Why Local News Matters to Communities Across Saskatchewan

More than 520 local news outlets have shut down across Canada since 2008.

This stark decline may not come as a surprise, given the steady flow of headlines about the struggles facing traditional journalism, but the scale of the loss often goes unacknowledged.

When we talk about the decline of local news, it’s frequently framed as inherently bad. It’s treated like the slow vanishing of a public utility—something we vaguely understand we need, without articulating why.

Yes, the disappearance of local news feels wrong, but what are the actual consequences?

Why Local News Is Important

The tendency is to reduce consideration of local news to coverage of bake sales and the introduction of inane city ordinances. But local news is more than covering nearby fundraisers or city council meetings. It plays a profound role in shaping how we live, connect, and grow.

Local journalism holds leaders accountable, strengthens civic engagement, fosters community identity, and drives economic growth—all of which are essential to thriving communities. When these functions disappear, the ripple effects are profound, touching everything from our sense of belonging to the very health of our democracy. 

When it comes to local news, Saskatchewan is a province where the value of community-focused reporting is deeply felt and urgently needed, serving as both a mirror and a lifeline for its diverse and dispersed population.

Despite the challenges that have caused so many outlets to shutter and left countless communities without coverage, platforms like SaskToday are proving that there is a place for successful local journalism. These outlets deliver the essential benefits of local news—accountability, connection, and economic support—even in a rapidly changing environment for media consumption.

To ensure platforms like SaskToday can continue to grow and serve communities, a greater understanding and sustained recognition of their importance is crucial. Here’s why local journalism, and news sites like SaskToday.ca, are indispensable to the social and economic success of local communities.

Local Journalism Makes Authorities Accountable

"Without local news tracking what's going on, the first you might know about a four-lane highway going up at the end of your street is when the bulldozers show up."

This observation comes from April Lindgren, a journalism professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and principal investigator of the Local News Research Project. She shared it during a roundtable discussion at this summer's Canadian Association of Journalists' national conference, highlighting the critical role local journalism plays in keeping communities informed.

Local journalism ensures transparency and accountability at every level of government, from city councils to provincial offices.

Without it, public decision-making often becomes a shadowy affair, conducted behind closed doors with little public awareness. Communities without reliable local reporting risk higher rates of corruption and a growing disconnect between citizens and their leaders.

The highway example used by Lindgren emphasizes the importance of consistent coverage of municipal council meetings.

Without journalists in the room to cover debates and report on proposed changes, residents might not learn about a new bylaw or rezoning decision until it’s too late. These decisions directly impact daily life, from traffic congestion to property values, yet they often pass unnoticed without diligent reporting.

Local journalism acts as a bridge between decision-makers and the public, ensuring that residents have a voice and the opportunity to intervene before the bulldozers arrive.

How SaskToday Ensures Community Awareness

SaskToday has taken this role to the next level by connecting 12 newsrooms across Saskatchewan to share resources, expertise, and coverage. With a collaborative goal of sustaining the time-honoured tradition of local news reporting, SaskToday.ca brings your local news, your neighbour’s local news, and your fellow Saskatchewanians’ local news all together.

One area where SaskToday stands out is its dedicated coverage of agriculture—an issue deeply intertwined with Saskatchewan’s way of life. While larger outlets might overlook this crucial sector in favour of broader national or international stories, SaskToday understands its importance to the province’s identity and economy.

Whether it’s changes to agricultural subsidies, environmental regulations, or land-use zoning, SaskToday shines a spotlight on the rules, debates, and decisions that shape the livelihoods of Saskatchewan’s farmers.

By providing consistent coverage of these topics, SaskToday empowers local residents across the province to voice their concerns and hold officials accountable for policies that directly impact their way of life.

Local News Increases Civic Engagement

In a province where agriculture is deeply tied to the local economy and culture, SaskToday’s commitment to tracking government actions and amplifying rural voices is vital.

It exemplifies the critical role local journalism plays in bridging the gap between governments and the communities they serve, ensuring transparency at every level.

