On Nov. 5, the United States will have their presidential election, and it is undeniable that the entire world is watching to see the result, including Canadians. When America sneezes, Canada catches a cold — therefore Canadian knowledge of American politics is extremely important to us as a nation.
But when does it become too much? David Cohen, the United States Ambassador to Canada, spoke about this topic to The Hub, saying he believes Canadians are consuming too much American news. He said this consumption is unhealthy due to American media’s nature to follow one party or person solely.
While valid points exist on either side of this argument, I agree wholeheartedly with Cohen’s view. Canadians consume far too much related to American politics. This reality has negatively impacted the way we consume and understand our own country’s politics.
It is evident that Canadians frequent American news outlets. In 2018, The Niemen Lab published some statistics that back up this claim, revealing that Canadian readers made up the New York Times’ biggest foreign market at 27 per cent.
In an interview with The Hub, Cohen explained that before coming to Canada, he did not know how to access Canadian news channels in the States. “I do think it is odd, particularly when I contrast it to the United States, where virtually no one in the United States is paying any attention to Canadian politics,” he said.
Taking an interest in American politics to stay informed is not inherently negative. However, this consumption becomes harmful when we start to ignore Canadian news in favour of American coverage. In 2020, Canadian digital news platform True North conveyed that the CBC was reporting 500 per cent more on Kamala Harris than Leslyn Lewis, a Conservative leadership candidate. Both women at the time were the first black women to run for their respective positions.
A counter argument can be made here: American politics are undoubtedly more entertaining to follow, and that is why major news outlets across the globe focus on them. While many can acknowledge the validity of this statement, I still feel like a line must be drawn. Canadians rely on Canadian news outlets to stay informed on in-depth coverage of our nation’s political climate.
Therefore, this coverage is a necessity regardless of its entertainment value. A product of this over-coverage of American politics in addition to our country’s involvement in American politics is the potential risk of many misunderstanding our own country’s political system.
The American election system is made up of only two dominant parties, the Democratic and Republican Party. While it is common knowledge to most that in Canada, we do not function under a two-party system, I have still been asked many times by peers if I am a Democrat or Republican.
Another misconception I feel has floated around Canada in recent years is the underestimation of the power our political parties have. In recent years, it has seemed as though many Americans began supporting the candidate of a particular party rather than the ideals of the party itself.
This could be due to the lesser amount of influence an American political party has once elected compared to those in Canada. Regardless, the practice of supporting the candidate rather than the party in America can be harmful if it influences Canadian voting habits, as we may see an increase of Canadians ruling out an entire political party just because they do not like the elected head.
I am not saying that we should be disregarding American politics all together. Consuming American political coverage to stay informed and even entertained is important in its own way.
