It was a “garbage decision.” That’s how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described Bell Media’s recent announcement that it was laying off nine per cent of its workforce, selling nearly half of its regional radio stations, and eliminating many of its newscasts.
I didn’t like the announcement either. Giant corporations such as Bell have made a mess of journalism. There’s no question that their decisions over the years to systematically cut back on local newsrooms has led to a decline in the quality of news coverage, which of course leads to people cancelling their subscriptions and to companies pulling their ads. And the downward spiral continues.
