Small and local news publishers in Saskatchewan say they’re feeling the pain of Meta’s decision to block news in Canada on their social media platform.
Kerry Benjoe is the editor of Eagle Feather News, a publication that focuses on providing news to First Nation and Métis communities.
Benjoe says they distribute 10,000 papers throughout province.
“A lot of those papers go into smaller communities and so we don’t distribute our papers into larger urban settings and that’s where social media played a really big role because there’s a limited amount of papers,” Benjoe told Stefani Langenegger, host of CBC’s The Morning Edition
Kerry Benjoe is the owner and publisher of Eagle Feather News. (Submitted by Kerry Benjoe)
The effects of the news block have been devastating, according to Benjoe, who hoped Eagle Feather News would be small enough to “slip through the cracks.”
Before it went into place, news stories would be posted on social media and then shared hundreds of times.
“So instead of 10,000, maybe we got 400,000 views. That was reaching audiences not just here in Saskatchewan, but nationally and worldwide. Some of our stories were read in areas like Switzerland and so to not have this access anymore, it’s really concerning.”
Saskatoon Morning8:04Meta’s decision to cut access to Canadian news stories is impacting small news outlets like Eagle Feather News
Candice Lipski talks with Kerry Benjoe, editor of Eagle Feather News, about Meta’s decision cut access to Canadian news stories on its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.
How did Canada get here?
The federal government passed Bill C-18, or Canada’s new Online News Act, in June. It’s expected to take effect by the end of the year.
Once it does, the legislation would require companies like Meta and Google to pay media outlets for the news content shared on their platforms.
Earlier this month, social media giant Meta put their foot down and blocked news on their Facebook and Instagram platforms.
News organizations — including CBC/Radio-Canada — have asked Canada’s Competition Bureau to investigate Meta’s decision to block Canadian news, calling it “anti-competitive.”
Audiences can still reach Canadian digital news directly — by going straight to news sites themselves, or using an app on mobile devices.
But for many outlets, which rely on the distribution of their stories on social media, the block has revealed a painful reality.
Kevin Weedmark is is the publisher of the Moosomin World-Spectator, a newspaper in the small town of fewer than 3,000 people located 225 kilometres east of Regina.
He says the most views they’ve ever gotten on Facebook is in the 300,000 range. Once the block came into affect views have dropped to around 60,000 and even lower.
“It’s obviously having a a significant impact and that’ll hurt our community and our our ability to to communicate with our community,” Weedmark told CBC earlier this week.
WATCH | Wildfire evacuees frustrated, angry at Meta’s Canadian news ban:
Wildfire evacuees frustrated, angry at Meta’s Canadian news ban
3 days ago
Duration 2:04
Fire evacuees say the block on Canadian news content on Facebook and Instagram makes it even harder to get crucial wildfire information. Many in Canada’s North rely on the platforms, and some are now looking for workarounds to share info.
Stephen Whitworth is the editor of the Prairie Dog and Planet S publications in Regina and Saskatoon.
He recalled thinking that Bill C-18 was more convoluted and more complicated than he would’ve liked.
“The principle of a bill that forces social media to pay news outlets like us, like larger outlets? That’s not only great that’s essential,” Whitworth said.
Whitworth feels the federal government is doing its best with this bill, even if it’s not perfect. He hopes they can reach some kind of deal soon.
Benjoe says her readers have been left confused by what is happening and are unsure who is at fault.
“This is just another hurdle we have to jump through just to get the news out there,” she said.
Weedmark says this isn’t a fight that many newspaper or publishers wanted.
He also doesn’t believe the federal government crafted an effective piece of legislation.
“If they gave you a choice of “would you like to spend hundreds of millions of dollars subsidizing not only publishers but broadcasters of all sorts, and which don’t even do news? Or would you like to just block their content and pay nothing? I think most people choose the same thing,” Weedmark said.
MONTREAL – Quebec’s ombudsperson is warning that public services are becoming “dehumanized” in the province amid a rise in demand for them.
Marc-André Dowd released his annual report today, which highlights several examples of people receiving inadequate care across the health network in the 12 months leading to March 31.
One dying man who lived alone was denied help cleaning his cat’s litter box by his local health clinic, a service Dowd says should have been given for “humanitarian reasons.”
Dowd also describes staff at a long-term care home feeding residents “mechanically” and talking among each other — despite health ministry guidelines directing staff to maintain eye contact with residents.
The ombudsperson says his office received a record number of problems to investigate across the province’s public services — 24,867 compared with 22,053 last year.
He says his office investigated 13,358 cases between April 2023 and March of this year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
OTTAWA – French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Canada next week after a planned trip in July was cancelled amid political turmoil in France.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in a statement today that Macron will be in Canada Wednesday and Thursday after the leaders attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
Trudeau will welcome Macron in Ottawa on Wednesday, where they are expected to discuss collaboration on geopolitical issues including their ongoing support for Ukraine.
They are also expected to discuss ways to strengthen the response to emerging threats, such as disinformation.
In Montreal, Trudeau intends to show off the city’s artificial intelligence sector, while both countries reaffirm their commitment to work with counterparts on responsible use of AI.
The leaders will also discuss promoting the French language ahead of the Francophonie summit being held in France next month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Health Canada has authorized Novavax’s updated COVID-19 vaccine that protects against currently circulating variants of the virus.
The protein-based vaccine, called Nuvaxovid, has been reformulated to target the JN.1 subvariant of Omicron.
It will replace the previous version of the vaccine, which targeted the XBB.1.5 subvariant of Omicron.
Health Canada recently asked provinces and territories to get rid of their older COVID-19 vaccines to ensure the most current vaccine will be used during this fall’s respiratory virus season.
Earlier this week, Health Canada approved Moderna’s updated mRNA COVID vaccine.
It is still reviewing Pfizer’s updated mRNA vaccine, with a decision expected soon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version erroneously described the Novavax vaccine as an mRNA shot.
