The Community Radio Fund of Canada launches the 2024-2025 round of the Local Journalism Initiative!

OTTAWA, ON – April 19, 2024

The CRFC is thrilled to announce that we are now inviting all eligible campus, community, and Indigenous radio stations to submit their applications for funding under the Local Journalism Initiative.

The Local Journalism Initiative supports the creation of local original journalism that covers the diverse needs of underserved communities across Canada. Funding is available to eligible media organizations to hire journalists to produce civic journalism such as coverage of significant institutions (ie. city council, band council, school boards, courthouses, Federal Parliament, and provincial legislatures) and other topics of public importance. 

The news content produced by LJI-funded journalists working at campus, community, and Indigenous radio stations will be heard on their stations and websites as well on Frequency (Fréquence for Francophone news), the national distribution platform for LJI-produced content. Stories may also be re-broadcast on Viewpoints, the nationally syndicated radio program (Points de vue for Francophone stories). Canadian media outlets can rebroadcast and republish content found on Frequency via a Creative Commons license. 

The editors of Frequency and Fréquence, the National Editors, are available to assist recipient stations with the hiring, training, and supervision of LJI-funded journalists. 

If you are interested in learning more about the Local Journalism Initiative funding through the Community Radio Fund of Canada, please review our Program Guidelines. Eligible stations can receive up to $55,000 per project.

Applications can be submitted via our portal here. The deadline is Wednesday, May 15th 2024 at 3:00PM ET. 

Please do not hesitate to contact Program Officer Francella Fiallos with any questions or comments you may have.