“Local journalism needs funding to stay alive.“
Opinion by Dave Glover
It’s been an absolute honour to have been invited to share my opinions and insights with NewsNowNetwork readers, but alas this organization like others in the media business has come to an end.
Thanks in part to politics.
At a time when access to reliable journalism is being snuffed out all over the nation, it’s unfortunate that NNN, too, has fallen victim.
Personally, I blame Meta and Google for being unwilling to negotiate with Ottawa over the important issue of links to news stories posted online.
Revenue sharing, especially from advertising, is just fair.
The draconian solution to cut off Canadians’ access to news sharing is tantamount to piracy.
Has Meta faced a backlash because of its decision?
Probably not. It counts on the steady drip of outrage and influencer bumpf that flows endlessly.
The fact is these two companies have been punishing Canadians for no good reason other than they can…
Let that sink in. They earn billions from the creative work we put into posting on Facebook and Google and the data we create.
And they sell ads that they make 100% on while the news organizations — which create so much content that costs Facebook and Google nothing — must invest considerable time and money into maintaining an organizational footprint, get nothing.
The Canadian Government has been working on a deal see: https://financialpost.com/news/fight-mark-zuckerberg-justin-trudeau-battering-canada-media .
It remains to be seen how this will work out. I don’t expect small news portals like the New Now Network will benefit.
Local journalism needs funding to stay alive. Back in the day, people subscribed the local paper. That money along with ad revenue keep the publishing doors open.
If you want local news, you have to be willing to pay for it.
Is there a road back to subscriptions?
That, I’m afraid, is up to the readers. Important news organizations like the Globe & Mail and the Toronto Star are struggling to survive.
Are local news services even important?
Certainly, the populist swing in the country, the right-wing manipulation of facts and denial of fact-based reporting, has had an impact. With some of our local news written with certain bias that is disturbing.
The news doesn’t need anything beyond the facts. Political spin or rhetoric to sell a particular angle isn’t reporting the news. It’s crafting a narrative.
The very idea that addiction or homelessness could be issues with 2 sides, alarms me. There are no pro’s to these issues, only cons.
Unfortunately, social media is ablaze with a view that too often slants towards the negative.
Like it’s a duty.
When truth isn’t always black and white.
And that is where traditional journalism comes in. To help us look at these issues. Decide right from wrong. Separate the lies, distortions and click baiting from truth.
But with news organizations disappearing, I fear for the future. We’re being fed propaganda that undermines our country and our institutions every single day.
It’s bad enough, news organizations are shutting down, 75% of our national media is foreign owned. Even Some of our local media falls into this category. Unbelievably, US hedge funds, run by money managers, own Canadian media companies.
If we really want to have local news, as I’ve said, we’re going to have to be willing to pay. To subscribe.
How many of you, reading this piece right now, would be willing to pay for this service to be dropped into your email via subscription? Indeed, how many of you are now paying for a news subscription?
I bet not many of you.
Come what may, I just want to say thanks to my wonderful editor, Ted, and & our patient publisher, Jay, for believing there was an audience for my musings.
I will endeavour to keep readers informed via my personal podcast which has been on a very long hiatus.
www.HolisticPoliticalChat.ca
So long and thanks for all the Fish.
Dave Glover is a well known cultural and political commentator in Northumberland. Thousands of listeners, both locally and worldwide, know Dave because of his “Drive Time” radio broadcast that ran for more than 8 years and his 15 years hosting political programs on a local cable channel.
Listen to/Contact Dave
Twitter: https://twitter.com/legant66?lang=ar-x-fm
Online: https://holisticpoliticalchat.com/
Email: HolisticPoliticalchat@gmail.com
