They bought all those newspapers. Now they're laying off the reporters

Canada's largest newspaper chain, Postmedia, just announced it's cutting salaries by 20 percent.

Thousands of reporters have lost their jobs over the last five years in Canada. For Postmedia, a lot of these cuts happened after they bought out their rivals from Sun Media and found themselves with a monopoly in several major Canadian markets.

It's been sad for me to watch what is happening in the once mighty newsrooms of the nation.

It's been like the journalism killing fields. That's bad for democracy when corporations and governments can operate in the dark, out of sight and out of mind from the public. It's up to us to demand accountability.

You know where this is going: I’m going to ask you to help me stop the total destruction of Canadian journalism.

Your response to National Observer's campaign to sign on 1,000 subscribers in 30 days has been incredible. But, I'm going to level with you. It's going to take a couple a hundred more readers to subscribe to get us all the way there. Would you consider subscribing today?

If you're like me, you don’t want real journalism to die in Canada. You know what that would mean for democracy and for the future your children will inherit. With your help we can and will continue to fill the void with honest, independent and tough reporting.

You can imagine how incredible it has been this month to see so many people signing up as subscribers. Your notes and emails of support have brought tears to my eyes many times since I asked for your help a month ago — Full Disclosure here.

At other times, your words of encouragement and your thoughts on what’s happening in Canada have made me smile and have given me hope. And our reporting team has been working over-time to keep important stories about energy and the environment coming to you.

But you know what’s really crazy?

In the middle of their meltdown, Postmedia found time to attack National Observer. They published a hatchet job on our managing editor, Mike De Souza, because he exposed the national pipeline regulator’s dysfunction. Talk about shooting the messenger!

But Mike’s investigations were solid. They led to the National Energy Board suspending the Energy East pipeline hearings. The CEO and panelists had to recuse themselves. Just yesterday, the feds announced four new appointments to the board including Wilma Jacknife, a First Nations lawyer.

These developments were thanks to you, to all of you who have subscribed or donated. I don't think it's too strong to say that your support made Mike’s reporting and these important changes in the oversight of huge pipeline projects happen. This is a remarkable achievement for you to be able to accomplish for only $11.99 monthly. And I promise, there is much more urgent investigative reporting on energy and the environment coming thanks to you, reporting that simply won't happen without you and our team being committed to it.

But you see what we’re up against. Corporate media attacking us. Billionaires like the Irving family siccing their lawyers on us. It’s not enough that they have media monopolies, dominate the national conversation and endorse politicians like Stephen Harper — they act against independent voices like the National Observer. They act to stop you from having information to make important choices.

But I’m more committed than ever. I wouldn’t want to do this alone, but with all the support that’s coming in, I know I’m not alone and I’m definitely up for doing it with you.

Your surge of support has gotten us 60 per cent of the way to our goal of signing on 1,000 new subscribers in 30 days. if you sign up today, you can keep journalists and talented writers like Mike De Souza, Sandy Garossino, Elizabeth McSheffrey, Bruce Livesey and Jenny Uechi digging up the truth and reporting it back to you.

You can keep the light of truth shining strong into the future, you can save urgent reporting.

Please subscribe today. Please help me prove it's possible to create a completely reader-funded daily news publication dedicated to investigative reporting that supports a healthy democracy. And if you would like to subscribe or donate by sending a cheque, our mailing address is: National Observer, 417-207 W. Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 1H7. Thank you.