By now you may have seen a notice pop up in your Facebook or Instagram feeds, “In response to Canadian legislation, news won’t be available to view or share soon.” It’s ominous, right? But what’s going on?
What is the Online News Act?
If you click on this notification, it will likely take you to an article by Meta, opens a new window, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, discussing Canada’s new Online News Act, opens a new window (also known as Bill C-18). In the Charter Statement, opens a new window for Bill C-18, the Act is described as “An Act respecting online communications platforms that make news content available to persons in Canada.” The Act, which became law in June 2023 and will come into effect, opens a new window by the end of the year, will require tech companies to fairly compensate news organizations for sharing their news content on the tech company’s platform. This includes social media companies like Meta and search engines like Google.
What does this mean for Canadians?
In response to the Online News Act, both Meta and Google have “vowed” to remove links, opens a new window to Canadian journalism from their platforms. In a statement from Google, opens a new window, they compared this law to a “link tax” and said the company will be removing links to Canadian news from their Search, News and Discover products in Canada. In a similar statement from Meta, opens a new window, the company said they will have to “end the availability of news content in Canada.”
So what does this mean for Canadians? As outlined in this article by Fortune, opens a new window:
- Links and content from Canadian news publishers and broadcasters posted on Meta and Google platforms will no longer be viewable by people in Canada
- Links and content from international news outlets posted on Meta and Google will no longer be viewable by people in Canada
- And users in Canada will no longer be able to share or view news content on Facebook or Instagram, including articles and audio-visual content from news outlets
How can EPL Help?
Canadians will still be able to access news content, but they will have to find other ways of doing so. And public libraries, with their free access to digital newspaper subscriptions and authoritative database content, are here to help! From digital newspapers like The Edmonton Journal and The New York Times, to digital magazines like Maclean’s Magazine, to multimedia news portals like CBC Corner, EPL is here to help you find all of the news content you are looking for!
Resource List
Canadian News, Business & Current Affairs (Proquest)
Access full-text articles from 170 large and small Canadian newspapers (most recent issues not included): Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald, National Post and Globe & Mail.
Canadian News, Business & Current Affairs
CBC Corner
This digital portal features news, local stories, radio shows and more from CBC Corner! You can also access the French version of CBC Corner, L’espace Radio-Canada.
Chinese Magazines
Hundreds of full-text Chinese language magazines are available with full image PDF versions and audio versions.
Flipster
Flipster provides access to over 60 magazine titles including Maclean’s, Fortune, Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes and more.
Gale OneFile: Business
Read full-text articles from thousands of business and trade publications with daily updates. Canadian publications include The Advocate, Canadian Business, the Globe & Mail, Canadian Woman Studies and more.
Gale OneFile: Health and Medicine
This resource includes newspapers, journals and newsletters supporting research in Health Studies.
Gale OneFile. Health and Medicine
Globe & Mail: Canada’s Historical Newspaper 1844 to 2017
Access historical news from May 1844 to December 2017.
Libby
Instantly access top magazines such as Newsweek, The New Yorker, The Hockey News and more! Find titles in a variety of languages.
Maclean’s Magazine Archive
Full-text PDF articles, from 1988 to 2015, are available in this archive.
National Geographic Virtual Library
Explore the high-quality photojournalism and cartography of the National Geographic Virtual Library.
National Geographic Virtual Library
New York Times
Read the latest multimedia journalism from The New York Times. Access articles in English, Chinese and Spanish.
OneFile (Magazines, Newspapers)
This database includes magazines, newspapers and news articles from 1980 and onward.
PressReader
PressReader provides online access to over 5,000 local, regional and international newspapers and magazines from over 100 countries in 60 languages, displayed in their original format and accessible by country, language, or title.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Calgary Herald 1883 – 2010
This historical newspaper provides genealogists, researchers and scholars with online, easily-searchable first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of the politics, society and events of the time. Coverage: 1883-2010. You now have cover-to-cover searchable access to Alberta's largest and oldest daily newspaper, the Calgary Herald.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Edmonton Journal 1903 – 2010
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Edmonton Journal is a historical archive of the Edmonton Journal newspaper (1911 onwards), as well as its earlier title, The Evening Journal (1903-1911). This database allows you to search cover-to-cover for local views, events and people. It includes access to feature articles, newspaper editorials, advertisements, cartoons, obituaries and classified ads, all through a cross-searchable platform.
ProQuest Recent Newspapers: Edmonton Journal
Browse, search and read from the scanned pages of the Edmonton Journal, from 2011 until the present. This resource does include a 3-month embargo, meaning full issues cannot be accessed for the 3 months prior to today’s date.
Read Alberta Collection
Access 42 eMagazine titles from Alberta publishers.
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Info Edmonton
- "A city magazine that showcases Dining, Shopping, Arts & Entertainment for both visitors and locals alike"--
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Avenue Calgary
- "Avenue is the premier city lifestyle magazine celebrating Alberta's largest city through Avenue Calgary."--
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EDify
- "Edify authentically reflects Edmonton while telling the stories about people, business, food, arts, design and spaces-all told in an uplifting and entertaining way. We edify our city."—
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ATA Magazine
- "The ATA Magazine contains a variety of features and academic content by and for the teachers of Alberta. The magazine's mission is to: - reinforce that the ATA is the education authority in the province - help teachers understand the broader issues in public education - help teachers maintain and improve their teaching practice - help teachers connect with their colleagues."—
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Alberta Views
- "The magazine for engaged citizens, our writers provide perspective on the province's politics, social issues and culture with in-depth analysis relevant to the public interest of Albertans. Recognized for its editorial excellence, Alberta Views has won Magazine of the Year at both the Western and National Magazine Awards."—
US Major Dailies
U.S. Major Dailies provides access to the five most respected U.S. national and regional newspapers, including The New York Times and Washington Post, co-exclusive access to The Wall Street Journal, and exclusive access to Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune.
Other Helpful Resources
You can learn more about the importance of Canadian journalism, fact-checking, and fighting misinformation in this blog How to fight misinformation in 2022.
Or find out how you can identify trusted news sources and spot fake news (remember House Hippos?) in this blog Fake News: Can you believe what you see?
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