Local Journalism Initiative

News Media Canada, the voice of the print and digital news media industry in Canada, is calling today for new applications to its Local Journalism Initiative program.

Applications are being sought for short term projects, including freelance and contract positions from Quebec French media, English media from the rest of Canada, and Indigenous media across the country. All projects in this round should be completed by March 31, 2021.

Print and digital news media are eligible to apply for funding to News Media Canada.  Applications are due on April 22, 2020.   More specifically, and considering previous grant allocations, the program is looking for approximately 37 positions, including:

  • 5 in British Columbia,
  • 4 in the prairies,
  • 2 in Ontario,
  • 17 in Quebec, and
  • 9 for Indigenous Media—that is, media published by and for Indigenous communities, anywhere in Canada.

Created and funded by the Government of Canada, the Local Journalism Initiative is a five-year program that supports the creation of original civic journalism relevant to the diverse needs of people living in news deserts and areas of news poverty across Canada.  Areas of “news poverty” are communities where there is limited access to journalistic content about community issues and institutions through a daily or community newspaper or public or private broadcaster. Available sources of local news — whether a newspaper, a community radio station or other media — demonstrate significant gaps in coverage due to a lack of capacity.  News Media Canada’s Local Journalism Initiative program is open to English, French, and Indigenous print and online media across Canada.

News media interested in applying can do so at: https://nmc-mic.ca/lji/news-organizations/apply/

Launched in fall 2019, the Initiative provides funding for host newsrooms to hire reporters, supporting accurate and reliable civic journalism in underserved communities. Local Journalism Initiative coverage will help ensure the vitality of democracy, better inform citizens, engage community and foster civic debate, to connect Canadians with their local governments, in their councils, courts and other civic institutions. Since December 2019, the program resulted in the approval of 168 journalists in 142 host newsrooms across Canada. (Click here for the complete list.) Civic journalism produced by LJI reporters is made available to all media organizations for re-publication via the LJI news portal. For more information, visit www.localjournalisminitiative.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Tina Ongkeko, Director, Local Journalism Initiative
News Media Canada
tongkeko@newsmediacanada.ca

Christian Dognon, Program Officer, Local Journalism Initiative
News Media Canada
lji@newsmediacanada.ca