‘I can commit to that’: Poilievre vows to keep government subsidies for local media outlets

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre vowed Wednesday to continue government subsidies for local media outlets, doubling down on his support for the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) during a press conference in Stoney Creek, Ontario.

The remarks came a day after the release of the Conservative platform, which pledged to increase funding for the local subsidy program by $25 million.

Poilievre was asked about media subsidies by a reporter from Village Media, a network of local news outlets.

“You had said previously that your government would cut funding for certain broadcasters and news outlets. I’m wondering if you can commit to not cut funding for local media and local news outlets that depend so much on grants [and] subsidies from the government,” the reporter asked.

“I can commit to that,” Poilievre replied. “We’re going to back local independent journalism, including the Local Journalism Initiative. And we’re also going to make sure that local media get their fair share of government advertising. It shouldn’t only go to the Liberal government’s favoured media outlets.”

He added that Canada needs “strong, independent media so that Canadians get all the information.”

The Local Journalism Initiative is a government program that provides local media outlets with funding for them to hire journalists.

The federal government says, “Funding is available to eligible Canadian media organizations to hire journalists or pay freelance journalists to produce civic journalism for underserved communities.”

In 2024, federal subsidies for the private and non-profit media totaled more than $325 million between the Canada Periodical Fund ($86.5 million), Canada Media Fund ($154.1 million), and Canadian Journalism Labour Tax Credit ($65 million), and Local Journalism Initiative ($19.6 million).

According to research by Guelph university professor Dave Snow in The Hub, between the various media support programs and combined CBC funding, the federal government is spending over $1.7 billion annually subsidizing journalism and media. That’s more than the $1.4 billion it will spend annually on the Canada Disability Benefit—and more than it plans to spend over the first five years of its National Pharmacare Plan combined.

Polling conducted by The Hub and Public Square Research found that seven-in-ten Canadians are not supportive of the government funding the salaries of journalists.

News Media Canada, a lobby group for newspaper publishers, however, claims subsidies are essential in ensuring the health of Canada’s media ecosystem.

“There is less and less information about the things that matter most to the lives of people in communities across Canada—coverage of what local governments are doing, what crimes have occurred in our midst, or what subjects are being taught in our schools,” said News Media Canada’s chair Bob Cox in 2017. “We have a proven ability to inform Canada and Canadians about themselves and keep them connected and engaged. That is something worth saving.”

In the last 17 years, 529 local media outlets in Canada have shuttered, with 76 percent of them being community papers. In that time, 406 new outlets have launched, but only 278 are still operational.

Poilievre did not address other media subsidies in his platform or press conference, including those given to large legacy media conglomerates.

The Hub reached out to the Poilievre campaign to ask if he plans to abolish the other subsidy programs, and how one could reconcile the need for a “strong independent media” with subsidies from the government. The campaign did not provide a response on the matter.

In addition to government funding, Canadian media outlets are receiving $100 million in government-mandated payments from Google under the Online News Act (Bill C-18)—the same legislation that resulted in Meta blocking news on Facebook and Instagram in Canada.

Asked for Poilievre’s stance on Bill C-18, a spokesperson pointed to page 23 of the Conservative platform, which reads: “We will support media freedom by: Introducing a Freedom of Speech Act to repeal Liberal censorship laws and restore Canadian news on Meta and other platforms.”

The Liberal platform also appears to support the continuation of subsidies for private outlets.

The Hub’s Élie Cantin-Nantel is covering the Conservative campaign this week.

Travel expenses for The Hub’s election coverage are made possible by the Public Policy Forum, the Rideau Hall Foundation, and the Michener Awards Foundation.

Editor’s note: This article had been updated to add further context about the Local Journalism Initiative program.