Feds to include newspaper funding in next budget, sources say

The federal government is reportedly responding to the crisis in local news with funding for newspapers in the 2018 budget. 

The Canadian Press is reporting that Finance Minister Melanie Joly discussed the matter on January 26 with a group representing 7,000 culutre and communications workers. 

The funding is expected to come through the Canadian Periodical Fund, a $75-million coffer that currently mostly goes to assisiting Canadian magazines, non-dailies and digital publications. 

Unifor, through the Media Action Plan and the efforts of Unifor Local 87-M and other locals representing journalists, has been pushing the federal government to support traditional media through the transition from print to online as traditional newspaper revenues decline and Google and Facebook overwhelmingly dominate the digital dollar landscape.