Feds boost funding for diversity in Canada’s media, cultural sector

The federal government has committed $10M over three years for a new initiative promoting the narratives of Indigenous, Black, racialized people and communities, as well as ethnoreligious minorities, people with disabilities and 2SLGBTQI+ communities, in Canada’s media and cultural sectors.

The Changing Narratives Fund, funded through the Department of Canadian Heritage, will be administered by the Canada Media Fund or CMF.

The new fund will support mentorship, training and professional development opportunities for diverse communities at all career stages so that members from these communities can increase their participation in the creative sectors.

Application guidelines will be released in early November.

According to a newsroom diversity report published by The Canadian Association of Journalists in 2022, 77.9 per cent of journalists identify as white, compared with 68.8 per cent of Canada’s overall population.

Racialized journalists were also found to be more likely to hold entry-level positions, while Black journalists are more likely to work in part-time roles.