Media frenzy over cultural predicament intensifies

Evolving Cultural Landscape in Quebec Amid Digital Transformation

Rosemonde Gingras reflects on a bygone era characterized by a symbiotic relationship between culture, media, and traditional art forms. Having worked as a publicist during the late 90s, Gingras reminisces about a time when coverage of cultural events was extensive, and the role of traditional media in the promotion and public discourse of art was significant.

In the context of the current series on the transformations and crises of Quebec's cultural system, this recollection sheds light on the dynamic interplay between art, media, and cultural organizations that have been interwoven since the 19th century.

Media play a pivotal role in the illumination of cultural representations, selecting, promoting, and critiquing artistic creations while receiving support from the cultural sector in the form of advertising and captivated audiences. However, in recent decades, this harmonious relationship has evolved significantly.

Struggling with economic demands and editorial responsibilities, traditional media outlets have resorted to survival choices that often lead to media concentrations, borderline conflicts of interest, and a digital takeover that has significantly altered the landscape of cultural coverage.

Gingras laments the drop in the number of specialized journalists in the media as a whole, making it more challenging for artists to gain visibility and generate buzz for their work. Despite this, she upholds the importance of an informed and discerning critical voice in the field, enriching the relationship between artists, public, and the overall cultural landscape.

Enter Yannick Cimon-Mattar, co-founder of Lepointdevente.com, who emphasizes the centrality of data in cultural promotion in the digital age. By leveraging data to analyze audience preferences and consumption habits, Lepointdevente.com offers integrated cultural marketing services, specifically targeting emerging artists and facilitating ticket sales for various performances across Quebec.

Cimon-Mattar acknowledges that discovery through social media and streaming platforms, online comments, podcasts, and specialized blogs has largely superseded the curation role once fulfilled by journalists and traditional media critics.

This transformation comes as the Quebec Ministry of Culture and Communications introduces a bill this week intended to compel large platforms like Netflix, Spotify, and Disney+ to facilitate the exposure of Quebec cultural content.

Despite the digital age's impact on the relationship between media, artists, and cultural organizations, Gingras still advocates for the importance of personal relationships, leveraging her connections with reporters and artists to bolster visibility and growth.

Addressing the challenges in this evolving landscape, Professor François Colbert, holder of the chair in arts management at HEC, speaks of a "perfect storm" that has reshaped the relationship between culture and media. The slow growth of Quebec's population, stagnant cultural consumer base, and youths' lesser use of traditional media have combined to create a challenging situation for media and cultural organizations alike.

At the same time, cultural organizations must cater to diverse audience segments across different digital platforms, demanding careful analysis of their customers and meticulous consideration of marketing strategies.

In conclusion, the digital age has introduced both opportunities and challenges for Quebec's cultural system, necessitating a rethinking of digital strategies to comply with language standards, improve discoverability of cultural content, and adapt to the fragmented digital landscape.

The role of traditional media in promoting and discourse of art was substantial in the past, as observed by Rosemonde Gingras during her work as a publicist.
Cultural events had extensive coverage in the late 90s, shedding light on the intertwined relationship between art, media, and cultural organizations since the 19th century.
Media serve as a conduit for the illumination of cultural representations, but their harmonious relationship with the cultural sector has evolved significantly in recent times due to economic demands and editorial responsibilities.
Yannick Cimon-Mattar highly values data in digital age cultural promotion, using it to target emerging artists and increase ticket sales for performances.
Discovery of artistic creations now largely happens through social media, streaming platforms, comments, podcasts, and specialized blogs, supplanting the curation role once held by journalists and traditional media critics.
A bill introduced by the Quebec Ministry of Culture and Communications aims to compel large platforms like Netflix, Spotify, and Disney+ to aid the exposure of Quebec cultural content.
Gingras still emphasizes the importance of personal relationships in aiding visibility and growth for artists despite the evolving landscape.
Professor François Colbert deems the relationship between culture and media as being reshaped by a "perfect storm" of slow population growth, stagnant cultural consumer base, and less traditional media usage among youth.
Cultural organizations must cater to diverse digital audience segments across various platforms, requiring careful analysis of their customers and meticulous consideration of marketing strategies.
The digital age presents opportunities and challenges for Quebec's cultural system, necessitating a rethink of digital strategies to meet language standards, improve discoverability, and adapt to the fragmented digital landscape.
This transformation introduces the need for learning and lifelong-learning in the realm of digital culture to adapt and flourish.
Education and self-development resources like books, online courses, and job-search platforms become crucial for career-development in the digital age.
There is a growing demand for skills-training in digital marketing, mindfulness, productivity, personal growth, andpop-culture topics to advance professionally and personally.
As the landscape of cultural promotion continues to shift, sports, whether it's the WNBA, NCAA basketball, or the NBA, offer an opportunity for entertainment, learning, and goal-setting, much like science fiction and fantasy genres can inspire creativity and imagination in lifelong-learning.