Matthew Fraser (journalist)
Encyclopedia
Matthew William Fraser (born July 3, 1958) is a British-Canadian journalist, academic, and author known for his writing about the media industries. His latest work has focused on the impact of social media and online social networks.
to British parents, Fraser was educated at the University of Toronto
(Victoria College
), Ryerson University
, Carleton University
, London School of Economics
, Nuffield College, Oxford
, University of Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne
, and the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris
, where he earned a doctorate in political science.
He began his journalism career at the Globe and Mail in the early 1980s, and subsequently wrote a weekly column for the Montreal Gazette from Paris and London. In the 1990s, he became a policy adviser and consultant in Ottawa
, where he worked mainly on broadcasting and media policy issues for the Liberal government. In 1997, he joined the faculty of Ryerson University
as a research professor of media convergence.
In 1998 when media magnate Conrad Black
launched the conservative daily, National Post
, Fraser joined the paper as its media industries columnist while retaining his academic position at Ryerson. In 2002-03, he co-hosted a weekly CBC Newsworld
television show, "Inside Media". His co-host was Toronto Star
columnist Antonia Zerbisias
. Fraser left the television show twice in its debut season for different reasons. In January 2003, he quit the show following the sudden death of his wife Rebecca Gotlieb. Fraser made an attempt to return to the show two months later, but quit suddenly again when, in May 2003, he was appointed Editor-in-Chief of the National Post
, replacing founding editor Ken Whyte.
While Fraser was editor at the Post, the paper gained notoriety in Canadian media circles for its regular feature called "CBC Watch" – inspired in part by the Daily Telegraph's "Beeb Watch" in Britain – which pointed out errors of fact and perceived signs of entrenched left-wing bias at the public broadcaster. Fraser's book, Weapons of Mass Distraction: Soft Power
and American Empire, was critical of traditional Marxist analysis on the global influence of American pop culture.
Fraser left the National Post
in 2005 following a clash with the newspaper's new publisher, Les Pyette, about the tone, look, and future direction of the money-losing paper as it struggled in a fierce competition with Fraser's journalistic alma mater, the Globe and Mail.
He is a professor at the American University of Paris
and the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris
. He also lectures at the Université de Paris IV (Sorbonne), Université de Paris II (Panthéon-Assas), and Université de Paris-Dauphine.
His most recent book, Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom, examines the impact on business and politics of online social networks like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
and Sondra Gotlieb
. The Gotliebs were fixtures in Washington, D.C.
power circles throughout the 1980s, when Allan was Canadian ambassador to the United States and Sondra wrote a column for the Washington Post.
Rebecca had a young son, David, from a previous marriage when she and Fraser married. She died suddenly of cancer in January 2003, after which David moved to England to live with his father, lawyer Keith Ham. Fraser (a British citizen
) moved to France in 2006.
Biography
Born in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
to British parents, Fraser was educated at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
(Victoria College
Victoria University in the University of Toronto
Victoria University is a constituent college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1836 and named for Queen Victoria. It is commonly called Victoria College, informally Vic, after the original academic component that now forms its undergraduate division...
), Ryerson University
Ryerson University
Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
, Carleton University
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
, London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, Nuffield College, Oxford
Nuffield College, Oxford
Nuffield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is an all-graduate college and primarily a research establishment, specialising in the social sciences, particularly economics, politics and sociology. It is a research centre in the social sciences...
, University of Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne
University of Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne
Pantheon-Sorbonne University or Paris 1 is a university in Paris, France. With eight hundred years of excellence to build on, the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, a descendant of the Sorbonne and the Faculty of Law and Economics of Paris, is one of the largest universities in France today...
, and the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris
Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris
The Institut d'études politiques de Paris , simply referred to as Sciences Po , is a public research and higher education institution in Paris, France, specialised in the social sciences. It has the status of grand établissement, which allows its admissions process to be highly selective...
, where he earned a doctorate in political science.
He began his journalism career at the Globe and Mail in the early 1980s, and subsequently wrote a weekly column for the Montreal Gazette from Paris and London. In the 1990s, he became a policy adviser and consultant in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, where he worked mainly on broadcasting and media policy issues for the Liberal government. In 1997, he joined the faculty of Ryerson University
Ryerson University
Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
as a research professor of media convergence.
