The death of local news by the numbers
Further to my two previous posts today I was saw a link on Twitter today that just happened to contain the following graph showing media usage trends over the past three years.
Look out local. The news is no more good when looking at the numbers.
Did You Know 3.0
Time to get your stuff together and get organized. Or the world is going to leave you behind. And very probably me and my family and my friends and my friends friends.
This is a great video showing how quickly the world around us has changed – and will continue to change. Are you prepared for that much change that quickly?
If you feel overwhelmed by everything going on in the world right now the answer is probably “no”.
The oncoming death of local news
Also available on the Calgary Herald’s Q.
This article by James Warren proves to be a very interesting read for those of us that like to complain there is so little local arts coverage in the Herald or Sun. (Or even those that like to complain there is not enough local coverage period.)
Newspapers are slowly dying because people are getting their news from the internet whether we like it or not. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? It’s what I do. I read all my news online for free, usually via RSS; that’s how I find out what is going on – and quickly. Am I part of the problem? Is it the paper’s fault for having an outdated business model?
Maybe. Either way, it’s a reality. It’s happening and it’s going to keep getting worse.
But the big question that has been plaguing me for months is: What does this mean for local content?
Sure the Herald and Sun are trying to save their papers and cut costs, but the only way to do that is to centralize more of their work and streamline. The Calgary Sun for example had already moved the responsibility for the layout of the paper to Toronto. Recently the Edmonton Sun replaced their editor-in-chief with the editor-in-chief of the Calgary Sun, who is now doing double duty. We in the arts already are aware of the trials of getting an article into the one of the papers. Celeb focused stories straight off the news wire are always going to be less expensive than employing a flesh and blood writer to research and write specifically for that papers audience. The Herald only has two writers who have to write 365 days worth of performing arts articles. The Sun doesn’t even really have an Entrainment section – showbiz news/movie Friday hardly counts.
Even hyper-local weeklies are being hit. FFWD in Calgary has gotten thinner and thinner and I’ve been told in the past by a former editor the number of arts stories published all depends on how many pages of advertising are sold. I lost count of the number of stories in a year that they went through the trouble of sending a writer to an interview only to never actually publish the article because there was no room in that week’s paper. And in a world of instant news it certainly isn’t timely enough to leave for another week when the demands were equally as tight.
Yahoo News, CNN and others (including AP and Reuters) can produce content at a fraction of the price a local paper can because they can sell it to many papers or have readers from across the country read the articles. But does anyone other than a Calgarian care about a puppet festival going on downtown? How will that news ever make it to the front page of CNN? It won’t.
How do we fix this? How will we stay connected to local events once the local papers die? Are bloggers the right group to pick up the baton and make it all accessible?
And yes I’m aware of the irony I read this Atlantic article online after someone on Twitter pointing it out to me, and no I don’t anticipate buying a hard copy. I am the future – deal with me! (Seriously, how do we deal with people like me? We have to find a way.)
Okay, everybody look like you’re working for the camera!
When I saw this image flash across my screen last night while watching CBC’s The National (had to hear what the At Issue panel had to say) I damn near laughed myself off the couch.
Forget about the budget for a second, why the need for this lame-o photo op? Did someone in the Conservative communications nerve centre actually think this would be viewed in any manner other than as crass political posturing? Did they actually think even one single Canadian would believe that after proroguing Parliament for two months the Conservatives in the room did no work what-so-ever until the very morning of the budget announcement, when they suddenly convened in front of the cameras, took off their jackets and finally got to work. (Some Canadians might believe they finally got to work congratulating themselves, but that’s about as far as I can imagine anyone going.)
The image is a laugher because it works SO hard at turning over the big Harper stereotype that he is a lone wolf, muzzling MPs rather than working with them. The thing that really made me chuckle after the initial shock was Peter Mansbridge revealing that before the ministers came in the room the government press people handed out a seating chart saying who each of these people are and where they were sitting!
That’s right. They’ve been in the shadows for so long the press might not even know who they are. (I wonder where that stereotype comes from…)
At least they are out of the shadows now – hopefully to actually get down to work. Rather than just for a photo op that makes them look like they are working.
(photo h/t AGRDT)
PS – Maybe Harper should go play with a football like Stanfield or play street hockey like Dion. Somehow I feel those photo ops gone wrong were almost less embarassing.
Arts and Culture promises in the Federal Budget
Want to know what the new Federal budget has to say about Arts and Culture? Here’s it is in their words.
My take? Sounds pretty good, but its awfully short on details – as these things are wont to be.
Culture and SportCulture reflects who we are as a nation, how we see ourselves within our country, and how we appear to the world. Day-to-day, Canadians experience the essence of this rich and diverse country through the imagery and words of its artists, through works which demonstrate the best of talent. While resilient in many ways, the cultural sector is plainly also vulnerable to economic shocks. The Government wants to help ensure as much stability as possible for the sector at a time when the sector is facing difficult challenges.
Budget 2009 provides over $335 million in support for culture and the arts—recognizing the importance of our artistic institutions and the role they play in Canadians’ lives.
Cultural Infrastructure
The Government recognizes the importance of economic stimulus through infrastructure investments in a number of targeted sectors, and the cultural sector is no exception.
