Newspapers remain source of ‘real’ news
SUPPORT JOURNALISM DURING NATIONAL NEWSPAPER WEEK
From Canada’s earliest days, newspapers have connected local readers to the rest of the world.
Newspapers continue to provide that essential service. But today, citizens are bombarded with so many sales pitches, political slants, false reports — from so many directions.
So this week the nation’s newspapers are speaking up. They’ve launched National Newspaper Week along with a campaign to rally Canadians’ support for newspaper journalism.
Branded #NowMoreThanEver, the campaign is inviting Canadians to show their support for the news media industry by visiting the newly launched newspapersmatter.ca website.
“The role of newspapers has never been so crucial,” says Bob Cox, chair of the board of directors of News Media Canada, a national association that represents Canadian newspapers.
“Every day, newspapers work to bring Canadians from coast to coast to coast real, trusted, truthful news — which is as vital to democracy as clean air, safe streets, good schools and public health.”
But access to truthful news is under threat, the association warns.
For years the credible, independent news reporting that newspapers provide has been funded by local and national advertiser support. As more readers moved online, however, many Canadian companies moved their advertising dollars to global conglomerates.
Today 70 per cent of Canada’s online ad revenue goes to just two online giants, Facebook and Google. And that’s despite the fact that ads in both print and digital newspapers are the most trusted of all advertising formats.
Just as critical, recent research has found 63 per cent of Canadians were unable to distinguish between legitimate news websites and “fake news” stories. Not surprisingly, 65 per cent of Canadians surveyed are worried that false information or fake news is being used as a weapon.
“Newspapers do not have a readership problem,” explains Cox, pointing to recent research that shows that eight in 10 Canadians— and 85 per cent of millennials—still read a newspaper every week.
So during National Newspaper Week, Canadians are asked to simply sign a pledge of support at
newspapersmatter.ca to send a message to Canadian businesses, advertisers and government officials — as well as to newspaper journalists and all Canadians — saying that newspapers matter, now more than ever.
The campaign includes print and digital ads running in newspapers across the country and is extending into social media, with a call-toaction that invites newspaper readers to share a photo of themselves with their favourite paper on their social channels, using #NewspapersMatter and #NowMoreThanEver.
National Newspaper Week runs from Oct. 1 to 7.
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