Sherbrooke Councilor says put public notices back in newspapers
Concerned about the situation of La Tribune and the imminent risks of closure, the chairman of the Culture Committee, Sherbrooke Councillor Paul Gingues, wants the City of Sherbrooke to quickly make a concrete gesture to support the French daily paper.
"I expect, at the next town hall meeting on September 3, to call for a vote and convince the majority of my colleagues to rally to overturn the decision to cut the $ 45,000 budget traditionally invested in La Tribune for years for the publication of public notices, "commented Paul Gingues, in a press release yesterday.
He explained that regardless of the form of communication La Tribune decides to take, the important thing is that the latter can count on a stable annual income from the City of Sherbrooke.
"I am convinced that had we been made aware of La Tribune's precarious financial situation, the Council would never have accepted such a cut. I see at each council meeting additional budget requests of several hundred thousand dollars that pass like a hot knife through butter. I do not believe that this $ 45,000, well invested in our regional daily paper, would have negative repercussions on the finances of the City, "added the city councilor.
Gingues insisted that this decision to cut this budget was a mistake. This type of cost-cutting can sometimes create more problems than it solves, he said.
"As Chair of the Culture Committee, I feel very concerned about the future of La Tribune. It is an essential player in Sherbrooke and regional cultural life. It would be a disaster for the cultural community to lose this important ally."
He concluded by saying that a gesture like the one he is about to ask of his colleagues, will give impetus to other organizations, institutions, municipalities to follow suit to support La Tribune.
According to an article published in Le Soliel yesterday, Gingras is not the only municipal politician pleading for support for local media.
The Le Soleil article reported that Bolton-west Mayor Jacques Drolet tabled a resolution during Tuesday’s meeting with the mayors of the Brome-missisquoi MRC to support local media, looking specifically to those municipalities in the MRC excercising their right, under Bill 122, to stop public notices in newspapers.
The resolution, Le Soleil reported, calls for the MRC’S municipalities and businesses to support local media, and for the provincial and federal governments to tax the ad reveunes of social media companies who benefit from the diffusion of information generated by local journalists and news sources.
Strong show of support
On Wednesday evening, a gathering was orgnaized at Siboire in Sherbrooke as a show of solidarity with La Tribune and La Voix de l’est, two of the six papers owned by Groupe Capitale Media, which filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this week.
The event, organized by the Fédération professionnelle des journalistes du Québec (FPJQ), was packed with community supporters from all walks of life; cultural leaders, politicians, non-profit organizations attended to demonstrate the importance of local media.