News Media Op-Eds

What did you pay to read this article today? Your answer might be nothing—and on the surface, you’re right. Whether you’re reading it in print, on a laptop or on a smartphone, there’s no cost to access our journalism. But really, you have paid for this article—through your attention.

Over 14 years ago, the Vermilion Voice published its first publication with the intention to provide factual, up-to-date local and area news. Without the support of the local and area businesses that advertise in our paper, the Vermilion Voice would not exist today and it would not be able to fulfill its dream.

We live in an era when with the simple push of a button we can purchase items, from the mundane to exotic, from anywhere in the world. They are anonymous transactions that offer a short-term intoxicating glow of perceived savings or quality. But do they?

The same day that the Winnipeg Free Press carried news of Franklin Roosevelt’s death, its advertising included a local store offering bologna for 21 cents a pound. As I look at that April 1945 edition, I often wonder which information readers found more valuable – the death of a world leader or a bargain at a local meat shop.

BY BOB COX   Hockey news, fashion tips, TV and movie listings, retirement strategies, updates on Celine Dion—all of this information...

BY BOB COX, JERRY DIAS, AND EDWARD GREENSPON On Sept. 1, an agency of the Canadian government directed nearly $100-million...

Bob Cox, chair of News Media Canada, highlights the importance of the proposed Canadian Journalism Fund in the below...

By Bob Cox, Chair of the Board, News Media Canada It’s time to save news. You may well ask: What on earth...

The 2016 media freedom report card makes for uncomfortable reading. Impunity for those who kill journalists continues to undermine attempts...

This piece originally appeared in the Globe and Mail on February 28, 2017. You can download a fillable copy...