The Withering Vine: The Decline of Local News and the Rise of Disinformation in Canada
Canada’s local news landscape is facing a crisis of unprecedented proportions. Over the past 16 years, the number of Canadians with little to no access to local news has doubled, creating an information vacuum rapidly being filled by disinformation, often originating from unregulated social media platforms. This decline is not merely a matter of media economics; it represents a fundamental threat to the health of Canadian democracy. Informed citizenry, engaged in local affairs and holding local power accountable, is the bedrock of a functioning democracy. The erosion of local news directly undermines this foundation, leaving communities vulnerable to manipulation and misinformation.
The statistics paint a stark picture. Since 2008, Canada has witnessed the closure of 11% of its newspaper and online media outlets and 9% of its private radio and television broadcasters. This translates to an average loss of approximately 25 newspaper and online outlets annually over the last decade. The decline is accelerating, with 2023 marking a particularly devastating year due to the bankruptcies of Metroland and Métro Média, resulting in the closure of 83 media outlets. A further 14.5 private broadcasting outlets closed in 2024. While public broadcasters like CBC, Radio-Canada, and TVOntario have maintained their presence, they have not expanded to serve the eight million additional Canadians since 2008, leaving a growing segment of the population underserved.
The consequences of this decline are far-reaching. Nearly 2.5 million Canadians now reside in areas served by only one – or even no – local news outlet. This absence of local journalistic scrutiny creates a fertile ground for the spread of unchecked disinformation. The impact is particularly acute in rapidly growing suburban areas surrounding major metropolitan centers like Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. While residents may receive some coverage from nearby major city outlets, critical local issues pertaining to municipal councils, community events, and local businesses often go unreported. Cities like Surrey, Vaughan, Mississauga, Markham, Brampton, Richmond, North Vancouver, Burnaby, and Laval, all experiencing significant population growth, are struggling to maintain adequate local news coverage.
The situation is even more dire in smaller cities and rural communities across the country. With the exception of Ontario, every province and territory has experienced a loss of local news outlets, severing vital connections between communities and reliable information about their own governance and affairs. Quebec, Prince Edward Island, and Manitoba have witnessed significant losses, but Newfoundland and Labrador has been hardest hit, with small towns losing a staggering three-quarters of their print outlets in just 16 years. This trend isolates communities, deprives citizens of vital information necessary for informed decision-making, and weakens the very fabric of local democracy.
This crisis stems from a confluence of factors. Media consolidation plays a significant role. As local coverage shrinks, larger companies acquire smaller outlets, often leading to program cuts and staff layoffs. This consolidation creates vulnerabilities; the collapse of a single large company, as witnessed with Metroland and Métro Média, can trigger widespread closures and further exacerbate the decline of local journalism. However, the root cause lies in the upheaval of the traditional media business model. The advertising revenue that once sustained private Canadian news outlets has been siphoned off by tech behemoths like Meta and Google, leaving news organizations struggling to fund reporters and editors.
Government efforts to regulate and support the traditional media model have proven inadequate in the face of this rapid transformation. The existing framework has failed to keep pace with the digital revolution and the dominance of tech giants in the advertising market. This inaction has deepened the crisis in local journalism, leaving a widening gap in the information ecosystem. The old model is dying and needs to be replaced, but the question remains: with what?
Several potential solutions warrant consideration. Expanding public broadcasting is a crucial step. CBC and Radio-Canada could establish new stations in underserved suburban areas and smaller communities, filling the void left by the retreating private sector. Direct support for local journalism is another avenue, potentially through federal subsidies for print media or incentives for online-only news platforms utilizing micro-targeted advertising. While Ottawa has initiated some measures in this direction, the pace of these initiatives is far too slow to counter the accelerating rate of newsroom closures.
The urgency of this crisis cannot be overstated. Policy Horizons Canada, the federal government’s forecasting agency, has identified misinformation and the increasing inability of citizens to distinguish fact from fiction as one of the top 10 threats to Canadian stability. This underscores the critical importance of a robust and vibrant local news landscape. Local news provides a vital check on misinformation, holding local authorities accountable and ensuring that citizens are equipped with the information they need to make informed decisions. Without it, Canadians are left vulnerable to manipulation and the corrosive effects of disinformation. The solution is not less local news, but more. Investing in local journalism is not just about supporting a struggling industry; it is an investment in the future of Canadian democracy.
