Our Newsletter
THE CONNECTOR
FALL EDITION 2024
QCNA NEWS
Federal Government Recognizes Official Language Community Media
QCNA President Brenda O’Farrell attended a press conference on October 28th announcing an investment of $12.5 million to support official language minority community media. A portion of these funds will support projects to bolster the vitality of community media in minority language settings, and another portion will fund an internship program to train the next generation of community media professionals.
NEWS FOR MEMBERS
The CRTC's Full Five Year Exemption is a Strong Endorsement for CJC
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)’s decision to issue a full five-year exemption to Google from the Online News Act enables the CJC to distribute $500 million over five years to promote innovation and sustainability in the Canadian news ecosystem.
The Canadian Journalism Collective (CJC-CCJ) is the federally incorporated nonprofit created for the purpose of distributing Google funds allocated to news media under the Online News Act.
QCNA has been encouraging its qualifying members to apply. The deadline is November 1st.
Brenda O'Farrell Appointed to the Independent Advisory Board on Eligibility for Journalism Tax Measures
Advisory Board members are appointed by the Governor in Council – the Governor General acting on the advice of Cabinet. The process is open, transparent and merit-based, designed to identify highly qualified candidates who reflect Canada’s diversity. The Advisory Board is an independent body whose mandate is to:
- provide an independent assessment and a non-binding recommendation to the Minister of National Revenue (Minister) as to whether an organization that applies for designation as a qualified Canadian journalism organization (QCJO) satisfies certain conditions set out in the Income Tax Act; and
- provide advice on any other matter relating to any journalism tax measure that the Minister refers to the Advisory Board.
QCNA Announces its New Strategic Plan
Following our AGM and two days of in-person member consultation, the board of directors adopted QCNA’s new strategic plan.
Highlights of the plan include continuing advocacy for community-based newspapers, enhanced services to members, and bolstering relationships on all levels, from the federal and provincial governments, to community groups across the province, to like-minded media groups and the public that we serve.
GRANT INFORMATION
Adaptation numérique des entreprises de la presse écrite
This program through the department of Culture et Communication aims to stimulate the transformation of business models by supporting the initiation or continuation of the digital shift in print media companies.
QCNA offered an informational webinar on this particular grant for digital projects on October 2nd. Deadline November 1.
ON THE CALENDAR
QCNA EVENT
Great Idea Exchange for Publishers & their teams
Join us on November 1 at 11 am.
This month’s topic:
Well-being In News: Smart approaches to Journalism, Mental Health & Trauma
This one hour exploration of stress and trauma within the news industry focuses on how our work in the news industry can affect our mental health and offers practical ‘best practices’ to better prepare and protect our people. Hosted by Dave Seglins.
GET INVOLVED
PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
RecycleMedia, the nonprofit association created to advocate for subsidies for recycling fees for newspapers, will be defunct as of January 1. To mitigate the possibility of skyrocketing recycling fees, the print newspapers of Quebec signed a joint letter to Premier Ministre Francois Legault on September 24th asking for an exemption for recycling fees for print newspapers. QCNA would prefer to see an exemption for its member newspapers rather than use public funds to subsidize the fees. As of today, October 30th, there has not been a response from PM Legault. QCNA will keep members posted on a response and possible action.
Egbert Gaye Honoured by the National Assembly
The ripples from the life and legacy of Montreal Community Contact Founder and Managing Editor, Egbert Gaye, continue to be felt even after his passing on June 4th, 2023. He pioneered the only anglophone newspaper serving Quebec’s Black and Caribbean Community, and over 30 years later it is still going strong.
Quebec’s Minister of Economy, Innovation, and Energy, Christopher Skeete, posthumously awarded Egbert with the Deputy’s Medal. His wife, Elizabeth Gaye, son Emar Mitchell, daughter-in-law Djemira Mitchell, brother Patrick Gaye, and sister-in-law Sharon Bledman accepted the honor on his behalf. (Text and photo courtesy of Montreal Community Contact.)
QCNA Welcomes New Outreach and Marketing Coordinator
QCNA welcomes Danel Velazquez as our new Outreach and Marketing Coordinator through the OL Internship Program.
Danel will showcase the member newspapers’ offerings to partners and clients. She will be responsible for managing billing and invoicing, and establishing enduring connections. Danel will also manage the Better Newspaper Awards competition and assisting QCNA at events.
Renewed: Committees!
QCNA’s two days of in-person strategic planning in June inspired many to join in on important committee work. Please, get involved! For more on committee descriptions and time commitments, please email administration@qcnna.qc.ca.
QCNA PARTNERS IN THE NEWS
From QCGN
QCGN pleased by federal support for minority economic-development plan
MONTREAL, OCTOBER 30 – Federal recognition of a 10-year economic development plan aimed at Quebec’s English-speaking community was welcomed by two major groups last week.
The Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation (CDEDC)’s report to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages stressed a “collaborative approach when implementing positive measures targeting socio-economic development,” said CEDEC President and CEO, John Buck. “Working together to leverage official-language-minority communities’ assets at the local, regional, and provincial levels is the best guarantee of responding to the economic development needs of the community.”
From francopresse.ca
Money for community media still awaiting $1.6 million
On 28 October, the federal government announced how the sum of $12.6 million would be distributed (see first article above.) This is part of the $16.8 million allocated to the country’s community media under the 2023-2028 Action Plan for Official Languages.
The $12.6 million is in addition to the $2.6 million that was spent last year, for a total of $15.2 million.
‘So of the $16.8 million announced in spring 2023 for the 2023-2028 Action Plan, we’re still $1.6 million short.’
– Linda Lauzon, representative of the Consortium for Official Language Community Media
