Do you know any millennials who watch the National?

Doing a quick straw poll of my immediate friend group, only one of my buddies watches the CBC News flagship newscast. 

Declining viewership is part of the reason why just days ago, CBC announced it would cut 10 percent of its workforce.

It’s the latest chapter in the crisis that has clobbered Canada’s news media for more than a decade.

Bad actors are actively undermining trust in the media, and ad revenues have plummeted as audiences chase more and more engaging content. The result? A steady stream of layoffs and closures has crushed Canada’s newsrooms.

Several major Canadian news outlets have announced cuts or closures this year. Postmedia in January, Global News in March, Bell Media in June, Rogers Communications in October, and Reader’s Digest announced on Wednesday that it would end its Canadian operations.

Why is this happening?

In a word? Competition. And lots of it.

Despite its unique role in our lives, news is a business–even the CBC has to compete with other news outlets for advertising revenue. Established players now face competition from new media outlets like Vice Media, Vox, The Verge–and that’s just the Vs.

But the news media competes with more than just other outlets. That’s because they’re chasing an increasingly scarce commodity–your attention.

We live in an age of seemingly infinite content. Instagram thirst traps, binge-worthy shows on streaming services, YouTubers, podcasts, bloggers–everyone wants your attention. 

It’s all a bit overwhelming. 

Notably, the Canadian government reached a deal with Google Canada to compensate Canadian media $100M per year for the use of their content under Bill C-18.

But while that’s good news for Canadian journalism, it’s nowhere near enough to solve the problem created by lost ad dollars.

Why should your organization care?

Because fewer reporters mean fewer stories. With a few exceptions, it’s no longer possible to just call a news conference or send out a news release and get solid news coverage.

That means that to have your message heard, you’ve got to fill that gap and hire communicators who can generate and distribute credible content.

That’s easier said than done. Organizations need to establish comprehensive communications plans, identify target audiences and create content calendars to plan when and how to reach everyone.

Because fewer reporters mean fewer stories. With a few exceptions, it’s no longer possible to just call a news conference or send out a news release and get solid news coverage.

We’ve started to see this trend among municipal leaders. Municipalities across Ontario are growing their small communications teams to full-blown newsrooms. Their teams support writing, graphic design, photography and videography, issues management, strategy and planning, media relations, public engagement, and even event management.

But even if your communications needs are significant, most organizations can’t afford to have a full-blown communications team on payroll. That’s where it can help to bring in some consultants like us to fill the gap. 

Whether you need help with ongoing tasks or you need some extra firepower to tackle a big project, hiring the right agency to bridge the gap might just do the trick. You don’t need to invest in a full-time team member, and you can keep up with the demand for infinite content.

If your communications team is feeling the pressure, let us help. Contact us today.