A new report from the Public Policy Forum (PPF), the Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF) and the Michener Awards Foundation (MAF) outlines a pathway to revitalizing Canada’s local news ecosystem, highlighting emerging models that are helping independent news organizations survive — and in some cases thrive.
Local news is in crisis. Since 2008, more than 600 local news outlets have closed across 388 communities, according to the Local News Research Project. Local reporting capacity has been disappearing at a time when communities need trusted information more than ever.
While there are no easy fixes, there are glimmers of hope emerging across the country.
The Great News Rebuild: How Local Media Can Rescue Itself, authored by veteran journalists Tim Harper and Alison Uncles, argues that the future of local journalism in Canada hinges on a combination of innovation, diversified revenuestreams and stronger collaboration across the sector.
This report is the third in a series from PPF, RHF and MAF examining local news and its role in Canada, including The Lost Estate and Uncovered, which highlighted gaps in local reporting and election coverage.
Over the past year, momentum around solutions has grown significantly, with new initiatives emerging from philanthropic organizations, entrepreneurs and public institutions.
Among the developments highlighted in the report are the creation of a legal support network for journalists, new philanthropic funding initiatives and expanded local reporting efforts by national broadcasters.
The report emphasizes that no single solution will rescue local journalism. Sustainable local news outlets will have to rely on partnerships and a portfolio of revenue streams — from subscriptions and memberships to events, sponsorships and advertising.
In some cases, organizations have found unconventional ways to generate revenue, from community events and merchandise to even a local television bingo game that helps fund newsroom operations.
The report also highlights the evolving and vital role of philanthropy, which can be a powerful force to kickstart initiatives. But the report cautions that it is not a permanent solution. “Philanthropy and government funding must help… but nothing beats a sustainable business with the ability to weather economic downturns, capricious policymaking and the vagaries of charitable funding.”
To build on the foothold many successful outlets have found, the report proposes several new initiatives, including:
- Launching a national philanthropically funded local news accelerator to help provide intensive business development support to very small local news operations, including short-term advice, training, expertise and tools.
- Creation of a shared services hub that would allow outlets to collaborate on administrative functions such as payroll and HR, and potentially even editing.
- Changes to the Canadian journalism organization qualification that would make it easier for smaller local news outlets to qualify for supports
- A simplified “one-window” government funding process to reduce the administrative burden on local media organizations
“When communities lose their local newsrooms, they lose a shared understanding of what’s happening around them. Rebuilding local news is essential to strengthening civic engagement and social cohesion,” said PPF President and CEO Inez Jabalpurwala. “This report shows that while the challenges are real, so are the solutions.”
“The philanthropic sector has a critical role to play in supporting and protecting local news,” said Teresa Marques, President and CEO of the Rideau Hall Foundation. “It can help ease the pressure from diminishing ad and subscriber revenues through funding, but can also add capacity, help develop new skills, and support innovation and risk taking that will not only keep these newsrooms alive, but allow them to thrive.”
“Local news organizations are often the heart of their communities,” said Margo Goodhand, President of the Michener Awards Foundation. “They are the storytellers and the history keepers. We’re seeing incredibly creative and innovative approaches from newsrooms across the country to keep their doors open. It’s time for all of us to get behind that mission to ensure a future for these newsrooms.”
Local news organizations must continue to do the hard work of selling the value of local journalism to the public, making the case that their work strengthens communities, improves accountability and supports the democratic life of the country, concludes the report. Because when local journalism thrives, so does democracy.
