In a recent article (Will Changes at American News Divisions Mean Anything in Canada?) for this publication, changes at top American news sources, like CBS News, elicited questions about shifts coming to Canadian news operations. Could our mainstream services retreat to a more traditional place of objective reporting? Would they drop their activist journalism and set aside what appears to be partisan advocacy? Obviously, there are many, especially those on the left side of the spectrum or those working for mainstream news divisions, who would challenge the premises posed. In contrast, about half of the Canadian public believes that news reporting leans toward progressive ideologies, which are heavily subsidized by the government. This allows these companies or agencies to pretend objectivity while favouring one side over another.
Writing for The Hub, Dave Snow reported the following near the end of the federal election in April: “The pace with which Canada subsidized its news media is staggering, with a recent report estimating the federal government will spend $325 million in 2024-25 between the Canada Media Fund ($154.1 million), the Canada Periodical Fund ($86.5 million), the Canadian Journalism Labour Tax Credit ($65 million), and Local Journalism Initiative ($19.6 million). Between the various media support programs and funding, the federal government is spending over $1.7 billion annually subsidising journalism and media. That’s more than the $1.4 billion it will spend annually on the Canada Disability Benefit—and more than it plans to spend over the first five years of its National Pharmacare Plan combined.”
HOW DOES THE BIAS OCCUR?
The level of favouritism varies from one source to another and comes in different forms. Mainstream media do not always present misrepresentations, lies, or factually inaccurate information. They choose to pretend neutrality but reveal their preferences with omissions, additions, or outright fabrications. Slanted or nuanced reporting can be hard to detect. Questions asked can provide a friendly forum for one political leader and a hostile one for another. Editors can also choose to leave information unreported or add qualifiers that create a false context. If not for our friends in the alternative media, we would often miss the examples or not even be aware of them. Government financial support has the most significant effect on the dissemination of news within Canada.
Our national broadcaster and the larger networks’ dependence on funding decreases the effectiveness of their service. Private companies certainly have the right to operate in the free market and take stances on specific issues if they choose to. Once they accept federal cash, they become responsible to all taxpayers and should offer varied perspectives and impartial journalism. Too often, we have clips of news personalities sounding like Liberal Party echo chambers. The cheerleading for Carney in the 2025 federal election may have surpassed the patently predisposed preference that many in our press gallery felt for Justin Trudeau in 2015, all because U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Canadian sovereignty. Or that was what our dominant media told us on repeated occasions throughout the campaign, hoping that would help Carney. Until the subsidies end, news divisions, like government workers, will side with their sugar daddies and keep collecting cash with a nudge and wink.
ALTERNATIVES
For the reasons above, I would recommend to the reader some excellent alternatives to the left-wing sources that most Canadians rely on for news and information. Most of these lesser-known sites receive zero dollars, but even those that do provide a different perspective, one badly needed in the Canadian market.
SUN NEWS
The Sun produces a variety of videos that anyone can subscribe to. Brian Lilley, Adrienne Batra, Lorrie Goldstein, and Warren Kinsella often meet up on Zoom and discuss topics related to Ontario, Canada, or the world. You can count on a lively discussion that includes Canadian interests but avoids the usual Trump derangement that often clutters discussions. Kinsella, a former Liberal operative, has become a voice of reason about Israel, and none of these journalists are afraid to take on the protected grounds of political correctness. They speak with insight, provide researched facts, and run circles around their counterparts on most mainstream political shows.
NORTHERN PERSPECTIVE
Host Ryan Davies and his wife Tanya offer a cerebral and calm reporting of news developments that the corporate media under-report or hide. The hosts do not overdress or try to look glamorous; they attempt to inform the viewer of a summary of information that has been ignored because it does not align with the elite narrative. The ruling about former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s overreach in the trucker convoy case provides a recent example. Davies and his wife revisited the unprecedented measures applied to Canadians and the trampling of freedoms. If only for this reason, Canadians deserve to hear how other sources see these matters. Instead, national reporters feed Canadians what they should think, diminishing important content that challenges the statist outlook the journalist-class prefers.
THE NATIONAL TELEGRAPH – WYATT CLAYPOOL
Claypool posts YouTube videos regularly and provides a masterclass in breaking down polls, news developments, or rumours circulating on Parliament Hill, especially related to the Conservative Party. Using his whiteboard and markers, he pulls apart numbers, gives analysis, and churns out witty commentary. Claypool’s following has been growing. His prodigious supply of material gives those of us on the right a stockpile of facts and figures to use in any political debate. His ground-level experience in campaigns includes daily jabs at the national media and their efforts to collaborate with government messaging.
JUNO NEWS (TRUE NORTH)
Under the leadership of Candace Malcolm, Juno News (True North rebranded) flourishes in the conservative political sphere. A former spokesperson for Jason Kenney (former premier of Alberta), Malcolm uses this forum to skew liberal talking points, emphasize free market solutions, and push back against the usual left-wing media bias. A YouTube program as well, Juno has been growing in popularity over the past year.
NEWS SOURCES
The Hub, The Epoch News, Substack and our own The Niagara Independent provide a voice that deserves to be heard in Canada. While the mainline papers offer a broad range of news coverage, the American stories they headline often originate with larger entities in the United States. The alternative companies listed here hire their own columnists who punch above their weight, delivering information with old-school ethics. Acknowledging their political leanings, they share their experiences, drawing on evidence-based data for their conclusions. In addition, there are youthful podcasters and YouTubers (such as Jasmin Laine) who are finding audiences on new media. Give these outlets a look if you seek fresh Canadian perspectives and something beyond processed news.
All these productions face the usual hurdles of gaining press access to debates or other political events. Canadian conservatives have to fight to be heard. Established media outlets’ privileges hinder new media from gaining a foothold. Old media outlets do not deserve government financial support. Fair competition should exist. Until then, readers seeking a more balanced news source can find help in this short listing of sites. To move beyond the Laurentian elites, who only want to protect their already safe and lofty perches, the reader must become intentional. Hopefully, the reader will find this a springboard to get started.
Dave Redekop is a retired elementary resource teacher who worked part-time at the St. Catharines Courthouse as a Registrar until being appointed Executive Director at Redeemer Bible Church in October 2023. He has worked on political campaigns since high school and attended university in South Carolina for five years, earning a Master’s in American History with a specialization in Civil Rights. Dave loves reading biographies.
