Canadian Heritage extends Local Journalism Initiative through 2027

By Connie Thiessen Canadian Heritage has announced $58.8 million in funding to extend the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) through 2027. Initially launched in 2019 as a five-year, $50 million program, the initiative provides annual funding for more than 400 journalist positions across the country, with a focus on creating original local journalism in underserved communities. Content produced under the LJI is made available to media organizations through a Creative Commons licence. Friday’s funding announcement brings total support for the initiative to $128.8 million over eight years. In 2022-23 alone, LJI journalists covered issues and stories in nearly 1,500 communities, including...