It’s a new start for ProjetJ. After more than four years of inactivity due to a lack of funds, the independent observatory of Quebec journalism will come back to life next month.
“Journalists are poorly shod shoemakers. For several years there has been a lack of information on the journalism and media community in Quebec, [alors que] it is a constantly changing industry. […] It is not normal not to have an observatory to talk about the issues of the moment and to project into the future. The vitality of journalism in Quebec is at stake, ”explains Patrick White, professor at UQAM’s Media School, who had the idea of relaunching ProjetJ.
After knocking on the doors of several institutions over the past year, he managed to convince three of them to join the project by helping to fund it. They are Radio-Canada, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the National Federation of Communications and Culture (FNCC-CSN). “Radio-Canada is committed for one year; the others for three years ”, rejoices Mr. White, who assures us that they will not intervene in the content and that ProjetJ will keep all its independence.
For the moment, the funds raised ($ 27,000 for the first year) do not allow the full-time or part-time hiring of a team as was previously the case. Instead, the news and analysis platform will be powered by freelancers. Patrick White and three other professors from UQAM’s Media School – Chantal Francœur, Jean-Hugues Roy and Kathleen Lévesque – will form the new editing committee. They will be responsible for finding collaborators, proofreading and correcting the articles submitted, as well as establishing an editorial line.
For several years there has been a lack of information on the journalism and media community in Quebec, [alors que] it is a constantly changing industry. […] It is not normal not to have an observatory to talk about the issues of the moment and to project into the future. The vitality of journalism in Quebec is at stake.
The drafting of the first articles is already underway, and their publication is scheduled for early November. They will be hosted on the website of the observatory’s English-speaking counterpart, JSource, which has remained active in recent years.
On the program: disinformation, propaganda in Canadian media, influence of artificial intelligence, lack of manpower, new initiatives. “There is a lot to say about the industry,” insists Patrick White.
Difficult course
Since its creation in 2007, ProjetJ’s survival has often been put to the test. The media which analyzes the media has thus not escaped the crisis which is hitting the community.
Long funded by the Foundation for Canadian Journalism, a non-profit organization created in 1990, ProjetJ had to seek funds on its own since 2013 in order to cover its deficits. Year after year, however, the fundraising campaigns had not achieved the expected objectives, forcing ProjetJ to reduce its expenses and therefore to reduce its offer.
In May 2017, the observatory team realized that it was obvious and ended its activities.
ProjetJ is aimed at students and citizens interested in journalism, but above all at information workers keen to learn about the evolution of their own environment. “I dare to hope that other organizations will embark in the coming years to keep the observatory alive as long as possible”, concludes Patrick White, optimistic.