Missing news on Meta? London journalism profs weigh in on how to find local news

Meta's decision to stop news content from being available on its Canadian platforms may push consumers to change their online browsing habits and take charge of where they get their news, according to a London, Ont., journalism professor.

"If social media is where you go to get your news, then you'll definitely notice this change. Especially the younger generation," said Gina Lorentz, coordinator for Fanshawe College's journalism program. 

"They didn't have to think about tuning into a particular station or subscribing to a newspaper, so it will mean changing some habits to stay up to date on what's happening locally." 

On Tuesday, social media giant Meta — who owns Facebook and Instagram — announced it has officially begun ending news availability on its platforms in Canada. 

It's in response to the federal government passing the Online News Act in June, that requires big tech companies like Meta and Google to pay media outlets for news content they share or repurpose on their platforms. 

Implementing the new policy on Meta's platforms will take a few weeks, the company said.

It's too soon to assess what the true implications of this move will be, said Jeremy Copeland, a professor at Western University's Masters of Media in Journalism and Communications program. 

Copeland believes old habits of relying on news feeds can be hard to change unless there are major news events, and that could leave people less informed, he said.

"I don't think people who get their news from social media are going to start checking out [media outlets]," he said. "When they will do that is if there's a big story that happens, like weather-related or other significant events."

Period of innovation 

But Lorentz believes this could be a transitional period for media outlets to be innovative and find creative ways to engage with their audiences.

If people want to continue staying informed on local and international issues, they need to do their own research and go directly to their trusted media sites in order to take back control of where they get their information, she said.

"There will be some education needed on why media outlets are of value, how it matters, and how they're still making their content available, hoping that the consumer will follow wherever they are," Lorentz said. 

The change could motivate people to take onus of how they get their news instead of relying on social media algorithms, and to question if they're open to changing their Google search habits and turn to other search engines, she added. 

Although it's a complex and nuanced battle between the Canadian government and tech giants, it's in everyone's, especially the public's best interest to resolve it as quickly as possible, Copeland said.

How to find CBC News?

As Meta cuts off access to news on Facebook and Instagram in Canada, you will still be able to access our journalism on other platforms. Read our Editor's Blog for all the ways you can stay connected with CBC News:

You can also: 

• Download the CBC News app or the Radio-Canada Info app

• Visit the CBC News or Radio-Canada Info websites

• Watch and listen to us live on TV and radio

Here's a list of CBC/Radio-Canada's local news directory for private news outlets in your community.