Manitoba’s NDP government is forming an all‑party legislature committee to chart a future for local journalism and is signalling that public subsidies, similar to Ottawa’s financial support of the news media, could be part of the plan.Government house leader Nahanni Fontaine said the committee will travel the province to hear how shrinking newsrooms and shuttered outlets are hurting communities. St. Boniface MLA Robert Loiselle will chair the group, which is expected to report back later this year.“When a community loses its newspaper, radio station, or TV station, we miss out on those local stories and the sense of community they create,” said Loiselle. “Our government is creating this committee because we believe keeping local and cultural journalism alive is important to all Manitobans.”The panel’s mandate covers rural and northern outlets as well as cultural publications in French, Filipino, Punjabi, and Chinese. .Members will study whether provincial tax credits or direct grants, mirroring the federal Local Journalism Initiative and labour tax credits, can help struggling news organizations.Golden West Broadcasting Chief Executive Elmer Hildebrand welcomed the review, pointing out that most rural papers have vanished and no local TV stations remain outside Winnipeg. “Communications have seen a dramatic change over the past few decades. There used to be a handful of news sources and now there are hundreds,” said Hildebrand. “In Manitoba, especially in rural areas, there are no local television stations and most newspapers have disappeared. The only source of local news in these areas comes from local radio stations. Local journalism is very much in danger of totally disappearing, as has already happened in some parts of Canada, so I welcome this consultation.”Public hearings and written submissions will run through the summer. Fontaine said the government wants recommendations in time for the 2026 budget, but said any new spending would require unanimous committee backing.
