RSF concerned by "largest closure of newspapers on single day in Canadian history"
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is concerned by the deal between Canada’s two largest newspaper publishers, Postmedia and Torstar, which have decided to swap more than forty local newspapers with each other, and subsequently shut down most of these newly acquired newspapers in regions where they compete with other existing publications.
“By shutting down more than forty independent newspapers, this development will cause an enormous shift in news coverage in Canada and seriously compromise media pluralism,” said Margaux Ewen, RSF North America Executive Director. “This deal leaves three small cities without a daily newspaper, and more communities without weekly papers. At a time where press freedom in Canada is under threat, it is imperative that independent and diverse news sources remain alive and active and that Canada’s citizens have adequate access to a plurality of coverage.”