“Trustworthy news lies at the heart of a fully functioning democracy.”
That’s what a report from a federal broadcasting and telecommunications legislative review panel said in a report filed last week.
“The media landscape for news and information is being transformed radically, with significant pressure on the preservation of reliable news sources at the local, regional, national and international level,” the report continued.
We couldn’t agree more.
The panel went on to argue for an expansion of CBC, but said this “transformation” is “somewhat compromised by its continuing reliance on advertising, which necessarily introduces a commercial imperative into its decision-making.”
“A public media institution should pursue a diversity of media content to reflect Canada's own makeup and not focus on programs that are driven by the need to attract advertising revenues,” the report read.
The folks on the panel aren’t the only ones talking about the problem with advertising dollars in the media world. Last week The Guardian announced it will no longer accept fossil fuel advertising. Advertising currently accounts for 40 per cent of Guardian Media Group’s revenue.
This all made us especially proud here at The Narwhal, where we’ve been championing an advertising-free business model since the very beginning. Last year, more than 1,500 readers donated — either as monthly members or one-time donors — to make The Narwhal’s journalism ad-free and accessible to all for free.
Thank you to each and every one of you for your support. If you’ve been considering it, please become a monthly member of The Narwhal today. You can sign up for any amount that works for you and — bonus — if you give $20/month, we’ll send you a toque or a t-shirt.
Your support helps us file freedom-of-information requests, send reporters to under-served communities and focus 100 per cent on public-service journalism — not on advertising revenues.
Keep scrolling for all our reader-funded stories this week.
A Norwegian strain of piscine orthoreovirus, which is strongly associated with death of Chinook salmon, was identified at 14 out of 15 farms tested. Read more.
Premier John Horgan said earlier this month that the fracked gas pipeline had obtained all necessary permits — but it turns out the project is missing a key authorization from B.C.’s environmental assessment office, which is likely to delay construction even as RCMP stand by to enforce an injunction. Read more.
Some lakes in the Arctic are expanding while others are disappearing altogether due to climate change, which threatens to have devastating effects on the peoples of the Arctic who have used these freshwater systems for generations.Read more.
Carbon offsets were meant to fund a conservation economy in the world’s last intact temperate rainforest, but sales have fallen short of expectations. Still, some say there is reason for optimism.Read more.
What we're reading
A note from a Narwhal
"Every time one of your emails arrives in my inbox I am humbled and amazed and grateful for the work that you and your writers are doing. Thank you!" — Thank you, Monica!
Not only are the Arkells an awesome Canadian band (with a whack of Junos under their belts), it turns out they're a band after our hearts, too.
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