The message about general literacy standards in Canada (as reported in the Southam Literacy Survey) is that approximately five million Canadians are illiterate. The validity of this message must be challenged because a group of middle-class Canadians with middle-class values established the criteria for being "literate" and felt that all other Canadians must subscribe to their value system. A big question is also how literacy levels relate to the economy. While figures for the rate of illiteracy in Canadian prisons is often placed as high as 80%, it must be remembered that the prison setting is not an ideal setting for literacy development or academic upgrading, and that a more significant factor that must be considered by those who believe that literacy automatically leads to rehabilitation is the lack of definite goals by prisoners. The messengers are generally newspaper reporters, writers in popular magazines, business officials, and politicians. The first responsibility for receivers of messages is to put the problem of literacy in context. Literate persons also have the responsibility to produce clarity of print and to negotiate via print. Literacy is not in a crisis situation, and the educational system is not falling apart. However, some problem areas do need to be addressed, and these include accountability, qualifications of literacy experts, adult literacy versus children's literacy development, and models and definitions of literacy. (Eighteen references are attached.) (RS)