Join us on Thursday November 6 at 10:00 a.m. for an insightful webinar Strengthening Communities by Supporting Local News: A Toolkit for Municipal Leaders, which outlines practical and cost-sensitive actions local officials can take to support local journalism.

This session will highlight how the toolkit encourages municipal leaders to:

• Become informed about the increasingly fragile state of local news in communities across Canada and support one of the essential pillars of a healthy democracy.

• Champion transparency and access to information by ensuring municipal staff appreciate the essential role that local news media and local journalists play in helping local governments function openly, which builds trust with their communities.

• Create media-supportive environments through press-friendly policies, designated media liaisons, and open communication channels.

• Invest in civic infrastructure that helps municipal institutions (eg. libraries) become stronger community media and information centres.

• Foster co-operation between local governments and news outlets to enhance coverage of civic issues and amplify community voices.

• Advocate for policies and practices that protect press freedom and promote sustainable funding models for local news.

Whether you're a mayor, council member, or administrator, this webinar offers practical guidance to help you become a proactive ally of local journalism, an essential pillar of democratic governance and informed communities.

Register now!

SUMA's webinar program is sponsored by SUMAssure. Webinars are free to all SUMA members, there is a fee of $45 + GST and PST for non-members to attend.