Canada is a rather large country with shockingly few independent news outlets. Huff Post Canada and Huff Post Quebec may have had their flaws but they served a needed purpose in the Canadian journalism scene.
BuzzFeed recently acquired both Web sites. The closure came 2 weeks after the staff had filed for union certification with CWA-Canada.
We've seen lots of journalism layoffs to Web sites that still exist. To completely close up shop is a radical move. BuzzFeed did say the decision to close HuffPost's Canadian operations were taken before that filing was made.
You can still find past stories from HuffPost Canada and Huff Post Quebec but you need to know the topic and/or URL. You can't find them from the actual site.
The success of Huff Post in Canada proved there is a market for that kind of approach to journalism in Canada. BuzzFeed's closure wasn't on merit.
The Canadian Association of Journalists released a statement, dismayed by the abrupt decision.
If we won a significant amount in the Canadian lottery, we would love to come to Canada and run a journalism outfit designed to catch the stories that fall through the many cracks in Canadian journalism. Speaking of journalism outfits, here is the Canadaland take on the HuffPost closings.
Canadian journalism notebook: TorStar to shut down StarMetro newspapers
TorStar/Postmedia newspaper 'trade' details
Postmedia newspaper cuts mean even fewer Canada journalism voices
The Competition Act seemed made to address the swap and closure of Postmedia and Torstar newspapers a few years back. The large newspaper companies weren't subtle at all in their actions.
Yet the Competition Bureau stopped the investigation without a trip to the courts.
TheTyee.ca, a top Canadian journalism outlet, reported on e-mails that confirm the companies knew the other company planned the cuts after the swap.
The July 18, 2017 letter confirms the companies' “definitive agreement” will include a five-year non-competition “covenant” in the markets where it exchanged properties. Competition Bureau lawyer Pierre-Yves Guay wrote in an affidavit accompanying the court files that the final non-compete agreement — not released to the public — included promises not to operate news publications targeted at particular audiences or distribute flyers in specific geographic areas.
Sounds like a fix.
Another intriguing detail happened to John Hammill, Postmedia’s regional sales manager for Ontario newspapers in Simcoe County. Hammill was terminated by Postmedia (the old owner) and not Torstar (the new owner). Hammill was the only employee willing to go on record.
The story in TheTyee.ca is longer than a 3-minute read. Take in the whole story to get a real sense of what happened.
As the next story notes, some Canadian journalism monopolies still continue unfettered.
Trudeau Government proposes ways to help out Canadian journalism
Proposed money for Canadian journalism about sprouting non-profit news templates
Erin O'Toole wants to do significant damage to CBC Television and CBC News Network
Came across this "story" in the Toronto Sun about how Ottawa Citizen subscribers can now claim the federal digital news tax credit.
Postmedia owns both newspapers; the company is benefiting greatly from the digital tax credit since the company owns the vast majority of major newspapers in the country, especially outside the Maritimes.
The "story" is more of a how-to so subscribers can take advantage of the Digital News Subscription Tax Credit. The company has a monopoly in 2-newspaper cities such as Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver and owns the only major English language newspaper in Montréal.
This is the part where we mention that the majority ownership (in money, not on paper) of Postmedia is American hedge funds.
The help for Canadian journalism can't go just to prop up old newspaper companies such as Postmedia and TorStar. Conservatives already control so much of Canadian media that the threats against CBC funding are daunting.
If Postmedia was forced to sell a newspaper in those 4 markets where they have a monopoly, we could see if newspaper competition can grow. Innovation will help get Canadian journalism on sturdier ground; not funneling money to conservative fossils.
CanadianCrossing.com journalism coverage
We aren't big on polls, especially when they are treated as actual news stories.
One compelling statistic from the Edelman Trust Barometer report was that 49% of Canadians surveyed say journalists and reporters are purposely trying to mislead people by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations.
What we don't know is that is conservatives freaking out over the CBC, liberals upset over the National Post, or whether the disgust comes from consuming American news on TV and the computer.
The CBC has a list of steps to improve the trust among Canadians. Don't think Postmedia will ever post such a list.
photo credit: HuffPost Canada and Huff Post Quebec/BuzzFeed
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