Informed citizens are engaged citizens—a phrase that may feel like a cliché but is profoundly accurate.

Local news doesn’t just tell stories; it fosters participation in the democratic process. Communities with robust local journalism experience higher voter turnout, more active public discourse, and a stronger sense of civic duty:

• Research from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement found that local news is critical for mobilizing young voters, and helping them feel prepared to participate in elections.
• A Pennsylvania State University study identified local news consumption as a strong predictor of voting at both municipal and federal levels.
• Other research, such as work by Matthew Gentzkow at Stanford, has demonstrated that adding even one additional media outlet in a region can increase voter turnout by 0.3 percentage points.

Unfortunately, the inverse is also true.

The loss of local newspapers leads to a measurable decline in civic engagement. For example, when Denver and Seattle lost their major newspapers, voter turnout and participation in local government discussions significantly dropped—according to research by Lee Shaker from Portland State University.

When citizens lack access to reliable local information, public awareness of candidates and critical issues is reduced and democracy itself is weakened.

How SaskToday Supports The Democratic Process

SaskToday ensures that Saskatchewan residents are equipped with the information they need to actively participate in shaping their communities. Through nuanced reporting on issues that matter most to the province—whether it’s the complexities of municipal budgets, legislative changes, or profiles of election candidates—SaskToday bridges the gap between citizens and the democratic systems that govern them.

During election seasons, SaskToday provides comprehensive coverage that empowers voters to make informed decisions at the ballot box. From detailing policy platforms to breaking down local referendum questions, its reporting connects the dots between campaign promises and their potential impacts on daily life.

SaskToday’s commitment doesn’t end on election night. 

Year-round political coverage ensures that residents remain engaged with the decisions made by their elected officials. By highlighting policy changes, community advocacy efforts, and the stories of everyday citizens striving to make a difference, SaskToday strengthens the democratic fabric of Saskatchewan.

This work creates more than just informed readers—it cultivates a more active, connected, and empowered citizenry.

By consistently bringing public concerns to light and connecting people to the systems that shape their lives, SaskToday proves that local journalism is not only a vital public service but also a cornerstone of a healthy democracy.

Community Stories Build Community Connections

Earlier in the article, we used the example of local bake sales as shorthand for the stories often associated with local news.

While it’s true that local journalism encompasses much more, these seemingly small stories carry an unspoken importance. Promoting fundraisers, covering community events, and celebrating local milestones aren’t just filler—they are the threads that hold communities together.

April Lindgren, in a separate interview with CBC, described local news as "a way for people to get to know each other vicariously through the pages of the paper," reinforcing how it connects people by sharing their triumphs, challenges, and successes.

Local news has a unique ability to connect people, acting as a shared mirror where residents see their triumphs and challenges reflected. Without it, the sense of belonging that binds communities together begins to fray.

In rural Saskatchewan, where communities are often spread far apart, local news serves as a unifying force. It connects people to their neighbors, their history, and to shared challenges and successes. Through these connections, residents stay informed and engaged, fostering collaboration and a sense of collective purpose.

How SaskToday Connects Communities Across Saskatchewan

In a province defined by vast distances, connecting communities is no small feat.

SaskToday has risen to this challenge, becoming a hub of connection both within individual towns and across the province.

SaskToday’s sports reporting is a vital part of its community-building mission, covering everything from high school tournaments to provincial hockey leagues and, of course, your Saskatchewan Roughriders. These stories don’t just celebrate athletic achievements—they bring communities together, fostering pride and a shared sense of belonging.

Whether profiling rising stars or chronicling long-standing rivalries, SaskToday’s sports coverage strengthens the bonds that connect Saskatchewan residents.

Beyond sports coverage, SaskToday highlights shared challenges and celebrates collective successes, bringing geographically separated communities closer together and weaving the province’s cultural and social fabric into a cohesive story that connects everyone—no matter how far apart. 

