When The Tribune’s Instagram account went dark last week, it wasn’t just a platform that disappeared: It was a bridge between the newsroom and the McGill community. As social media giants such as Instagram and Facebook block news content in Canada, university newspapers face a critical setback caused by the Online News Act (Bill C-18). The bill mandates Meta and Google to pay news outlets to share their content—but big technology companies have refused, instead blocking individual publications’ pages. Their desire to prioritize capitalistic greed over basic compensation for journalists has limited institutional transparency and accountability. This legislation, intended to protect journalism, has instead jeopardized vital platforms for tomorrow’s reporters and editors—repressing not just current voices, but the future of the field itself.
Since its enactment in 2023, the Online News Act has triggered a standoff with Meta and Google, resulting in platforms like Instagram and Facebook blacking out Canadian news. For smaller outlets, social media isn’t just a distribution channel. It’s a tool for engaging directly with readers in a way legacy media cannot replicate. While social media platforms have always been flawed—promoting sensationalism, censoring important topics, and prioritizing engagement over accuracy—they have also served as an equalizer in a media landscape dominated by legacy outlets. For university newspapers, social media offers a unique opportunity to connect with readers on their terms, share stories directly, and engage in real-time conversations. This connection is particularly valuable for smaller, resource-strapped publications, which rely on platforms like Instagram to amplify their coverage and promote a sense of community. Losing this access hurts these outlets’ distribution, but it also diminishes the impact of the work they produce.
Alternative news outlets, including student papers, don’t just report: They engage, challenge, and reflect the communities they serve. They provide a space for voices to be heard, fostering conversations that might otherwise be overlooked in mainstream media. By cutting off access to their social media platforms, big tech has weakened the link between these publications and their audiences, leaving critical gaps in public discourse. Tech giants’ decision threatens the core values of inclusivity in journalism, which seeks to give every voice a chance to contribute to the larger narrative. These publications often tackle issues that mainstream outlets overlook, from student activism to institutional accountability, striving for investigative reporting and amplifying the voices of marginalized communities.
Big tech’s reaction to the Act risks silencing these stories and stifling the next generation of journalists before they even get a chance to begin. At McGill, where there’s no journalism program, student publications are the only way future reporters can learn about the field, tell impactful stories, and build portfolios for a potential career. Journalism thrives on a diversity of voices, perspectives and platforms. When a few giants dominate the media landscape, discussions narrow to prevent critical stories from being told. What good is supporting journalism if the end result is fewer voices, not more?
The social media bans also raise questions about fostering dialogue, holding power accountable, and ensuring that diverse perspectives are heard. By limiting access to platforms where these conversations happen, big tech undermines these ideals. In the process, they may alienate young readers, many of whom rely on social media as their primary source of news. In 2023, 62 per cent of Canadians aged 15 to 24 reported obtaining their news and information from social media platforms, compared to 18 per cent of older Canadians. For a generation already skeptical of traditional media, this lack of accessibility will further erode trust and engagement with journalism as a whole. Tech giants’ refusal to comply with the bill thus weakens the power of communities to organize and stand up against injustice. Without accessible platforms for sharing information and amplifying urgent causes, collective action becomes far more difficult, undermining the ability to protest and demand accountability.
Open access to information is not optional—it’s the foundation of a thriving democratic society. By making it harder for news outlets and journalists to connect with their audiences, big tech endangers the future of news that it claims to protect. Canada needs to find a way to balance the scales between tech giants and smaller publications without crushing the voices that will define its media landscape in years to come. When The Tribune’s Instagram went silent, so did its vital link to the McGill community. If tech companies cannot collaborate with the government to increase accessibility, the future of independent journalism–on campus and beyond–will be left in the dark. The standoff following the Online News Act is not just economic but existential, threatening the very soul of journalism.
