Viewpoint: $50M budget boost for Canadian journalism a good start

By Matt Yuyitung

“Canada is facing a crisis of quality journalism.”

John Honderich, the chair of Toronto Star parent company Torstar, recently published a column that opened with the above eight words. Honderich went on to chastise the Trudeau government for its apathy surrounding the state of Canadian news, accusing the federal Liberals of flat-out ignoring recommendations to revitalize the news.

This was the same government that commissioned The Shattered Mirror report from the Public Policy Forum, as well as a parallel investigation by the House of Commons committee for Canadian Heritage, to delve into the subject. They both offered plenty of practical recommendations. And yet here we are, halfway through the Trudeau government’s mandate, and nothing has changed, Honderich argued.

About a month after Honderich’s plea, on Feb. 27, the 2018 Federal Budget arrived with a $50-million pledge towards Canadian media. The money would be doled out over five years to support media in smaller communities, a potential relief after watching news operations shrink or disappear across the country thanks to cutbacks and closures.

The government also said it would explore non-profit options for Canadian newsrooms, possibly changing regulations to encourage more philanthropic support for journalism. Surely this might help spark the news renaissance Honderich called for, no? Should journalists not be filled with excitement?

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Considering the role it’s supposed to fill, $10 million a year is not a large sum of money, particularly when it needs to be spread out across the country. With 94 per cent of Canadians in agreement that journalism is an important part of a democracy, according to one recent national survey, the need for journalism hasn’t disappeared. But as the means to support news media keep diminishing, there was dismay from different stakeholders at the relatively small sum of money pledged.

But it’s a start, and a pledge like this might just be the kickstart this country needs to start having serious conversations about the future of journalism. This pledge isn’t just money, it’s also a chance to explore new funding models for journalism. It’s a chance to experiment, see what works, and move towards a solution. The industry is in turmoil, and the issue won’t be solved by just trying to ride it out.

The issue is particularly important when you consider the role of journalism within smaller communities, where the community paper is often a crucial voice in daily affairs. Without the resources to provide robust news coverage on local issues, citizens will be deprived of hearing stories that matter to them. How will local institutions be covered? Who will keep an eye on city governments? In a larger market we take this for granted, but when a community news organization gets shuttered in a smaller community, the impact can be felt by everyone.

Keeping underserved communities informed, exploring new funding models, kickstarting conversations about new ways to fund and pursue journalism, there’s a lot to like about this pledge. It’s not going to jumpstart the industry back into action, but it’s a start. And it’s a start journalism in Canada badly needs.