(Photo 2M.Media)
Monday, February 3, 2025 – Opinion letter
The media landscape is going through a major crisis, and regional news is one of the first victims across Quebec. For more than a decade, web giants such as Google, Amazon, Facebook and Netflix have been jeopardizing regional information by monopolizing a large share of advertising budgets. Yet local media play a crucial role as guardians of local information, essential to democracy.
We are witnessing a rise in cynicism, a drop in citizen participation and a decline in trust in governments. At a time when misinformation is circulating rapidly on social media, it is more important than ever to recognize the fundamental role of local media for democratic vitality. Despite the difficulties, these media remain a vital source of information for many people.
Laval in Montreal's media shadow
Laval is no exception to this information crisis. While Montreal, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Gatineau and Trois-Rivières benefit from national media coverage of local news, Laval often finds itself in the shadows. With only a handful of local media outlets, Laval's few journalists work hard to keep the population informed. News from Laval is too often ignored by the major national media, which focus on Montreal.
Local media play a vital role in a democratic society, whether in the form of printed newspapers, neighborhood newsletters, local radio or community television. They are an important bulwark against the drift and manipulation of public opinion, covering essential local issues such as municipal politics, land-use planning, infrastructure, the environment, sports, recreation, community activities and neighborhood life.
The threat of local media abandonment
The public notices that governments are required to publish in the local media are an important source of revenue for them. Abandoning these media in favor of the Internet and the screen at the entrance to city hall would be a major blow to the local press. The disappearance of local media would contribute to the population's disinterest and the erosion of municipal democracy.
Cities and other levels of government are facing budget constraints. In Laval, despite strong growth in tax revenues, debt-related expenses are skyrocketing as a result of major projects such as the Complexe aquatique, the Grande Bibliothèque and the Municipal Court, as well as the increase in communication expenses, which have been rising sharply over the past 2 years. It's tempting to cut back on the purchase of traditional advertising space or public notices, but this immediate saving comes at a cost: by reducing funding for local media, we jeopardize the quantity and quality of information available to the population.
We need to keep this local information ecosystem alive, where the political, sporting, community and business worlds effectively reach out to the population.
That's why, on Tuesday, February 4, we will be voting against draft by-law L-13186 proposed by Laval Mayor Stéphane Boyer's team, the purpose of which is to exempt Laval from the obligation to communicate all public notices." by insertion in a newspaper circulated in the municipality ". This article 345 of the Cities and Towns Act has been in force since 1964. Eliminating this requirement would be a fatal blow to local information and to our fragile municipal democracy.
Claude Larochelle, Fabreville municipal councillor and interim leader of Parti Laval
Louise Lortie, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin city councillor
Opposition members of the Laval City Council.