Transforming the Media Landscape: the Indiegraf Update with Erin Millar

Erin Millar, CEO of Indigraf and founder of The Discourse (CA 2017) has been working to support local and independent journalism for over a decade. She’s been an active participant in finding ways to ensure that all communities have access to accurate information and see themselves reflected in their stories.

In the wake of the Online News Act of 2023, Google signed an agreement with the Canadian government to distribute $100 million per year to support the Canadian journalism and news media ecosystem.

Erin and a group of other independent journalism leaders came together to found the Canadian Journalism Collective (CJC), which has been selected to distribute the funding to news organizations across Canada, large and small. Finding new models to support local journalism is so critical at this time.

Questions: Coralus (hi@coralus.world)

Research shows that people who live in communities without access to reliable local news are less likely to vote, volunteer, run for office, or even trust their neighbours. Infectious disease spreads faster in these communities. Their governments are more likely to be corrupt. They are more vulnerable to disinformation. News poverty is a form of political disenfranchisement.

With today’s rise of political polarization, increases in hate speech and shifts towards authoritarian politics, this problem is more pressing than ever.

Join us for a conversation with Erin to hear about this transformative shift in Canadian journalism, the challenges the CJC has come up against, and explore some exciting possibilities.