Note to Readers: Our blank front page

No, the blank front page of your newspaper isn’t a mistake!

Thank you for your patience with us. We did it deliberately to make a very important point in a dramatic way: local newspapers and local headlines are disappearing across Canada.

Starting today, we are launching a nationwide campaign to raise awareness that our newspapers — and our democracy — are under attack. The campaign by News Media Canada, which we call “Disappearing Headlines,” includes our blank front page and an Open Letter to All Members of Parliament on page 2 calling on Ottawa to act quickly to address this critical issue.

Without reliable, trusted journalism that informs you and keeps our governments accountable, our democracy and the future for our children will suffer.

Fact-based news costs real money for reporters and editors and fact-checkers and many others. Unfortunately, global tech giants such as Google and Facebook refuse to pay a fair price for content created by Canadian news outlets. At the same time, these titans drain off more than 80 per cent of all digital advertising revenue in Canada.

The result is that local newspapers across Canada have closed in recent years and hundreds of journalists have lost their jobs. It’s time for Ottawa to act.

The best solution is for Ottawa to follow an Australian example and adopt legislation that allows newspapers to negotiate a fair price for use of their content, with massive fines if Google and Facebook refuse to co-operate. Importantly,

no new government funding, taxes or fees are required for this solution.

We encourage you to read the Open Letter on page 2. We also encourage you to let your local MP know you want Ottawa to level the playing field.

Thank you.