The Public GalleryToronto

←Toronto City Council · 2021-03-10 · 2021.MM30.7

The filed record

Supporting Canadian News Media - by Mayor John Tory, seconded by Councillor Gary Crawford

The Public Gallery wrote no story on this item. What follows is the city’s own record of what happened to it, as filed: nothing on this page is summarised or scored by us.

The decision

2021-03-10 · Toronto City Council · adopted

As filed

City Council on March 10, 2021, adopted the following: 1. City Council declare that a healthy and professional news media is essential to the proper functioning of democracy in our City and City Council urge nearby municipal councils and councils across Canada to recognize that a robust news media is essential to the proper functioning of democracy in their jurisdictions. 2. City Council advocate to the Provincial and Federal Governments the importance of local journalism and the need to ensure an ecosystem for a healthy news media to serve all Canadians.

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3. City Council direct the City Manager to forward City Council's decision to the area municipalities, local Members of Parliament and Members of the Provincial Parliament, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. 4. City Council encourage all residents to support local journalism.

On the agenda

As the city filed it

A healthy news media is the bedrock of a functioning democracy and civil society. Currently the Canadian news media environment is struggling with outlets closing and thousands of jobs lost. This starves Canadians of vital information about the actions of their local, provincial and national governments as well as holding their elected officials accountable. The decline of traditional revenue streams has imperiled news media's ability to sustain itself.

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In light of these troubling developments, the Federal Government has made some financial assistance available to maintain outlets and jobs in Canadian news. Local journalism matters and makes a vital difference in every part of our country - in big cities and small towns from coast to coast to coast. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen the importance of local news media in helping provide residents and businesses with vital information and to dispel misinformation. Toronto as the largest City in the country and the home of the most news jobs has an important position to advocate for the importance of journalism as a fundamental aspect of our local and national environment and to encourage all residents to support local journalism.

Staff recommended

Mayor John Tory, seconded by Councillor Gary Crawford, recommends that: 1. City Council declare that a healthy and professional news media is essential to the proper functioning of democracy in our City and City Council urge nearby municipal councils and councils across Canada to recognize that a robust news media is essential to the proper functioning of democracy in their jurisdictions. 2. City Council advocate to the Provincial and Federal Governments the importance of local journalism and the need to ensure an ecosystem for a healthy news media to serve all Canadians.

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3. City Council direct the City Manager to forward City Council's decision to the area municipalities, local Members of Parliament and Members of the Provincial Parliament, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. 4. City Council encourage all residents to support local journalism.

    On the record

    The item as the City filed it

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