C-18 is Keeping Canadians in the Dark

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the unintended consequences of Bill C-18.

According to Toronto Metropolitan University, 36 platforms closed down in Canada in the first 11 months of 2023. Of those, 29 were community newspapers.

In British Columbia, we’ve already seen the sad death of Kamloops This Week, whose publisher said the Bill C-18 affair had reduced the site’s traffic by half. This year, meanwhile, Black Press has filed for creditor protection and Bell Media has announced 4,800 layoffs.

While the bill's intention to support local news outlets might seem commendable, the results, including Meta's decision to block Canadian news links, have been devastating for independent media.

One outlet that is under immense pressure is NowMedia, which operates the KelownaNow, KamloopsBCNow, PentictonNow and VictoriaNow platforms. It was well known for its vibrant Facebook and Instagram accounts, and lost an enormous chunk of traffic with the Meta news ban. Now it's hanging on by a thread, hamstrung by an American tech giant on the one hand and Bill C-18 on the other.

Meta, which said it consults the federal government for guidance on what is and is not a news outlet in Canada, has categorized NowMedia as a news platform. But the federal government itself has twice denied NowMedia the Canadian Journalism Labour Tax Credit, claiming, strangely, that NowMedia is not a news platform. This catch-22 has left NowMedia particularly vulnerable as the feud between Meta and the federal government stretches on.

Now, a community resource is at stake. A vital nexus for people across British Columbia could be lost, and with it a significant number of high-skilled jobs.

With wildfire season fast approaching, it's never been more urgent to support independent media in Canada. Lives could literally be at risk.

I urge you to do whatever you can to resolve this dispute between Ottawa and Meta. Please, save our independent media outlets now – before it's too late.

Sincerely,