Windsor mayor concerned about local media decline
'People are always going to want news,' said St. Clair professor
Mayor Drew Dilkens spoke about the decline of local media on Monday, calling the issue "a big deal."
The comments were made during a council meeting, in response to a motion by Kieran McKenzie to send a letter to Postmedia, asking the company to reconsider the closure the Windsor Star printing plant.
"There just aren't enough people hired by these companies anymore to be able to do a fulsome reporting," said Dilkens.
"It is a very dangerous time for local government," said the mayor. "Because you need the check and the balance of local media."
The motion also asked to copy members of the provincial and federal government on the letter, as well as refer it to the Windsor Public Library and the University of Windsor with correspondence that shows the city's "willingness to preserve the archival material" at the Star printing plant.
There needs to be a change in the medium, says journalism professor
Veronique Mandal, a journalism professor at the St. Clair College MediaPlex, said she's not surprised to see the plant's closure. After all, she said, "it's a business."
"I think local news is absolutely critical for a population," she said. "Unfortunately, the business model for newspapers … just has not worked," said Mandal.
"Until some very innovative people sit down and try to figure out how to make sure that we have a robust local media, I think we're going to continue to be in this slot."
She added one inevitable aspect of the decline is the rise of social media journalism, where independent journalists and other commentators have entered the medium.
"I think podcasting really does seem to be a very growing and robust element right now in the dissemination of information. And I know we have made sure that we've included podcasting in our programs."
For her, a main concern is her students, and where they will work after they graduate, or even as they get internships.
"The more the remaining local outlets can support our students, the more important they're going to become for people like us."
She said St. Clair is revamping its journalism program in September to address this very issue.
Mandal remains hopeful that although the medium is changing, there will always be a need for it.
"People are always going to want news."