Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he is not trying to control the media with the various subsidies he has established. Trudeau created a $595 million media bailout for various publications, provides the CBC with an additional $1.3 billion per year and has spent money on subsidies for television stations. “We’re trying to support journalism in this country and across this country, but no government can do it alone,” said Trudeau at a Friday press conference..A reporter started off by saying Bell Media broke its promise to spend money on local journalism, despite receiving $40 million in regulatory relief funding. “What is your view of that company’s layoffs and what is your commitment to future government support with them?” said the reporter. With these layoffs, Trudeau said he is furious. He called it “a garbage decision by a corporation that should know better.” Over the past few years, he said people have observed corporations buy up news outlets who lay off journalists or worsen the quality of their journalism. When people do not watch or engage as much, the corporate entities say they are unprofitable and sell the news outlets off. When corporations lay off journalists, he said it erodes quality journalism and democracy. This is because the ability to tell stories about people’s lives throughout Canada binds them together. Since Canada has a diversity of experiences and geographies, Trudeau said people need local voices. Over the years, he alleged corporations “have abdicated their responsibility toward the communities that they have always made very good profits off of in various ways.” “Canadians need to demand better, as we will be demanding better from corporate leaders like in this case Bell, that are eroding Canadians ability to know each other, to trust each other and to trust in the country and the future we are building together,” he said. “So yeah, I’m pretty pissed about what’s just happened.” Bell said on Thursday journalism is no longer a viable business. READ MORE: UPDATED: Bell Media cuts 4,800 jobs; Eby blasts its ‘crapification’ of small-town mediaThat was how it was describing its latest move to slash 4,800 jobs and sell off 45 of its 103 regional radio stations across Canada. The affected stations are in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. Most employees were notified on Thursday morning, although other positions and contractors will be determined later in the spring.
