The earliest written expression of the idiom, He who pays the piper calls the tune, is traced back to England in 1638. It is undoubtedly associated with the ancient pipers and fiddlers who earned their living by traveling the country and playing music.

The one paying the money had the right to call the tune.

Over the past several years, the Trudeau government has paid out hundreds of millions of tax dollars to keep the mainstream media in that country afloat. This payout has left many questioning the integrity of the media

However, according to Blacklock’s Reporter, the federal department responsible for this funding has recommended it be taken to the next level. In addition to the funding the mainstream media already receives, Canadian Heritage recommends an additional pay-out directly to the reporters.

Blacklock’s Reporter explains:

“Cabinet should consider directly paying individual reporters up to $45,000 a year in the name of diversity, says a Department of Canadian Heritage report. Direct cash payments would be in addition to rebates of $29,750 per employee at cabinet-approved newsrooms: ‘A paradigm shift is needed in the way traditional news media share the stories of Indigenous, racialized and religious minority communities.‘”

This would undoubtedly eliminate any confusion that the reporters may have on who is actually paying for the tune.

READ (Behind paywall): Ponder Paying Press $45,000