Dear Expositor friend,
By now you may have heard of Bill C-18, the Online News Act, and Google’s and Meta’s (Facebook and Instagram’s parent company) response to it.
On August 1, Meta announced that all Canadian users, starting now and rolling out within the next few weeks, will no longer be able to view content created by Canadian news outlets, of which The Manitoulin Expositor is one. That means that the stories, photos, columns press releases and more that you would normally receive through Facebook will not be available to you, starting now. You will also not be able to share news stories in links to news items from Canadian media. Google has stated that when the law takes effect, it will remove links to Canadian news from its Search, News and Discover products in Canada and will discontinue offering Google News Showcase in Canada.
The Purpose of the Online News Act, as laid out by the federal government (and which received Royal Assent on June 22, 2023) is, “to regulate digital news intermediaries with a view to enhancing fairness in the Canadian digital news marketplace and contributing to its sustainability, including the sustainability of news businesses in Canada, in both the non-profit and for-profits sectors, including independent local ones.”
It is the government’s belief, and this newspaper’s as well, that good, quality journalism created by trusted reporters and editors, such as the ones found in our newsroom, is paramount to a healthy democracy.
The lay of the land has changed for publications such as ours. The Expositor has the important job of being the keepers of Manitoulin Island history and we like to think we do a pretty good job of it, too. Our reporters cover the width and breadth of this Island, documenting the stories of the interesting people who make Manitoulin their home and the plethora of events that celebrate the land and its people.
Doing that costs money.
To quote from the Online News Act again, “This enactment regulates digital news intermediaries to enhance fairness in the Canadian digital news marketplace and contribute to its sustainability. It establishes a framework through which digital news intermediary operators and news businesses may enter into agreements respecting news content that is made available by digital news intermediaries. The framework takes into account principles of freedom of expression and journalistic independence.”
This means that giants like Meta and Google would have to contribute in some way towards our newsrooms, allowing us to keep up the good work for years to come. Because they don’t agree with this line of thought, they are instead choosing to block our content from you, the reader.
We don’t know what the future will bring in terms of our relationship with Meta and Google, but in the interim they will be blocking you from our content.
So, what can you do?
• Consider purchasing a subscription to The Expositor, either in print, online or both.
(If you purchase a print subscription, you can also receive the paper online for free, as a value-added bonus);
• Pick up a copy of The Expositor each week at your local store/newsdealer;
• Bookmark Manitoulin.com on your home page; and
• Subscribe to our Friday newsletter, and expect to receive additional updates via email as important events unfold
We truly appreciate your support over these 144 years. It’s a privilege to serve this amazing community, and we hope to continue that tradition for many years to come.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me directly at editor@manitoulin.com.
Thank you, Miigwetch,
Alicia McCutcheon, publisher
The Manitoulin Expositor
