Manitoba to look at ways to support journalism

The Manitoba government is creating an all-party committee to explore the future of local journalism, including rural and cultural media.

“Let’s go to the Pembina Valley, let’s go to Steinbach, let’s go to Thompson, let’s go to Pimicikamak and let’s go to different parts of Winnipeg and let’s hear the views people have about what local news means to them,” Premier Wab Kinew said Friday.

The committee will focus on rural and northern media and cultural media such as French, Filipino, Punjabi and Chinese language publications. Its mandate to consider matters of public support for journalism.

“When a community loses its newspaper, radio station or TV station, we miss out on those local stories and the sense of community they create,” committee chairman and NDP MLA Robert Loiselle said in a press release.

“Our government is creating this committee because we believe keeping local and cultural journalism alive is important to all Manitobans,” he said.

The throne speech in November promised to protect freedom of the press and the ability of local journalism to hold those in power, including the government, to account.

“In an age of so much misinformation and polarization, we can’t afford to let journalism disappear,” the throne speech said.

Consultations with local media organizations, other stakeholders and members of the public will take place in the coming months.

“I think the media has a really important role to play in our society and keep government to account — to keep us on our toes,” Kinew said. “It also keeps you informed about the good news stories in your community — the young athletes or young scholar who’s experienced success.”

In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford’s government has directed the four largest provincial agencies in charge of gaming, liquor and cannabis to earmark 25 per cent of their advertising budgets to Ontario publishers that are qualified as journalism organizations by the Canada Revenue Agency. The agencies spend more than $100 million a year on marketing.

The goal is to promote local content and culture and protect jobs in Ontario.

“What we have in mind is to have a committee with members from different parties to hopefully depoliticize this, and open it up to presentations in different parts of Manitoba,” Kinew said Friday.

The committee would include four NDP members and two Progressive Conservative members, and report back to the legislative assembly within 30 days of the start of the fall sitting.

“I hope this committee gives us some great recommendations about how to support local journalism in the future,” said Kinew. It may come up with a “made in Manitoba” definition of what qualifies as a journalism organization, he said.

The PCs, who have questioned which specific issues the committee would address and what benchmarks would be used to measure its success, did not respond to a request for comment.

More information about consultations will be made available at wfp.to/journalism, with media outlets invited to participate. Members of the public who are interested in receiving updates can register through the EngageMB link.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca