Support local journalism and develop business models that facilitate private giving and philanthropic support for professional non-profit journalism and local news.

What success looks like

Canadians have access to local journalism that reflects public interest.

Government's narrative on progress

Budget 2019 reaffirmed and clarified three measures to support Canadian journalism that were previously announced in the 2018 Fall Economic Statement, including: enabling registered journalism organizations to receive donations and issue official donation receipts; introducing a new refundable tax credit for eligible newsroom employees; and introducing a new temporary, non-refundable tax credit of 15-per-cent for subscriptions to Canadian digital news media. To preserve the independence of the press, an independent panel will be established to define and promote core journalism standards, define professional journalism, and recommend eligibility criteria for these measures. Once the panel has made its recommendations, a separate independent administrative body will be established to recognize organizations that meet the eligibility criteria established by the panel.

Note: this is the government's own description, not an independent assessment.