Good News for Local News: Canada Bolsters Local Journalism with $58.8 Million Funding Extension

In a significant move to safeguard and enrich the landscape of local journalism in Canada, the Government of Canada, led by the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage, announced a pivotal $58.8 million funding extension for the Local Journalism Initiative. Spanning the next three years (2024-2027), this funding aims to support and stimulate the production of original local journalism, especially within Canada’s underserved communities. This announcement, made during the Future of Regional Information Summit in Saguenay, QC, underscores the government’s dedication to ensuring all Canadians have access to diverse, sustainable, and robust local news coverage.

Since its inception in 2019, the Local Journalism Initiative has been a cornerstone of Canada’s effort to maintain a vibrant local news ecosystem. With today’s extension, the total investment in the initiative reaches an impressive $128.8 million over eight years. This initiative is not only about preserving jobs within the journalism sector but also about ensuring that local voices, especially from Indigenous, ethnocultural, official language minority, and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, are heard and represented in the media.

In the 2022-23 period alone, the initiative facilitated the hiring or retention of over 400 journalists, enabling coverage in nearly 1,500 underserved communities across the nation. This coverage includes dedicated reporting in 60 Indigenous communities, 84 ethnocultural communities, 161 official language minority communities, and 11 in 2SLGBTQ+ communities, highlighting the government’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The importance of local journalism cannot be overstated. It serves as the fabric that connects communities, offering a mirror to our daily lives and a lens through which we can understand the broader societal issues that affect us. However, the sector has been facing unprecedented challenges, including declining revenues and the digital transformation of media consumption. In response, the Government of Canada has taken a holistic approach to support the industry, through funding programs, tax credits for hiring journalists, and legislative measures like the Online News Act.

Minister St-Onge emphasized the critical role of a free and independent press in a democracy, stating, “A free and independent press is vital in informing, engaging, and connecting us as Canadians. We have responded to the disruptions and challenges facing news organizations and have consistently supported news organizations through funding programs, tax credits for hiring journalists, and the Online News Act. To assure underserved communities get the news they deserve, we will continue to support the Local Journalism Initiative, which helps Canadians get reliable facts and information when they need them.”

This latest investment signifies a robust commitment to ensuring the vitality of local journalism in Canada. By fostering a well-informed public through accessible, diverse, and independent local news, the Government of Canada reaffirms its dedication to strengthening the fabric of Canadian democracy and community cohesion.