Unless you are a magazine publisher, you’ve probably never heard of the Canada Magazine Fund. Administered by Heritage Canada, the CMF was established 24 years ago to “contribute towards the production of high-quality magazines showcasing the diverse work of a wide cross-section of Canadian creators” and to build “capacity to help ensure the continued growth and vitality of the Canadian magazine publishing industry”.
Over the years, the CMF did indeed help many Canadian publications, including small but important arts and issues-oriented magazines.
In 2010, the Conservative government incorporated the funding role of the CMF into the newly created Canadian Periodical Fund (CPF). Concerns were raised about the negative impact the accompanying changes could have on small magazine publishers. However, the remit of the new fund was reassuringly similar: to provide “financial assistance to Canadian print magazines, non-daily newspapers and digital periodicals to enable them to overcome market disadvantages and continue to provide Canadian readers with the content they choose to read”.
The emphasis on the word “they” is mine and made for reasons which will soon be clear.
Watershed Sentinel, BC’s scrappy environmental magazine, is a past and very grateful recipient of financial assistance through the CMF and the now defunct Publications Assistance Program. Last year the magazine applied for CPF funding to improve its on-line services for readers.
In April, editor Delores Broten was informed, in a letter written on behalf of Heritage Minister James Moore, that the application had been rejected. Apparently the magazine did not meet the government’s objective to fund projects which “meet the needs of Canadians”.
I’m curious to know exactly who decides what the needs of Canadians are.
In the past year, Watershed Sentinel has revealed:
Call me crazy, but I think these are things Canadians need to know.
Like science, environmental reporting is not popular with the Harper government. For example, earlier this year, before it shut down for good, the 25-year-old National Roundtable on Energy and Environment produced a final report, “Reflections of Past Leaders of the NREE”. Environment Minister Peter Kent forbade the public posting of the report (a leaked copy of which has been posted by DeSmog Canada) or any of the agency’s previous reports.
In the case of Watershed Sentinel, I’m not saying that what the magazine reports is why Heritage Canada rejected its funding application. But I am wondering.
Miranda Holmes is an associated editor of Watershed Sentinel. Image: Save Ocean Science demonstration near St Andrews Biological Station, New Brunswick © John Gardner and Timothy Foulkes.
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