QUESNEL: Two tiers, one country — Canada’s ‘two-tier media system’ is undermining trust in journalism

During recent Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage hearings about the state of media in Canada, witnesses and outlets pointed to two urgent realities reshaping the sector: government-funded journalists embedded in conventional newsrooms and the rapid rise of independent outlets. Sheila Gunn-Reid’s testimony for Rebel News crystallized the debate when she warned these developments have produced a “two‑tiered media system,” a split between outlets that rely on public handouts and those that do not.I started my career in community print journalism in the late 1990s. Back then, we expected the internet to supplement print; instead, Google, Facebook, and the migration of classifieds and display advertising gutted print revenue and triggered a creative-destruction collapse of local newsrooms. The federal government stepped in with subsidies and hiring programs to preserve conventional newsgathering capacity.Those lifelines kept many mainstream outlets alive but also created dependence on public funding. Independent outlets — Rebel News, True North, Blacklock’s Reporter, Rabble.ca, The Narwhal, The Tyee, and others — emerged and grew after the collapse. These outlets often align ideologically and operate outside legacy newsroom norms; some blur hard news and opinion and speak directly to constituencies mainstream media ignored.Gunn-Reid’s “two‑tiered media system” matters because it creates both conflicts of interest and the perception of compromised independence. When newsrooms depend on government money, they face incentives to avoid stories that might jeopardize funding, and even the perception that editorial independence has eroded constitutes a conflict of interest. Claiming “editorial independence” does not erase structural bias; mainstream outlets still shape stories through framing and sourcing, and the CBC’s documented editorial blind spots illustrate that reality..Critics, therefore, argue that denying subsidies to outspoken independents while funding legacy outlets looks inconsistent. The debate also maps onto left–right divides: the parliamentary press gallery’s uneven recognition — accepting some outlets such as Rabble.ca, The Narwhal, and The Tyee while denying access to others, such as Rebel — shows how legitimacy and accreditation become politically contested.At the same time, independent outlets have exposed scandals and covered neglected beats, fulfilling the watchdog role by uncovering “system breakdowns” and telling stories institutions prefer to conceal, even when those outlets mix advocacy with reporting.Many media spokespeople define media chiefly by editorial independence, but that framing misses the pre-existing biases that drove the public toward independent alternatives. Editorial independence does not automatically correct bias; it often produces a different slant. I once believed professionalizing journalism through arm’s-length regulatory bodies could reduce bias by holding individuals and organizations accountable, but those institutions can be captured by ideology..The result is a media ecosystem in which public funds risk entrenching certain outlets and practices while other viable journalistic models struggle for support. I recommend governments reconsider direct state subsidies and stop blanket funding that creates entrenched dependence and the appearance of compromised independence. Legislatures should broaden and clarify the legal definition of “media” to include diverse business models and editorial forms so competition and innovation — not legacy privilege — can determine sustainability.Governments and foundations should also encourage market solutions and philanthropic support so outlets can compete to prove sustainable models while nonprofit, cooperative, and community-owned journalism experiments receive incentives. If the public truly wants conventional news reporting, market and philanthropic innovation will allow it to continue and eventually flourish.Gunn-Reid’s “two‑tiered media system” — subsidized outlets versus unsubsidized outlets — captures the central tension. Policy should preserve robust, independent newsgathering without entrenched public dependence or politicized gatekeeping, and should rely more on market discipline and less on government fiat to achieve that goal.Joseph Quesnel is a policy commentator based in Nova Scotia.

QUESNEL: Two tiers, one country — Canada’s ‘two-tier media system’ is undermining trust in journalism

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