Canadians trust local news, research shows

Local news matters to Canadians. Local news unites communities. Local news holds governments and businesses to account. Local news provides knowledge to make informed decisions that impact daily life. Local news is trusted.

Research by Dentsu finds that more than half (54%) of Canadians find local news trustworthy, compared to only 8% who find social media trustworthy for news. “The more something is covered locally, the more people understand and connect with the issue. And if you are not covering a story, your community is not connecting.”

Local newspapers deliver engaged audiences in a trusted environment.

  • Six out of Canadians trust any format of newspaper content. 54% trust printed newspaper editorial content and 52% trust digital news content.

Local newspapers build strong communities by connecting readers with local events and resources.

  • 92% of printed community newspaper readers pick up their paper for local information like sports, events, editorial, news and more. And half of readers are looking for advertising. These kinds of local information often cannot be found anywhere else.

Local newspapers benefit small businesses by providing an opportunity to connect with readers.

  • Three-quarters (74%) of readers believe it is important to support local newspaper advertisers.

Find more resources on the importance of local news and newspapers on the News Media Canada website here.