Nearly 80 Canadian news outlets have closed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 despite the federal government previously introducing $595 million in media subsidies intended to support the sector, according to an internal briefing note. “Since the beginning of the pandemic 78 news outlets closed including 65 community newspapers,” said a briefing…

A federal report issued by Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez’s department says that a large number of Canadians have expressed a desire for Ottawa to implement “stronger legislation” to regulate internet content and combat “online harm.” The report, titled “What We Heard: 2022 Roundtables on Online Safety,” summarized 19 in-person and virtual roundtable discussions held in…

The Liberal government will be introducing its long-awaited bill aimed at targeting online hate speech and misinformation by this fall at the latest, says Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez. Rodriguez told MPs on the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on May 29 that his department will be “coming up with something very shortly”…

A large majority of Canadians voiced concerns over Ottawa’s proposed “online harms” legislation, but this information was not included in the government’s report summarizing the results of the consultation, according to Canadian lawyer and academic Michael Geist. Ninety percent of Canadians who responded to a previous federal public consultation seeking feedback on Ottawa’s proposed “online harms” legislation…

The federal government says it is designing a new “regulatory structure” that could include a commission tasked with enforcing social media platforms to specifically target “harmful content” online. Cabinet said in its response to a recommendation tabled last month by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs that it is exploring legislative changes that…

The Heritage Department says that museums are “colonial institutions” that need to re-focus on issues such as climate change and “diversity and inclusion” to address withering interest. The department released a paper on March 14 to guide public consultations on the renewal of the Canadian Museum Policy that was last updated in 1990, as flagged…

The telecommunications consultant who originally exposed antisemitic Twitter posts by former federal contractor Laith Marouf has told the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage that knowledge of Marouf’s conduct was well-known throughout the federal government prior to funding being pulled, but action on the matter was not taken until media reported on it….

The Department of Canadian Heritage says it conducted a “comprehensive assessment” prior to awarding a contract to a now-defunded firm that employed a consultant later found to have posted numerous antisemitic remarks online. Montreal-based consultancy firm Community Media Advocacy Centre (CMAC) was approved for funding “following a comprehensive assessment including both regional and national committees,”…

A federal department will hire a number of Canadian indigenous advisors to help rewrite Canada’s 1990 museum policy for the purpose of promoting “equity, diversity and inclusion,” according to a report. “Recognizing the unique challenges and perspectives of Indigenous peoples in relation to their heritage and the historically colonial museum sector, this contract seeks to…

The Department of Canadian Heritage bought over $300,000 worth of maple leaf pins made in China, according to records presented in the House of Commons, despite MPs condemning the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for genocide last year. According to a House “Inquiry of Ministry” obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter, the department has spent exactly $344,513 over the past…