The Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association, BC & Yukon Community News Media Association, Hebdos Québec, Manitoba Community Newspapers Association, National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada, News Media Canada, Ontario Community Newspapers Association, and Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers Association call on the Government of Canada to adopt a minimum 25 per cent set aside of the federal advertising budget to support news media.
“Advertising set-asides are a payment for a service – not a subsidy – that can provide substantial revenue to local news organizations and help community journalism thrive,” said Steve Waldman of the U.S.-based not-for-profit Rebuild Local News. “It is money the government is already spending -not new money -so it does not require enlarging government budgets or raising taxes.”
“At a time when our sovereignty and economy are under threat, we call on the federal government to Buy Canadian,” said Lisa Sygutek is the publisher of the Crowsnest Pass Herald and chair of the Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association. “Taxpayer-funded federal advertising dollars should be spent in communities across Canada; they shouldn’t flow to Big Tech companies in California whose algorithms amplify disinformation and drive division.”
“Because we are trusted by our communities, Canada’s ethnic news publications are uniquely positioned to help the Canadian government reach the nearly 25 per cent of Canadians whose mother tongue is not English or French,” said Maria Saras-Voutsinas, executive director at National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada. “This is smart policy that is working in other jurisdictions, including Ontario and New York City.”
“More than 85 per cent of Canadian adults turn to newspaper content each week, and they trust our content more than social media and online search,” said Benoit Chartier, president and editor-in-chief of Le Courrier de Saint-Hyacinthe, chair of Hebdos Québec, and vice chair of News Media Canada. “According to a recent study, advertising in trustworthy environments lead to a 25 per cent lift in brand rating. News publishers in aggregate are seen as 35 per cent above the baseline level of trust across information environments.”
Contacts News Media Canada: media@newsmediacanada.ca
Hebdos Québec: communications@hebdos.com