COVID-19 Media Impact Map for Canada: Update Oct. 22
As of Oct. 22:
51 outlets have temporarily or permanently closed. Of these, 48 are community newspapers.
46 outlets — 30 community papers, 12 daily papers and 4 magazines — have cancelled some or all print editions.
141 outlets have reported layoffs or job losses. 15 companies with multiple media holdings also reported layoffs or job losses, but have not provided details about which outlets are affected.
2,553 editorial and non-editorial jobs have been cut permanently or temporarily.
810 permanent job losses have been confirmed to date. The status of many layoffs remains unclear. In some cases, employees have been rehired, in other cases it is not known whether layoffs are permanent or temporary.
The COVID-19 Media Impact Map for Canada captures the pandemic’s effects on labour and services across the media industry.
As reopening progressed across the country this summer, working conditions surrounding COVID-19 began to shift, with some broadcasts resuming and temporary layoffs ending. In other cases, “temporary” cuts or closings have become permanent.
We will update incident reports and the information box associated with map markers to reflect those changes as we are made aware of positions, hours and services being restored.
This update includes 37 new markers, some that represent changes that have taken place since Aug. 14 and others for newly verified impacts from earlier in the pandemic.
Notable developments
CBC
CBC announced on Oct. 7 that it is cutting about 130 jobs across English-language services from five locations across the country by the end of 2020, mostly positions in Toronto. About 60 employees will be laid off from multiple divisions, while other positions will be cut through attrition and unfilled vacancies. Affected employees include 40 unionized members of the Canadian Media Guild from five locations, 11 unionized employees affiliated with the Association of Professionals and Supervisors and 10 managerial positions. Fifty-eight positions from news, current affairs and local news will be impacted, including 19 layoffs.
Manitoba
Four Glacier Media community papers in Manitoba — Reston Recorder, Melita New Era, Souris Plaindealer and Deloraine Times & Star — were permanently closed in September. These losses are in addition to eight community newspapers in Manitoba that were shuttered in by Postmedia in April.
Journal de Québec
Fourteen full- and part-time employees were permanently laid off in September, including photographers, graphic designers, statistics technicians, archives technicians and three journalists.
Great West Newspapers
Great West Newspapers announced earlier this fall that approximately 30 temporary layoffs have become permanent, representing about 15 per cent of the workforce. The total includes seven newsroom layoffs (proofreading, photographers and sports). Between the end of March and beginning of April, the company stopped publishing individual print editions of 10 community newspapers in Alberta, merging the papers’ local content into three regional print and digital editions.
The COVID-19 Media Impact Map for Canada is a project of J-Source, the Local News Research Project at Ryerson’s School of Journalism, and the Canadian Association of Journalists. Cuts sourced through news reports, company statements and our own reporting have been used to create each marker. For large companies, in many cases it is not clear from the information available which divisions, publications or programs have been affected so we have mapped the changes to the head office location and the specific outlets where there is known impact. As a result, the number of news organizations affected by COVID-19 are underrepresented on the map. For fact sheets that summarize the latest map information and to access our data spreadsheets, visit the LNRP’s website.
The project team is verifying tips of additional impacts on an ongoing basis. Confirmed reports will be reflected in subsequent updates. If you’re aware of a new cut or have additional knowledge of a previous one, get in touch at info@j-source.ca or fill out the form COVID-19: Impacts on media in Canada.