The Rise of News Deserts: Local Journalism in Crisis | Big [If True] | Full Episode скачать в хорошем качестве

The Rise of News Deserts: Local Journalism in Crisis | Big [If True] | Full Episode

It's a statement you've heard before - the news industry is in decline. At first glance, looking broadly at the state of news in Canada, that might seem like an exaggeration. But take a closer look at local communities and the crisis starts to reveal itself. This episode of Big [If True] investigates the growing phenomenon of news deserts in Canada—regions where residents have little to no access to reliable local journalism. A report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) shows that local news, including TV and radio stations, have been shuttering across the country. The loss of print news has been particularly bad. Since 2008, there's been an eleven percent net loss of print outlets across the country. All together the loss in TV, radio, and print news means that 2.5 million Canadians have little-to-no access to local news. They are living in communities that some experts call "news deserts." The problem? As the authors of the CCPA report write, "nature abhors a vacuum." So, what fills that vacuum in local communities when reliable news disappears? Big [If True] took a trip to Eganville, Ontario, a community that will be losing its local newspaper in 2026, to find out. Host Molly Thomas speaks with The Eganville Leader's publisher, Gerald Tracey, about the paper. She also speaks with April Lindgren, the principal investigator for the Local News Research Project at Toronto Metropolitan University, and Sonja MacDonald, the co-author of the CCPA report "News Deprivation," about the how and why of the local news decline in Canada - and the problem it's leaving behind. Together, they explore the consequences of losing local journalism in Canada: the erosion of civic engagement, the rise of misinformation, and the loss of community identity. The episode also examines the impact of media consolidation, the digital advertising shift, and the aging ownership of local newsrooms. We hear firsthand how misinformation spreads in the absence of verified reporting, how municipal councils go unscrutinized, and how communities like Eganville and Clarenville are left in the dark. The episode also touches on the effects of Bill C-18, Meta’s news ban, and the growing reliance on social media for news—a trend that further deepens the crisis. 0:00 Rise of News Deserts in Canada 1:10 Meet the Eganville Team 1:36 A Family Legacy and Health Realities 2:28 The Cost of Losing Local News 3:50 Misinformation vs. Verified Reporting 5:01 The Community’s Reaction 6:48 National Trends and Research 8:57 Media Consolidation and Digital Shift 10:58 Aging Ownership and Lack of Succession 12:47 Social Media Isn’t a Replacement 14:40 The Impact on Small Communities 16:58 Clarenville and the Bonavista Peninsula 18:45 The Role of Local Journalism in Elections 20:23 Preserving History and Saying Goodbye 22:51 Why News Still Matters About Big [If True] Big [If True] tackles the rising threat of misinformation and disinformation. Hosted by award-winning journalist Molly Thomas, this bold, new show uncovers why we fall for falsehoods and how to fight back. Unpacking misinformation, scams and internet culture stories from all over the world, every week. Stay tuned for more Reality Check segments to keep you informed and in the know!    • Reality Check   Dive into the facts with Deep Dive - short explainers on the misleading narratives that (might) shape our everyday lives.    • Deep Dive   See 1-on-1 conversations between experts and insiders who uncover the real stories behind the headlines on Truth Talks.    • Truth Talks   Big [If True] Panel Discussions! Experts discuss misinformation, disinformation, scams, hoaxes, and conspiracy theories and explore why they spread so easily.    • Panel Discussions   Learn how journalists uncover and debunk bad information online—and get tips on how to protect yourself in our “Wait, What?” segments.    • Wait, What?   Follow us on Instagram:   / bigiftruetvo   Subscribe to TVO Today on YouTube:    / @tvotoday   See full episodes of Big [If True] on TVO: https://www.tvo.org/big-if-true Subscribe to TVO Media Education Group newsletters: https://www.tvo.org/newsletters Get the TVO Today app:   App Store: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/tvo-tod... Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/de... #NewsDeserts #BigIfTrue #FullEpisode