Big crowd for local news forum in Cobourg

There were nearly 200 attendees at the Local News Initiative forum in Cobourg.
Photo by John Bronn.

By John Bronn and Julia Lennips

COBOURG – Citizens from across Northumberland County shared their concerns about the state of local news in the area at the Local News Initiative forum held in Cobourg on Tuesday night.

The event was the second in a series of public forums Loyalist College’s journalism program has held on the state of local news in both Quinte and Northumberland County.

Local news got some good news earlier this year when the federal government promised $50 million over five years to help support independent journalism in underserved communities.

Jane Kelly, the publisher of Watershed Magazine, says that money isn’t enough to cover all of Canada.

“I think the impetus has to come from the local community I don’t think the government is going to be able to give us support to actually allow individual local newspapers,” Kelly also added, “It has to come from the town or the community and it has to be profitable for people.”

Publishing stories about the community is something Kelly values, and she wants to make sure that she can keep telling the stories.

Student Graham Beer says he thinks the money will benefit people in the way they receive news.

He says that funding will benefit outlets if people are willing to look for specific platforms, care about local news, and are willing to put in an effort to go out and read different platforms.

Money is not going to fix all the problems in local news Beer stated.

“I still think there is more steps to making people more knowledgeable by teaching people, viewers, readers and engagers where to look and how to adapt to where news is going,” says Beer.

He says local news is something that is important to the community.

“If they’re involved, they’re wanting to engage, they want to know about why local news is important and I think the people who are here tonight are our community members that care and really want our local news to be truthful and in the best form possible,” Beer added.

Promoting local news or making sure journalists have the tools they need to produce good content are what Beer thinks the government should be doing.

Another member of the audience — a former journalist — says doing long form journalism takes a lot of time and effort. Money is an issue for some people who write content for local news.

“It takes money folks. Everyone loves their pensions I don’t have a lovely pension. I’d love to do more news but I’m sure I’m not going to do more unless you show me the dough,” he said.