By Trevor Greenway

Local journalism is getting a much-needed boost from the federal government. 

Pontiac Liberal MP Sophie Chatel announced on March 1 that her government has secured a total of $68.8 million over the next three years to help small independent newspapers and community radio stations thrive in a difficult media landscape. 

Chatel, who is the chair of the Rural Caucus, a select group of MPs bringing rural issues to the national agenda, told the Low Down that she has been fighting to keep funding flowing through the Local Journalism Initiative – and pushed back against changing the fund to a tax credit, which Chatel said “would not actually help local media.”

“Our work was really to show how this initiative is the lifeline of our local media,” said Chatel. 

Low Down publisher Nikki Mantell praised the announcement, saying that this money will help newspapers like this one continue to hold governments accountable and tell important stories from the community by helping newsrooms stay afloat. 

“The local journalism initiative has been instrumental in keeping our newsroom staffed with quality reporters who are dedicated to real journalism that has an impact on the community.”

Chatel said that small town newspapers and community radio stations became essential for local residents during the pandemic, keeping the public informed about restrictions, vaccine rollouts and other important medical information. She said that without local media, she wouldn’t be able to serve her riding of 41 municipalities accurately. 

“Local media is really the voice of our community,” she said. “It’s our story. She said she’s grateful to be a part of a community that has fairly flourishing local radio and newspapers. “If we were to lose that, I think it’s not only the information we would lose, but it will be eroding the foundation of our community.”

Of the nearly 450 news operations that have closed across Canada between 2008 and 2021, 345 of them have been community newspapers.