Canada Revenue Agency Proprietary Questions
FINAL REPORT
December 2006
Contract: 46558-078718-001-CY
POR-176-06
Prepared by:
Ipsos Reid
Le rapport complet en français sera fourni sur demande.
To request a full copy of this report, please contact Library and Archives Canada at:
613-996-5115 or 1-866-578-7777 or www.collectionscanada.ca
Media Enquiries:
Media Relations
Canada Revenue Agency
4th Floor 555 MacKenzie Avenue
Ottawa ON K1A 0L5
media.relations@cra-arc.gc.ca
Executive Summary
The Canadian Business Media Relations Review is a syndicated study designed to provide insights into the needs, preferences and practices of Canada's business media. The Ipsos Reid Corporation conducted telephone interviews with 100 journalists across Canada in October and November 2006. The average interview lasted approximately 29 minutes. Journalists were selected to reflect business media in television, newspapers, magazines, radio, and online sources from across Canada.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) sought additional insight into the needs, preferences and practices of Canada's business media. To that end the Canadian Business Media Relations Review included additional questions on:
- Method to convey tax related background information;
- Knowledge of the specific privacy provision contained in the Income Tax Act; and
- Insight into what type of tax-related story line is more likely to be pursued/used.
The information provided from these questions would provide additional understanding on how to approach, and react to, the business media when dealing with tax/benefit administration related stories.
Business journalists were provided with a list of possible ways Government Agencies and Departments can convey tax-related background information to the media. There is no clear consensus as to the “best method” preferred by business journalists. However, a press release is favoured by business journalists with roughly four in ten (38%) citing this as the “best method”, followed by 3 in 10 (30%) who indicate their preference for the internet website.
When respondents were asked, to the best of their knowledge, what legislation is in place to protect the privacy of tax-related information of Canadian taxpayers (of both businesses and individuals), only half (51%) of business journalists name a specific piece of legislation. Of those who name a specific piece of legislation, roughly half or 25% of all of the respondents, cite the Privacy Act.
Aside from stories dealing with overly negative issues, respondents were asked which tax-related news stories would they be most likely to cover. 2 in 10 business journalists (20%) mention income tax and the same amount of respondents (19%) mention changes in tax rates as the tax related subject they would be most likely to cover.
