Ottawa, November 12, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Newspaper advertisements: the government does not always reach both language groups
The Commissioner of Official Languages, Dr. Dyane Adam, today released a new study that looks at how federal institutions use the official language minority press.
The Official Languages Act provides that federal institutions are required to communicate with members of the Canadian public in the official language of their choice. Advertisements placed in newspapers are one way of communicating with the public. For several years, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL) has received a large number of complaints about the fact that, when federal institutions place advertisements in newspapers, they often do not publish them in the official language minority press (that is, French-language newspapers outside Quebec and English-language newspapers in Quebec), as they should in accordance with the Act.
"In spite of the numerous measures taken by OCOL over the years, the problem persists. In fact, between 1998 and 2001, my office received close to 850 complaints regarding failure to publish advertisements in the official language minority press, which represents 20% of all complaints received in that time period. The purpose of this study is to identify the root cause of the problem and recommend effective solutions," stated Dr. Adam.
The government advertising process is complex and involves several players. The study examines how this process is managed in some 20 federal institutions. The study shows that inadequate policies and guidelines, the absence of control mechanisms, and the lack of adequate planning contribute to the reasons why official language minority newspapers are being overlooked in the placement of advertisements.
The study contains a series of specific recommendations providing the government with a more effective framework for this process:
- Government policies and guidelines on communications and advertising must do more than simply refer to language obligations. The policies and guidelines must also clearly explain the underlying principles and provide examples of how these obligations apply.
- Each federal institution must also strengthen the way it manages its own advertising process by giving communications managers the tools they need in order to comply with their official language obligations in all aspects of advertising.
- Official language responsibilities must be clearly outlined in all contracts signed between the government and its advertising or placement agencies.
- The Treasury Board Secretariat must conduct periodic audits to ensure that federal institutions comply with official languages policies relating to advertising.
With some one million readers across the country, official language minority newspapers are important communication tools. Official language minority communities rely tremendously on newspapers in their language to keep abreast of news relating to their community and government activities. "I expect the government to comply without delay with its language obligations relating to advertising and to improve its processes in order to reach these communities and support the official language minority press by using it as a means of communication," the Commissioner concluded.
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