The importance of community newspapers
By Martin Shields Member of Parliament Bow River Riding
Dear constituents,
Local print news is an important resource in rural and smaller communities across the country. But in recent years with the rise of digital media, print newspapers have been shutting their doors from coast to coast. That’s why I believe it’s vitally important to support our local weekly newspapers.
In the Bow River riding, we have a host of dedicated professionals behind several weekly newspapers that provide factual, informative, and captivating stories about our communities. Some have maintained their physical paper circulation, others have gone entirely digital, while many maintain a combination of both.
In this digital world we live in, Canadians are changing the way they consume the news. Through social media, it became even easier to aggregate what you wanted to see right on your feed. But then the Liberal government introduced Bill C-18, the Online News Act. When the Bill was introduced, Canadians were told that the intent behind the Bill was to “level the playing field” between social media giants like Facebook and Google, and Canadian news organizations. At the time, large news broadcasters like CBC, Rogers, and Bell were very supportive of it. Why? Because most of the money received from the provisions in the Bill would flow to the big broadcasters – not the local newspapers like in the Bow River riding.
When C-18 was at Heritage committee, I joined the chorus of voices in opposition to this bill because we knew it could kill small Canadian news outlets. Conservatives warned this Bill would disrupt access to online news and in fact do the opposite of what it was intended to do. Lo and behold, Facebook banned news from its site, and Google has set a date in December to do the same. With Bill C-18 set to come into force on Dec. 19, many large and medium news organizations across the country are reversing course in supporting this Bill because of the consequences of its implementation.
But that’s why during my time as MP for Bow River, I have always supported our local weekly newspapers, and my office continues to advertise in our weekly newspapers. Here is the annual breakdown that directly supports our community newspapers and flows into our communities:
• 17-18: $29,735.76
• 18-19: $23,748.99
• 19-20: $24,423.23
• 20-21: $43,368.53
• 21-22: $49,176.77
• 22-23: $48,943.96
I believe our weeklies provide a crucial service to the Bow River riding. That’s why my office continues to support them and write columns just like these so you as constituents can stay informed.
Be sure to follow me on social media and sign up for my e-newsletter to keep up with federal news and updates: Facebook (@MartinShieldsBowRiver), Twitter (@MartinBowRiver) and Instagram (@MartinShields_BowRiver).