The past several years have been tumultuous for the journalism industry, especially those working in print publications.
Across the country, large rounds of layoffs have affected hundreds of reporters and staff. The most recent example came in November of last year when Postmedia Network Inc. and Torstar Corp. announced they were closing 36 newspapers, eliminating 291 jobs. Many of these publications served small, rural communities like the Pontiac.
According to research conducted by Ryerson University professor April Lindgren and her team at The Local News Research Project, 238 local news outlets across Canada have closed their doors since 2008.
Hundreds of communities now have no source for news produced in their community, no one holding their local elected officials to account.
The truth is, advertising dollars have moved online, with multinational corporations like Google and Facebook gobbling up roughly 70 per cent of revenues. News publications have found themselves caught between the diminishing profits of their traditional product and the unprofitable and highly competitive online market. Federal and provincial funding, which is currently in the process of being rolled out, puts an emphasis on digital projects, leaving newspapers with the option of going online or going bust.
While the loss of longstanding media franchises is seriously troubling, how much can we really expect the government to contribute?
Some, such as Conservative MP Tony Clement, have gone far enough to claim that social media will be an adequate replacement and the government has no business subsidizing traditional media outlets.
“All over the country, particularly in rural areas, online news services are popping up on Youtube and Facebook. I think the state of news in Canada is very good,” he is quoted as saying in a recent Globe and Mail article. “It’s worrying if you’re a traditional journalist or publisher.”
That is to say, if you think that your average blogger or “citizen journalist” will deliver the same quality of news as an established publication for little to no cost, things are going just great.
Does anyone truly believe that their Facebook friends will keep them abreast of all the goings on at the MRC? Did your Aunt Doris vet her sources before she posted online or is she just spreading rumours?
It’s clear that people are now demanding their news online, but how are small publications supposed to staff a newsroom with scant online advertising revenue?
Local, independent publications staffed by people living in the community are a necessary part of democracy, especially at a municipal level. The Equity was one of the few local sources for information on last year’s elections, even hosting a debate with the candidates for warden.
The public good served by shining a light on local issues justifies government support of the newspaper industry, especially while it searches for a viable business model.
Caleb Nickerson
