Earlier this month, we reported on the Toronto Star’s ownership debacle. The squabble between two owners over different business directives may bring this bastion of Canadian journalism to its demise. This is just one example of how corporate powers are limiting Canadian press freedoms and undermining the public good.
Private interests are snatching up newspapers and dictating which stories are told, which makes it hard to find truthful reporting. The state of the Star shows more than ever that independent journalism is key for democracy.
If you value independent reporting, please support rabble with a donation today or become a monthly donor.
Journalists producing work for the public good
While mainstream media outlets are struggling, there are still independent journalists delivering quality news. One such journalist is Megan Kinch, who recently dove into the labour politics of Canada’s cannabis industry in a special independent media collaboration published on rabble. Kinch’s reporting highlights that cannabis workers are underpaid and that migrant workers lack critical protections in growing operations.
Kinch could do this in-depth labour reporting because she wasn’t restricted by corporate influences sanitizing her journalism. Instead, she was backed by independent, community-funded outlets. These outlets aren’t accountable to CEOs, they’re accountable to people like you.
And Kinch isn’t the only reporter producing critical independent journalism at rabble. We are one of the very few Canadian outlets to have a labour reporter, Gabriela Calugay-Casuga. Calugay-Casuga’s writing brings workers’ and unions’ fights for justice into a national spotlight, including the “legalized slavery” Filipinos face through the Temporary Foreign Workers Program.
For 21 years, rabble has upheld its commitment to telling underreported stories from the labour movement while remaining free from corporate influences. To keep you informed on the newest labour issues that outlets like the Toronto Star won’t cover, we need independent support.
There are many more battles to be won in the fight for decent work for all — and your contributions will ensure these stories are heard. Take action today to stop private companies from meddling in the public good.
Click below to read some of the rabble reporting mentioned above: Support rabble today!
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Whether it be a one-time donation or a small monthly contribution, your support is critical to keep rabble writers producing the work you’ve come to rely on as a part of a healthy media diet.
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Nick Seebruch, editor
1. Filipinos highlight “legalized slavery” during Filipino Heritage Month
2. Sovereignty, labour, and the push for a better cannabis industry
3. The suicide pact that might sink the Toronto Star
