ABOUT THE LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE

The Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) supports the creation of original civic journalism that covers the diverse needs of underserved communities across Canada, including the needs of underrepresented groups.

Funding is available to eligible Canadian media organizations to hire journalists or pay freelance journalists to produce civic journalism for underserved communities.

The LJI is complemented by the Changing Narratives Fund – LJI Stream.

To protect the independence of the press, three (3) not-for-profit organizations deliver the Initiative, jointly representing the different segments of the news industry.

Community Media Coalition, represented by the
Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC)

News Media Canada

Consortium of Official Language
Minority Community Media

News Media Canada and the Community Media Coalition, represented by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, are pleased to be working together to deliver a harmonized and consistent LJI program across multiple media sectors.
Applications for the 2025-2027 program are now open via the online application portal.

The Consortium of Official Language Minority Community Media has delivered a separate LJI program for their supported media sectors. You can learn more on their website.

Strategic Advisory Committee
The Strategic Advisory Committee serves as a primary consultative body for the Community Media Coalition, represented by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, in the delivery of the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) and Changing Narratives Fund (CNF) stream. This consultation ensures that the diverse perspectives and specific needs of the target communities served by the LJI and CNF are prioritized and integrated at every stage of program delivery.

Composed of experienced media and communications professionals as well as academics, the committee provides expert consultation to align initiatives with the unique realities of Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, Inuit), Black, racialized, ethnocultural, official language minority, and ethnoreligious communities, as well as persons with disabilities and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. The committee provides ongoing guidance on program design and industry outreach while contributing their expertise to the assessment and allocation process.

Strategic Advisory Committee Members

George Abraham (Ottawa, ON) – Founding publisher of New Canadian Media, a platform that proudly sits at the intersection of “mainstream” and “ethnic” media

Kaylen Belair (Saint Laurent, MB) – Métis producer in Indigenous radio since 2019, programmer for SiriusXM The Indigiverse, Indigenous Music Countdown, Turtle Island Talks 

Brian Daly (Halifax, NS) – Bio to come

Kwende Kefentse (Ottawa, ON) – Bio to come

Hafsa Maqsood (Calgary, AB) – Bio to come

Ossie Michelin (Montréal, QC) – Freelance Journalist and Editor 

Dr. Sathya Rao (he/him/il) (Edmonton, AB) – Professor, Dept of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies, University of Alberta 

Julie Sobowale (Toronto, ON) – Bio to come

Ashley Wadhwani-Smith (Maple Ridge, BC) – Bio to come

Stephanie Watterson (Victoria, BC) – Published children’s book author, DEI & BIPOC specialist, communications and publishing professional specializing in neurodiverse writing

Mel Woods (Vancouver, BC) – Senior Editor, Xtra Magazine

Kim Wheeler (Winnipeg, MB) – Bio to come

Comments? Questions?

We welcome applications from eligible media organizations, but we anticipate that demand for funding will exceed our allocation. If you have questions regarding the decision on your application, please book a meeting with Program Officer Francella Fiallos. If you are not satisfied with the decision on your application, complaints can be filed with the CRFC via the procedure outlined in the CRFC’s Appeal Policy.

If you have any feedback, questions, or comments on our news distribution portals Frequency or Fréquence, please email francella@crfc-fcrc.ca. You will receive a confirmation that the complaint has been received and we will work with you to resolve your concerns. Should you not be satisfied with the proposed resolution, you may escalate your concern to our Executive Director Alex Freedman, who can be reached at alex@crfc-fcrc.ca.