Digital Platforms and Analogue Policies: Governance Issues in Canadian Cultural Policy

Background: In Canada, a complex set of public action instruments have been used over the past 100 years or so to encourage, regulate, and support Canadian cultural expression. Analysis: During this period, governments were primarily motivated by three normative imperatives: national identity, economic vitality, and cultural diversity. This article explores the cultural stakes for Canada in the digital platform environment to determine if these normative perspectives are still valid. Conclusion and implications: Cultural policies rooted in the “analogue” past continue to be relevant in the “digital” present, but a new normative imperative—enhancing democracy, fairness, and cultural rights—appears to be emerging.