Publishers of community newspapers trying hard to make ends meet at a difficult time in the industry, got some encouraging news from Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne on Tuesday when she spoke to the “mullticultural media ” at a Scarborough hotel.
Acknowledging the pressures facing the media, Wynne told reporters that they are an important link between their communities” and the work that we do at Queen’s Park.” ·
She noted that “declining revenues have led to fewer resources and less time to cover the stories that matter most and at a time when fact-based reporting is more necessary than ever…
” For small community and multicultural media, this pressure is especially acute.”
“That’s why I am so pleased to announce that my government is trying to offer some relief. We are committing $2 million a year over the next three years in a new Ontario Cultural Media Fund.
“So that so that will be six million dollars over the next three years .”
This fund, she told reporters, will provide targeted support ” for the kind of multicultural media you all work for.
” We want to help you produce more content, cover the local news that matters to your communities and distribute it to you audiences where they want to see it, online and on their smartphones,” she told members of the media.
” We also want to help you collect more data and performance metrics so you can apply for other support programs and provincial government advertising,”
” The work you do is essential, and we want to support it,”
Wynne also noted that ” even though the economy is growing, not every one is sharing in that – not everyone is feeling that things are getting better.
” I believe that now more than ever we need a government that is going to invest in care, is going to invest in the supports that people need because people are dealing with that uncertainty.