The Canadian federal government's latest budget reveals a startling priority: financing a participant for the Eurovision Song Contest takes precedence over addressing the severe collapse of local and multicultural media across the nation.
Multicultural Media Shut Out of Support
For two years, detailed discussions have been held with the Department of Canadian Heritage concerning the failure of independent third-language community television. These programs serve audiences in over 75 languages, including Ukrainian, Punjabi, Mandarin, Farsi, Russian, and Italian. Despite presenting research and proposed solutions to the minister's top advisors, the government maintains that sufficient support already exists, a claim contradicted by the reality on the ground.
The situation is particularly critical in cities like Toronto and Vancouver, where nearly half the population speaks a language other than English or French at home. Yet, these vital third-language community media outlets remain completely excluded from federal support programs.
Local Journalism as a Bulwark Against Disinformation
The decline of local community journalism poses a direct threat to Canadian democracy. An Ipsos study from this year found that 87% of Canadians believe local news is essential for a functioning democracy. When trusted local voices disappear, the information vacuum is rapidly filled by foreign propaganda designed to manipulate diaspora audiences.
Igor Malakhov, the article's author, brings a unique perspective from his journalism training in Moscow in the early 1990s. He states they were taught how to blend truth and manipulation to create believable propaganda. This same formula now powers modern online misinformation, amplified by artificial intelligence and social media algorithms.
The best defense is not another government task force or an AI filter, but robust local journalism with integrity and a deep understanding of the community it serves. Within their communities, anchors for ethnic community TV programs are as recognizable and trusted as Peter Mansbridge once was to English-speaking Canadians.
A Strategic Loss for National Security
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has issued warnings that Canada continues to observe steady, and in some cases increasing, foreign interference activity by state actors. Despite these clear threats, the government is choosing to invest in an international singing competition rather than the journalists who form the front line against disinformation.
If these third-language community programs are allowed to fail, the consequence will extend far beyond cultural loss. Canada would be strategically surrendering the information space of multicultural communities to those eager to weaponize it. Once trust in authentic local voices is lost, no technological solution can restore it.
The need is not only to preserve this sector but to help it transition into a digital and AI-driven future where Canadian voices, in every language, remain trusted, visible, and free.
