That the correspondence received from Jim Angus, on behalf of ink-stainedwretches.org, BE RECEIVED; and that the following resolution BE ENDORSED:
Whereas a healthy, professional news media is essential for the proper functioning of civil society and democracy at the local, regional, federal and international levels;
Whereas the Public Policy Forum declares — on its website for the 2017 report The Shattered Mirror: News, Democracy and Trust in the Digital Age (commissioned by the federal government) — that “real news is in crisis” in this country;
Whereas the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) cited eight “critical information needs” the media help to provide including emergencies; other public risks to health; education; the environment; economic opportunities; civic and political knowledge of policy initiatives; and the conduct of public officials, and candidates for office (The Shattered Mirror p.4);
Whereas Canadians, including residents of LaSalle, have lost the essential services provided by roughly 2,000 media workers in 100 communities across Canada due to layoffs in only six weeks from the time the COVID-19 pandemic began — a time it became clearer to the public how important it is for Canadians to receive accurate information — and advertising
revenues have plunged, prompting an emergency $30-million advertising-buy by the federal government;
Whereas residents of 190 Canadian communities — including residents of nearby Amherstburg, Windsor and Tecumseh — lost 250 established news outlets due to closings or mergers between 2008 and 2018;
Whereas two thirds of Canadians agree or somewhat agree that because of the Coronavirus/Covid-19 outbreak the federal government should treat widespread media bankruptcies and layoffs as an emergency, according to a Nanos Research poll of April 2020;
Whereas the federal government allocated nearly $600 million in aid for Canadian media over five years in its 2019 budget, including a 25-per-cent tax credit for newsroom salaries; a 15-per-cent tax credit for digital media subscribers; and charitable tax status for non-profit news outlets;
Whereas Canada’s federal government acknowledged in its 2019 budget (p. 173) that “A strong and independent news media is crucial to a well-functioning democracy.”;
Whereas at least seven municipal councils in Ontario have already passed resolutions similar to the one proposed below;
Whereas the local news media have been instrumental during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring local citizens have accurate local information;
Therefore Be It Resolved that the Town of LaSalle Council recognizes that a healthy, professional news media is essential to the proper functioning of democracy in our municipality, urges nearby municipal councils and across Canada to recognize that a robust news media is essential to the proper functioning of democracy in their jurisdictions; endorses legislation and regulations to support and rejuvenate news outlets across Canada; and urges the federal government to move quickly to pass legislation to ensure an ecosystem for a healthy news media to serve all Canadians. And that the resolution be forwarded to the area municipalities, local M.P.s and M.P.P.s and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
Carried.