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The Trudeau government has signaled it has plans to extend taxpayer bailouts for mainstream media outlets as Canadians are increasingly seeking alternative news sources.
(LifeSiteNews) — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Department of Canadian Heritage has admitted that taxpayer bailouts have been insufficient in saving the nation’s mainstream media apparatus as public trust in news outlets continue to decline.
On September 26, Blacklock’s Reporter published a government memo from the Department of Canadian Heritage revealing that mainstream media outlets are failing despite major government bailouts, including a whopping $595 million in funds approved by Parliament in 2019 – a payout which is up for renewal March 31, 2024.
“At least one third of Canadian journalism jobs have disappeared since 2010,” said the May 17 memo titled, “The Online News Act.” “Between 2008 and February 1, 2023 a total of 470 local news operations closed in 335 communities across Canada.”
“Between the same period 210 new news outlets launched,” the memo added. “The government supports journalism in several ways but supports alone cannot redress the structural decline of the current business model.”
In 2019, Parliament changed the Income Tax Act to give yearly rebates of $13,750 for each person employed in certain cabinet-approved media outlets.
However, News Media Canada, a trade association for newspaper publishers, argued that the rebate is insufficient, and is requesting that rebates be doubled next year to a maximum $29,750 annually.
“The financial situation for most news publishers is extremely challenging,” News Media Canada wrote in a submission to the House of Commons finance committee. “It will remain so for many in the short to medium term.”