First local journalism hearing a bust after no one registers

The Manitoba government’s first all-party committee hearing on the survival of local journalism, set for Thursday in Gimli, has been cancelled because no one registered to attend.

Rather than advertising on local media to notify the public about the community consultations, the government said it relied on its own “channels” to get the word out, including news releases, its EngageMB.ca website and social media.

On Friday, its news release to announce the hearings to explore the future of journalism, including rural and cultural media, said the first event was set for June 26 in Gimli. The government website showed public hearing dates for towns and cities, without the time and location of the meetings. To get details about when and where, people are required to register.

The publisher of six Manitoba weekly newspapers, including one that covers Gimli and publishes every Thursday, says the province didn’t advertise the hearings in any of her newspapers.

“I joined the EngageMB link supporting local journalism in early May and never heard anything more since these meetings were announced,” said Lana Meier, publisher of the Express Weekly.

“I did try to join to attend the meeting in Gimli, but I was unable because of not being registered and having no password,” Meier said in a text message Wednesday.

Committee member Greg Nesbitt said it’s “disappointing” their first community consultation was cancelled.

“If you don’t advertise the fact that you’re having a hearing, the public has no other way of knowing other than a government news release,” said the Tory MLA for Riding Mountain.

Weekly newspapers will publish government press releases relevant to their community, said the MLA who owned three community papers in Manitoba before selling them to his son.

Last Friday afternoon’s government press release was sent too late for weekly news outlets that typically publish on a Thursday or a Friday, Nesbitt said, including the Gimli-area weekly.

“I’m disappointed that there’s been no promotion of it,” Nesbitt said.

Cabinet communications director Amy Tuckett-McGimpsey said Gimli residents are able to participate in virtual consultations and submit feedback through an EngageMB survey. “The value of government advertising in local news outlets is something that I’m sure we will discuss in the consultations,” she wrote in an email.

Committee chairman Robert Loiselle was not made available to answer questions about the cancelled hearing in Gimli or why the government isn’t advertising the hearings in local media.

Instead, the NDP member for St. Boniface issued a prepared statement.

“Keeping local and cultural journalism alive builds up Manitoba communities and strengthens our democracy,” Loiselle’s statement said. “I’m proud to chair an all-party committee dedicated to exploring ways to support rural, northern, and cultural media across the province.” Information about the hearings “was distributed through the Manitoba government channels.”

“If you don’t advertise the fact that you’re having a hearing, the public has no other way of knowing other than a government news release.”–Greg Nesbitt, Tory MLA for Riding Mountain

Although no one registered to take part in the Gimli event, so many signed up online to speak in Winnipeg on July 2, the government is adding another session that day at the convention centre. Public hearings are planned for Brandon on July 7, and Winkler on July 11. A virtual online session is being held for Thompson and northern Manitoba on July 8.

The Manitoba Community Newspapers Association declined to comment on the rough start to the all-party committee until after its board meets Friday, said president Mark Buss, the editor of Clipper Publishing Corp. in Beausejour and Lac du Bonnet.

The committee, which has four NDP MLAs and two Progressive Conservatives, was established to consult with Manitobans about rural, northern and cultural media such as French, Filipino, Punjabi and Chinese language publications.

“It’s really, really important that we have trusted information from trusted sources,” Premier Wab Kinew said Monday.

“We’re going to take some time to listen to Manitobans and see what your priorities are in terms of ensuring that there is a free press to deliver your ability to understand what’s going on in your community, to hold the powerful to account and to ensure that the public interest is served,” the premier said.

Nesbitt said it’s clear local media is struggling because advertising revenue has been diverted to online platforms.

“We’ve seen newspapers close here in Manitoba… A lot of people perhaps don’t think about that until it actually happens and then they realize how important the community newspaper was in terms of the local tidbits, the news, what council’s been doing — things like that,” he said Wednesday.

“The industry itself is not as vibrant as it used to be, but it’s a very necessary industry and well-run community newspapers with independent publishers who live and breathe and work in their communities can be very successful.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca