#LdnOnt local news ain't what it used to be

The state of journalism in London, Ontario, with added cloud-shouting and a list of media outlets

Nostalgia’s a funny thing: one minute you’re complaining about something and the next you’re pining for its return. It’s hard not to be nostalgic, though, for the vibrant local journalism that existed in London just a short time ago. Let’s get misty-eyed. Indulge me.

Hang an onion from your belt now

In my dozen-or-so years in Canada’s London, I’ve seen a great deal of change. During the innocent Before Times, two to three days/evenings per week, I would have been part of a row of journalists at the back of the council chamber: three or four newspaper people (including Chip Martin passing round candy), at least a couple of radio people strutting around with their casual dress codes, perhaps a student from Fanshawe College’s radio station (sad news there) and of course lovely Daryl from CTV. When I sat in on the meeting on Tuesday, it was Daryl with his camera and Jack Moulton from the London Free Press. That was it.

Flashback to Fontana: more media bums on seats back then. Boring in different ways.

This is more than a loss of content for the breakfast table or evening news. The reduced information flow, with fewer perspectives and less competition to push quality standards higher, has an effect on the public discourse. It’s simply not enough for one or two journalists, if any, with limited time and competing tasks, to be the only real source of curated information about the $1 billion-plus organization overseeing so many important aspects of our day-to-day lives. I know there’s a website with resources and a livestream, but that’s raw information, not journalism’s critical, public-interest storytelling. And that’s just one key place: City Hall. There are important stories going untold all over cities like this.

I won’t harp on - but I’ll go to my grave believing that an informed, educated public is essential for a society to function well, and local community journalism is a vital part of that. I look at the education deficit, the gap between rich and poor, and everyone fighting about the latest stupid thing, and I remember my grandmother telling me my education was the chance she never had. I want to tell true stories that matter. Informed community involvement elevates us all.

Journalism isn’t gone, though - it’s simply diminished. Fewer people make a living at it, but it exists, and this is a good chance to draw attention to it. Here’s a list of some local media outlets. Please reply below with any additions you want to suggest, or send me a message one of the million ways you can do that now. sigh

And thank you for subscribing! I had 25 subs on the basis of one post, and I am greatly honoured that so many of you read it. Tell your friends I heard they were all good-lookin’.

Media outlets in London, Ontario

• Let’s start with the super, soaraway London Free Press. Owned by Postmedia, a somewhat unpleasant American company (in my opinion), it does have outstanding, principled local journalists. The Londoner was another newspaper from the same stable, but it recently closed. The Postmedia Network also takes in content from across southern Ontario, from titles such as the Windsor Star, Brantford Expositor, Woodstock Sentinel Review, and many many more.

• Of course, there is CBC London, producing online news, radio and more, and again staffed by awesome folks.

• In business news, I’m a big fan of London Inc., run by Gord Delamont. That’s an actual local biz, y’know. We should support those.

• If you’re on campus, there’s the Western Gazette, which sometimes ventures into relevant London news. The Fanshawe paper has been closed.

• I can’t miss the storied tradition of local company Blackburn Media - still offering MyNewsToday. Check out the podcast by local news veteran Craig Needles. Former owners of the LFP, the Blackburn family always make me think of D.C. Thomson, where I worked for a minute or three.

• Local TV news is also diminished but still exists in the form of Global and CTV. In the world of free Rogers TV, you can find former mayor Matt Brown doing Newsmakers,

• Matt Brown also has a local news podcast, which you can find here.

• In theatre, all the shows in town are covered by TheatreinLondon.ca. Hello to the amazing Peter Janes, who runs it.

• And, recognizing radio, AM980 CFPL is linked with Global News, with local radio content from Mike Stubbs in the afternoons. A lot of other radio stations seem to feature news items between Tragically Hip songs now, but I won’t call that coverage. I also wish people would stop reading out Wikipedia on the radio. waves fist

I know I’m missing some. Help me if you like. I’ll update the list with strong suggestions.

And thanks for reading!

- Mike

The secret of successful journalism is to make your readers so angry they will write half your paper for you.

C.E.M. Joad