is just too great. As far as responsible gun ownership goes, many gun owners have been seen to be responsible and law abiding - until, one day, they aren't. There are more murders of families and suicides and horrific accidents with chil- dren in homes that have guns. The refrain has been heard ... "That's so strange, they never had a violation before ... they murdered ev- eryone in the house." As for farmers, I think that the need for guns is greatly exaggerated. I grew up on a farm and never once in 20 years was a gun fired at a predator. fired at a predator. f Sure, gun owners have a voice in the debate, and so do I - and for me, we should mostly get rid of guns. They simply make it too easy for people to kill people. The hobbies of gun own- ers aren't worth the cost to our society. I suggest they take up bowling or hiking or watercolour painting. Nobody ever died from painting a bowl of fruit. GARY PEARSON OAKVILLE DANGERS OF GUNS OUTWEIGH ANY POSITIVES SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT INSIDEHALTON.COM