Opinion: B.C. says it buys local. It needs to show how much reaches local news

Local journalism helps people understand what is happening where they live. It helps government reach people in rural, smaller, and underserved communities through sources those communities already know, writes Paul Deegan. Adobe stock

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In the B.C. legislature this week, Finance Minister Brenda Bailey said more than 50 per cent of provincial advertising goes to “local media outlets.”

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With the provincial government’s advertising budget exceeding $13 million last year — not including Crown corporation advertising — that sounds like good news.

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But it raises a basic question: What does the province count as local media?

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If more than half of provincial media spending goes to local media, British Columbians should know what that term includes. “Local media” can mean many things. It can include large outdoor advertising, transit ads, and other channels that reach people in a local market.

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Some of those tools have a role in public advertising. But local news media means organizations that employ journalists, produce original local reporting, cover public issues, and serve communities with news people can use and trust.

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For that reason, the province’s broad claim needs more detail.

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Premier David Eby has spoken clearly about the importance of local journalism. In the legislature last fall, he said government advertising should focus on local news media. He has also spoken publicly about the harm caused when local newsrooms shrink or close.

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That concern is well placed.

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Local journalism helps people understand what is happening where they live. It helps government reach people in rural, smaller, and underserved communities through sources those communities already know.

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This is more than support for a sector. It is part of how public information reaches the public. There is a trust premium when advertising appears in credible news environments. A 2024 Plus Company study found that trusted news placements can improve brand affinity and credibility, giving public information a stronger chance of reaching people with confidence.

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A report by Rebuild Local News has also found that advertising set-asides can support local journalism without new spending, because they use dollars government already spends and pay news outlets for a service. They also help public messages reach more residents through community and ethnic publications that people know and trust.

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Other provinces have acted on this point. Ontario directed its four largest government agencies to allocate at least 25 per cent of annual advertising spending to Ontario publishers, and made a similar commitment for its own advertising spending. Manitoba’s All-Party Committee On Local Journalism recommended a minimum 25 per cent set-aside for local journalism, including Crown corporations and agencies.

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B.C. can do the same using the federal Qualified Canadian Journalism Organization criteria. They already define eligible news organizations based on Canadian ownership, original news production, general-interest coverage, and the employment of professional journalists.

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A clear standard would allow government to continue using a mix of advertising channels — and it would also ensure that when government says it supports local news media, public dollars actually reach local newsrooms.