The news surrounding the decision of the federal government to stop advertising investments, which was followed by the Quebec government and by municipal governments, in Meta (Facebook and Instagram), was well received by the public, but Nevertheless, if Minister Pablo Rodriguez really wants to improve the Canadian government’s advertising investments, the work has only just begun. So much the better if several levels of government have seen the opportunity to reflect on their advertising expenditures, but the real question is that of their responsibility in the field.
Advertising is seen in politics as a luxury product, a way to promote oneself, to highlight government actions, but in the Canadian media ecosystem, the reality is quite different. Investment in advertising is the responsibility of governments to ensure that messages are delivered to as many citizens as possible, to guarantee equitable access to all, regardless of geographic location, and to invest responsibly in advertising companies. here.
Every dollar invested in a business that does not benefit a community across the country is a step in the wrong direction and misses the mark. In 2022, the radio station FM 103.3 on the South Shore and the Association des radios communautaire du Québec (ARCQ) published two studies showing the correlation between advertising investment within a news media and the growth in the number of articles produced within its organizations.
Whether it be The duty, the Coops de l’information, our community radio stations, the members of Réseau Presse, all the media focusing above all on their mission to inform, investing advertising amounts in its companies, often non-profit, is one of the best ways for governments to create positive economic spinoffs on every dollar injected. Not to mention that in this type of media, where the independence of information workers is respected, democracy is only the better for it. This has not always been the case with Meta, where its role in democracy has often been called into question.
Having access to advertising placement in Quebec community radio stations, I counted the federal government’s advertising investments in the last year. To tell the truth, the calculation was quick to do for some, the amount being $0 since the beginning of the year, and the overall sum for the 37 member radios is around $20,000 since January 2023. We are far from the 11 million that Facebook received annually, or more than $916,000 each month, without necessarily guaranteeing a return on investment. At the ARCQ, 250 employees pay taxes, not to mention the many economic spinoffs in various communities in Quebec.
Hit the right targets
If the federal government does not give itself a directive and a target, we will see the same observation year after year. Nothing is perfect, but the model that Quebec adopted in February 1995, namely to invest a minimum of 4% in community media (including radio, television and print), can inspire the Canadian government. This measure must be updated in Quebec given the transformation of the media over the past 30 years, and the percentage revised upwards in the coming months, especially since the target has rarely been reached. This political directive has spanned decades and successive governments, and has made it possible to measure progress and remind the Government of Quebec of its responsibilities.
Territorial equity remains a primary concern in this area and political stakeholders, regardless of level, must pay more attention to it. Too often, messages that need to be addressed to the regions are only available in a certain type of media. We have even seen campaigns on snowmobile safety, on vacancies during municipal elections or even on hunting not being broadcast in certain markets such as Maniwaki, Amos, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Côte -Nord, Gaspésie and many others, but be accessible several times in urban markets and on Meta platforms.
Let’s face it, people in major centers also snowmobile, hunt and go to vote, but logically, these messages target a regional reality. The least you can do is include them. When government advertising campaigns miss their targets, the taxpayer suffers. If governments set themselves targets, this would also allow them to have better control over the placement selected by advertising agencies. Governments pass campaigns on to agencies who must be accountable and select ad placement fairly and ethically.
The announcement by Minister Rodriguez and his Bloc and New Democrat colleagues may be courageous, but if it stops here, it will not have had the desired result. These measures must be inclusive, not only for the media, but for Canadians. This is no small task, but it is necessary. Moreover, in this matter of advertising investment, this is another way of maintaining democracy, since we are not talking about new spending, but only about a better targeted investment. If the Canadian government really wants to have a positive impact, it will be essential that it act in the coming weeks.