SaskToday reminds residents that they are part of something bigger—connected by history, tradition, and the ever-evolving narrative of life in Saskatchewan. This is the power of local journalism: not just to inform but to unite.

Local News Boosts Local Economies

While building a sense of community fosters intangible benefits like belonging and pride, local journalism also drives tangible, measurable outcomes—particularly in strengthening the local economy.

Local news outlets like SaskToday play a pivotal role in economic growth by providing affordable advertising, promoting ‘shop local’ initiatives, and connecting small businesses with customers.

The thinking behind this is that when businesses succeed, communities flourish, sparking a cycle of prosperity that benefits everyone. Communities with thriving businesses enjoy greater financial stability, higher employment rates, and an enhanced quality of life.

And it's all something that local news supports, fosters and grows.

How SaskToday Fuels Local Economic Growth and Higher Quality of Life

For SaskToday, supporting local businesses isn’t just about selling ad space. It's about amplifying the voices of entrepreneurs and championing the industries that shape Saskatchewan’s economy.

From agriculture—the backbone of the province’s livelihood—to retail, tourism, and small businesses, SaskToday’s coverage highlights the stories that matter most to local entrepreneurs and their customers.

Advertising through SaskToday offers businesses an affordable and effective way to reach their target audiences. By spotlighting everything from small-town markets to regional events, the platform drives awareness and foot traffic, ensuring local businesses remain an integral part of Saskatchewan’s economic ecosystem.

Whether reporting on shifting agricultural policies, trade developments, or the resilience of small businesses in a tough economy, SaskToday gives residents a comprehensive view of the economic forces shaping their communities—empowering them to make informed decisions about their future.

The Harvard Media Connection: Building Stronger Communities

This aspect of SaskToday’s mission connects strongly with its parent company, Harvard Media, and its goal of building a stronger, more resilient future for communities across Canada.

When businesses thrive, they create jobs, reinvest in their communities, and support local events and causes. This, in turn, drives greater civic pride and strengthens the same community ties that local journalism fosters. This virtuous cycle not only strengthens the local economy but also reinforces the community spirit that SaskToday and Harvard Media aim to cultivate.

The alignment between SaskToday’s journalistic efforts and Harvard Media’s commitment to community-building highlights how local news can be both an economic driver and a unifying force. Together, they create a model for how journalism and business can work hand in hand to sustain vibrant, thriving communities.

Protecting the Lifeline of Saskatchewan’s Communities

If there’s one thing to take away from this article, it’s that local journalism is far more than a collection of stories—it’s the heartbeat of communities:

• A bridge between citizens and their leaders
• A source of pride and belonging
• A driver of economic growth

Platforms like SaskToday exemplify the critical role local news plays in holding power to account, fostering civic engagement, building connections, and sustaining local economies.

In Saskatchewan, where communities are vast and diverse, this mission is especially vital.

Whether covering agricultural policies, profiling local heroes, or connecting small businesses with customers, SaskToday provides a blueprint for how local journalism can thrive in challenging times. Its work strengthens the democratic process, uplifts voices that might otherwise go unheard, and reinforces the sense of community that binds residents together.

We Must Proactively Protect Local News

But this lifeline cannot be taken for granted.

In the opening of this article, we mentioned the 520+ Canadian media outlets that have closed in the last seven years. We've witnessed this phenomenon firsthand in Saskatchewan.

Once home to 160 community newspapers, the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers Association now represents only 57 outlets. The loss of these vital institutions has measurable consequences: reduced civic engagement, weakened accountability, and diminished community cohesion.

Protecting and supporting local media is not just about preserving nostalgia for a time when newspapers landed on every doorstep; it’s about ensuring a vibrant, informed, and connected future for our communities. It’s about recognizing the value that platforms like SaskToday bring to the table and committing to their growth and sustainability.

By rallying behind SaskToday and outlets like it—whether it’s through subscribing, engaging with their content, or advocating for policies that support local journalism—we ensure that the lifeline of our communities remains intact.

This is why local news matters and why it deserves our ongoing commitment.