Local Journalism Initiative
In some parts of Canada, residents do not have access to journalistic information about community issues and institutions through local newspapers, community radio, television or other news media. These gaps in coverage mean that citizens do not have necessary information about news, issues and events that affect them and their day-to-day lives.
The Local Journalism Initiative aims to change that.

FAQs for Reporters

The Local Journalism Initiative is a national initiative funded by the federal government, and administered by seven independent non-governmental organizations, representing different segments of the media industry. The Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) provides funding to Canadian media organizations to hire reporters to create original local civic journalism for underserved communities or news deserts across Canada.

The Local Journalism Initiative is administered by seven independent, non-governmental industry organizations including News Media Canada, Réseau.Presse, Quebec Community Newspapers Association, National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada, Community Radio Fund of Canada, Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations (CACTUS), and the Fédération des télévisions communautaires autonomes du Québec.

Reporters and freelancers cannot apply for funding. Only news organizations can apply for funding.

You will be an employee of the news organization that hires you. The news organization is responsible for assigning and editing your work, as well as managing and training you. They are also responsible for your payroll and maintaining a safe environment for you.

The news organization that hired you is responsible for your training. The Canadian Press will provide training on the News Portal.

Individuals with journalism training and/or suitable experience can be hired as LJI reporters. The individual must be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations and meets the eligibility criteria (Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act). International participants are not eligible. Recent immigrants are eligible if they are Canadian citizens, permanent residents or individuals identified as refugees under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

In the LJI application, publishers are given four options: New hire – full-time; New hire – part-time; Upgrade to full-time; Freelancer. They can hire reporters as employees, contractors, or freelancers. Most applications have been for new hires, but if a publisher has an existing part-time reporter that they would like to make full-time, they can apply to receive top-up funding for the reporter’s additional hours to produce civic journalism.

The Local Journalism Initiative contract is for a term of up to two years.

Reporters can access the LJI News Centre at News Media Canada’s website by navigating to the LJI home page and clicking the red “News Centre” tile.

The LJI News Centre stores and disseminates LJI reporters’ stories including text, photos, audio, video and graphics files. LJI reporters or their designates will have secure access to upload content, which will then be available to all LJI news organizations and other Canadian news media with user access.

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This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada. Ce projet a été rendu possible en partie grâce au gouvernement du Canada.
Government of Canada