On Jan. 26, Postmedia, a Toronto-based media conglomerate and the parent company of over 130 local newspapers across Canada, including The Montreal Gazette, revealed its plan to lay off 11 per cent of its total editorial staff. This devastating decision, made in a Toronto boardroom, will put up to 10[Read More…]
Tag: Postmedia
Internet killed the local Torstar
Historians sometimes speak of a “usable past,” a common narrative about the events that brought us here and why we’re a “we” at all. This commonality is seen as essential to creating a sense of community or nationhood. Frankly, Canadians should be more concerned about maintaining a usable present. With[Read More…]
The decline of local news is a problem for everyone
On Nov. 2, DNAInfo, Gothamist, and four sister news websites in other American cities were shut down. Prior, these sites provided hyperlocal news coverage of their respective cities, including New York and Chicago. Their websites now display an ominous message by owner Joe Ricketts, citing profitability as the cause of[Read More…]
The timely demise of PostMedia
If a tree falls in a forest when no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Two weeks ago, 90 journalists from PostMedia Network Inc., Canada’s largest newspaper chain, were fired in the latest blow of its ongoing struggle to stay afloat. Along with the layoffs,[Read More…]
Commentary: Corporate interests infringing on editorial integrity in newspaper endorsements
Journalism depends on freedom of expression. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects “freedom of thought, belief, opinion, and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication.” This means that the government will protect the right of the media to say what they believe. Although the[Read More…]