In 1998 when media magnate Conrad Black
Conrad Black
Conrad Moffat Black, Baron Black of Crossharbour, OC, KCSG, PC is a Canadian-born member of the British House of Lords, and a historian, columnist and publisher, who was for a time the third largest newspaper magnate in the world. Lord Black controlled Hollinger International, Inc...
launched the conservative daily, National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
, Fraser joined the paper as its media industries columnist while retaining his academic position at Ryerson. In 2002-03, he co-hosted a weekly CBC Newsworld
CBC Newsworld
CBC News Network is a Canadian English language Category C specialty news channel owned and operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . It broadcasts into over 10 million homes in Canada. It is the world's third-oldest television service of this nature, after CNN in the United States and...
television show, "Inside Media". His co-host was Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
columnist Antonia Zerbisias
Antonia Zerbisias
Antonia Zerbisias is a Canadian journalist associated with the Toronto Star since 1989. She has been a reporter and TV host for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, as well as the Montreal correspondent for Variety trade paper...
. Fraser left the television show twice in its debut season for different reasons. In January 2003, he quit the show following the sudden death of his wife Rebecca Gotlieb. Fraser made an attempt to return to the show two months later, but quit suddenly again when, in May 2003, he was appointed Editor-in-Chief of the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
, replacing founding editor Ken Whyte.
While Fraser was editor at the Post, the paper gained notoriety in Canadian media circles for its regular feature called "CBC Watch" – inspired in part by the Daily Telegraph's "Beeb Watch" in Britain – which pointed out errors of fact and perceived signs of entrenched left-wing bias at the public broadcaster. Fraser's book, Weapons of Mass Distraction: Soft Power
Soft power
Soft power is the ability to obtain what one wants through co-option and attraction. It can be contrasted with 'hard power', that is the use of coercion and payment...
and American Empire, was critical of traditional Marxist analysis on the global influence of American pop culture.
Fraser left the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
in 2005 following a clash with the newspaper's new publisher, Les Pyette, about the tone, look, and future direction of the money-losing paper as it struggled in a fierce competition with Fraser's journalistic alma mater, the Globe and Mail.
He is a professor at the American University of Paris
American University of Paris
The American University of Paris is a private, independent, and accredited liberal arts and sciences university in Paris, France. Founded in 1962, the university is one of the oldest American institutions of higher education in Europe...
and the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris
Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris
The Institut d'études politiques de Paris , simply referred to as Sciences Po , is a public research and higher education institution in Paris, France, specialised in the social sciences. It has the status of grand établissement, which allows its admissions process to be highly selective...
. He also lectures at the Université de Paris IV (Sorbonne), Université de Paris II (Panthéon-Assas), and Université de Paris-Dauphine.
His most recent book, Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom, examines the impact on business and politics of online social networks like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Family
Fraser was married to the late Rebecca Gotlieb, daughter Canadian diplomat Allan GotliebAllan Gotlieb
Allan Ezra Gotlieb, is a Canadian public servant and author.-Life and career:Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Gotlieb received his BA from the University of California at Berkeley, his MA from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, and his LL.B degree from Harvard University, where he was editor of...
and Sondra Gotlieb
Sondra Gotlieb
Sondra Gotlieb is a Canadian journalist and novelist who lives in Toronto, Ontario.She is married to Allan Gotlieb, former Canadian ambassador to the United States during the presidency of Ronald Reagan...
. The Gotliebs were fixtures in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
power circles throughout the 1980s, when Allan was Canadian ambassador to the United States and Sondra wrote a column for the Washington Post.
Rebecca had a young son, David, from a previous marriage when she and Fraser married. She died suddenly of cancer in January 2003, after which David moved to England to live with his father, lawyer Keith Ham. Fraser (a British citizen
British nationality law
British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom that concerns citizenship and other categories of British nationality. The law is complex because of the United Kingdom's former status as an imperial power.-History:...
) moved to France in 2006.
Selected works
- QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
Inc. (1987) - Free-for-All: The Struggle for Dominance on the Digital Frontier (1999)
- Weapons of Mass Distraction: Soft PowerSoft powerSoft power is the ability to obtain what one wants through co-option and attraction. It can be contrasted with 'hard power', that is the use of coercion and payment...
and American Empire (2003) - Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom (2008)