COVID-19 and Canadian Publishing and News
(March 25, 2020 – Gatineau, QC) CNW – In unprecedented times, Canadians turn to the web, newspapers as well as conventional television and radio stations to get well-sourced and factual information relevant to their community. The media is an indispensable communications link between different levels of government and the public.
“I strongly believe the media plays an essential role in informing Canadians, especially in times of crisis,” said The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage. “Media organizations play a key role in sharing important information. We must support them, which is why our government will help to ensure that our publishing and information sectors are supported and that our economy remains strong.”
The Government of Canada is taking action to support publishing and news sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic. These efforts will help ensure Canadians can continue to get reliable news and information related to COVID-19, so they can make the right decisions to stay healthy and safe.
New Independent Advisory Board on Eligibility for Journalism Tax Measures
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) confirmed that the Independent Advisory Board on Eligibility for Journalism Tax Measures is now in place. The role of the board is to make recommendations to the CRA on whether a journalism organization meets certain criteria to receive the Qualified Canadian Journalism Organization (QCJO) designation. The QCJO designation is one of the prerequisites organizations must meet to take advantage of the new tax measures. The tax measures were introduced in Budget 2019.
Canada Book Fund and Canada Periodical Fund: A Simplified Process
Canadian Heritage is working to establish a simplified process for submitting and processing 2020-21 funding requests for the Canada Book Fund and Canada Periodical Fund. The process will significantly reduce the time it takes to process files. Eligible beneficiaries will be able to access financial assistance much more quickly than usual. The beneficiaries of these programs will be contacted in the coming days to better explain the simplified approach for 2020-21.
Source: Canadian Heritage
