The Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA) is quite pleased with the announcement that Premier Doug Ford has directed Ontario’s Crown corporations such as the LCBO, the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and Metrolinx to invest 25 per cent of their advertising spend to Ontario-based news businesses.
After almost 15 years of downward trending non-COVID federal, provincial and municipal government advertising in community newspapers, the government of Ontario deserves great credit for taking action to reverse that trend and to ensure that Ontario’s publishers can continue to produce local news for their readers. This announcement is a recognition of not only the vital role newspapers play in the civic lives of their communities, but of their value as an advertising and messaging platform.
“Advertising in local community newspapers is a proven way to reach engaged Ontarians across the province,” said Colleen Green, OCNA’s president and publisher of the Standard in Port Perry. “Not only does this announcement help ensure the continued creation of local news, but it also serves as a vote of confidence in the effectiveness of advertising in community newspapers."