Most Canadians believe journalism plays a vital democratic role in the country.
An Angus Reid survey last month found that 94 per cent of respondents say the media performs an important democratic function, sending a clear signal to elected officials that journalism is a crucial part of Canada’s fabric.
But in the past 10 years, 238 local news outlets have closed their doors, according to a Ryerson University media watchdog. Of those, 212 were newspapers and 26 were TV, radio and digital outlets. More than 16,500 jobs in the media sector have been eliminated since 2008, according to the Canadian Media Guild — nearly half of those in print media.
It’s not a healthy picture for preserving our democracy. The reasons are obvious — declining ad revenues, a shift to digital media, and the powerful online presence of Facebook and Google. Media groups have rushed to adapt to the digital age, but the turmoil has taken a toll.
Government likes to tout its support for journalism by pointing to increased funding for the CBC. But a lot of community reporting is being done by newspapers, and its content that can’t be found anywhere else.
What are media outlets to do? For starters, they have adapted and diversified to publish their content on various platforms such as print, mobile, digital and video.
And, following consultations with news organizations, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage produced a positive report last year that recommended federal action to support local media.
News organizations had offered Ottawa practical, low-cost solutions to consider, such as tax changes, amending the Canadian Periodical Fund (CPF) to include daily newspapers, and reversing the digital-first strategy for government advertising. News Media Canada, which represents community and daily newspapers, proposed remaking the CPF into the Canadian Journalism Fund and giving it a new mandate to support local journalism, along with $350 million in funding. But the federal budget brought down Tuesday contained far less in this regard than what news industry leaders had sought or expected. It offered $50 million over five years to independent, non-governmental organizations to support local journalism in under-serviced communities. There’s no indication of who those organizations will be.
On a positive note, the government will explore allowing charitable support for journalism and local news, thus avoiding direct funding to news organizations that are fiercely protective of their independence from government.
Government likes to tout its support for journalism by pointing to increased funding for the CBC. But a lot of community reporting is being done by newspapers, and its content that can’t be found anywhere else.
The mistaken focus of government is on communities that have already lost newspapers, rather than supporting existing newspapers and their journalists to allow them to continue to provide local news in their communities.
The industry wants to boost journalism, which supports democracy, yet the government seems content to let market forces run their course.
It’s a potentially dangerous situation.
And not just for those behind the keyboards.
