OTTAWA – CBC/Radio-Canada has announced a new five-year strategic plan aimed at expanding its audience, a response to ongoing criticism of the public broadcaster. However, experts express concerns that the plan lacks necessary specifics and may arrive too late to effectively address these issues.
Released earlier this week, the plan focuses on reaching children, youth, newcomers, and “non-users or dissatisfied users” of the service. CBC president Marie-Philippe Bouchard remarked that this new framework includes a stronger emphasis on rural areas and Western Canada, with the intention of increasing local journalistic coverage.
Peter Menzies, a former vice-chair of the CRTC and a former publisher of the Calgary Herald, stated that connecting with the target audience will require more than just enhanced local news coverage. He emphasized the importance of employing a voice that resonates with local communities. “If you’re talking to people in Moose Jaw, you sound like somebody who knows what Moose Jaw is all about,” he explained. Menzies noted that understanding the unique perspectives of these areas is crucial for successful engagement.
Additionally, Menzies pointed out the workforce challenge posed by the frequent turnover of early-career reporters in smaller communities, which can disrupt continuity in local journalism. He insisted that newsroom managers must foster a deeper understanding of their communities to ensure effective transitions and maintain journalistic presence. He also advocated for a decentralization of decision-making from CBC’s Toronto headquarters, arguing that it is challenging for Toronto-based staff to understand the distinct needs and interests of viewers in Western Canada and rural Ontario.
Marsha Barber, a journalism professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, voiced that CBC's greatest challenge will be attracting Canadians who currently do not engage with or feel alienated by its content. Barber suggested that the broadcaster must prioritize incorporating a wide range of diverse opinions and perspectives from across the country to improve its coverage. She reiterated that CBC needs to outline specific methodologies for how it plans to differentiate its current efforts from past initiatives aimed at boosting audience engagement.
Menzies expressed skepticism regarding the timing of CBC’s new plan, suggesting that it may be too late to reclaim lost viewer trust. “Once your connection is broken with people in media, it’s very hard to earn them back,” he warned, indicating the formidable obstacle ahead in rebuilding those relationships.
Despite these challenges, Jessica Johnson, a senior fellow at McGill University’s Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy, remains optimistic that CBC can still engage a wider audience. She highlighted that local and rural journalism could be effectively revitalized simply by establishing a physical presence in those areas. Research conducted by Johnson indicated that more than half of Canadians expressed dissatisfaction with their local news options, and dissatisfaction is particularly pronounced among residents of rural or semi-rural regions.
Johnson observed that CBC’s new strategy comes in the wake of increased political scrutiny, particularly from Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre, who has called for the defunding of the broadcaster. While acknowledging that CBC appears to be recognizing criticisms of its operations, she remarked that the strategic plan is notably ambitious yet remains vague, lacking concrete details on implementation and budget considerations.
Sarah Andrews, senior director of government and media relations at advocacy group Friends of Canadian Media, echoed the sentiment that CBC is responding to recent criticisms. She noted the importance of emphasizing community engagement and suggested that the public broadcaster should clarify its strategies for individual communities. She highlighted CBC’s previous commitment under the Online News Act to hire up to 30 journalists in 22 areas, calling for similar transparent plans regarding the new strategy.
According to the five-year plan, CBC intends to increase coverage by hiring adequate journalists to serve 15 to 20 communities with populations over 50,000, which currently have little to no local CBC presence. Andrews believes that developing a clear timeline for when journalists will be deployed to these underserved areas would encourage communities that feel disconnected from CBC.
This report marks a critical moment for CBC/Radio-Canada as it navigates the landscape of local journalism and audience engagement, underscoring the complexities of re-establishing trust and relevance in a rapidly evolving media environment.