As part of the overall stimulus package, Budget 2009 will provide a targeted, two-year fund of $60 million to support infrastructure-related costs for local and community cultural and heritage institutions such as local theatres, small museums, and libraries. Examples include the Toronto Public Library revitalization project, Toronto’s Famous PEOPLE Players, la Maison du Festival de Jazz in Montréal and the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown. This support will be provided through Canadian Heritage programming.
Canada Prizes for the Arts and Creativity
The Canada Prizes for the Arts and Creativity will bring the world’s best new artists from a vast array of art forms to Canada to compete for the title of most promising new artist and for significant cash awards. These artists will be publicly adjudicated by a distinguished panel of established artists in each discipline. To add a dynamic social value to the project, Canada Prizes will also develop media-based curriculum guides for schools across Canada to enhance knowledge about the arts.
Budget 2009 will provide $25 million for an endowment to support the creation of international awards to recognize excellence in dance, music, art and dramatic arts.
National Arts Training Contribution ProgramBudget 2009 will provide an additional $20 million over the next two years and $13 million per year thereafter to the National Arts Training Contribution Program, which supports the highest calibre artistic institutions in Canada in training artists for professional careers. This funding will help ensure that training opportunities for Canada’s next generation of artists will continue through many of Canada’s top institutions such as the National Ballet School, the Royal Conservatory of Music, the Banff Centre and the École nationale du cirque.
Community Newspapers and Magazines
Canadians continue to look to local magazines and publications to see reflections of themselves and their communities. Budget 2009 will continue this tradition by providing $30 million over the next two years to support continued access to Canadian magazines and community newspapers.
Specifically, funding will contribute to a revitalized, streamlined program that provides aid to publishers. It will also contribute to diverse Canadian content by supporting business innovation for print and online magazines, in an ever-changing industry. This support will help ensure that Canadians in all parts of the country have affordable and reliable access to Canadian culture.
Canada New Media Fund
The Canada New Media Fund, administered by Canadian Heritage, encourages the production of Canadian interactive digital cultural content, and fosters the development, production, and marketing/distribution of original, interactive or online Canadian cultural new media works.
In recognition of the contribution of new media to Canadian culture, Budget 2009 confirms funding of $28.6 million over the next two years to the Canada New Media Fund, and $14.3 million annually thereafter.
Canadian Television Fund
Recognizing the importance of the production and broadcasting of high-quality, distinctively Canadian television programs, Budget 2009 provides the Canadian Television Fund with $200 million in funding over the next two years.
Sport
All Canadians are proud that the 2010 Winter Olympic Games will be hosted in Vancouver and Whistler. To date, the Government of Canada has provided significant financial support to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games by investing over $650 million toward the event. The Government has also made significant investments in support of excellence, enhancing summer and winter Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
The Government also recognizes the importance of sports participation by Canadians with an intellectual disability. In recognition of their work, funding for Special Olympics Canada will be increased to $1.5 million for 2009–10.
Tourism
The tourism industry encompasses many service sectors and is an important source of employment in many regions of Canada. While the Canadian tourism industry remains strong, it is facing key challenges due to the international economic downturn and competition from other destinations. To stimulate the growth of tourism and help bring Canada to the forefront of the minds of travellers, both here and abroad, Budget 2009 provides:
- $40 million to the Canadian Tourism Commission over two years, including $20 million for domestic advertising and $20 million for new activities in priority international markets. This funding will support additional promotional activities, such as for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
- $100 million over two years for marquee festivals and events such as jazz and other music festivals that draw a significant number of tourists.
An additional $12 million per year in 2011–12 and 2012–13 is being provided to support the development of infrastructure that will promote cruise ship tourism along the Saint Lawrence and Saguenay Rivers for attractions such as the Centre d’expérience glaciaire in Baie-Comeau.
National parks and historic sites contribute to tourism in 465 communities in every province and territory through direct spending, visitor spending and spin-off economic activity. Budget 2009 provides $75 million on a cash basis over two years for improvements and enhancements to Parks Canada’s visitor facilities, such as campgrounds and visitor centres.
Budget 2009 also provides an additional $75 million on a cash basis to Parks Canada for upgrades to national historic sites, including a number of sites connected with the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, as well as for national historic places owned by not-for-profit groups that receive support through Parks Canada’s National Historic Sites Cost-Sharing Program.
The Government currently supports the tourism sector through a number of programs and services. There is a need and opportunity to bring greater coherence to these activities. To improve the effectiveness of the Government’s support in this area, the Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism, will lead the development of a National Tourism Strategy that will guide future investments.
| 2008–09 | 2009–10 | 2010–11 | Total | ||
| Culture and sport | |||||
| Cultural infrastructure | 30 | 30 | 60 | ||
| Canada Prizes for the Arts and Creativity | 25 | 25 | |||
| National Arts Training Contribution Program | 7 | 13 | 20 | ||
| Community newspapers and magazines | 15 | 15 | 30 | ||
| Canadian Television Fund | 100 | 100 | 200 | ||
| Tourism | |||||
| Canadian Tourism Commission | 20 | 20 | 40 | ||
| Marquee Festivals | 50 | 50 | 100 | ||
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