In a move that should alarm every Canadian who values a free press, Google has disbursed $22.2 million to 108 Canadian news outlets under the guise of supporting journalism. But this isn’t charity — it’s a calculated power grab that threatens independent media and editorial independence.

The Canadian Press, The Globe and Mail, Postmedia, Metroland Media, and Black Press Group are among the biggest beneficiaries, each pocketing over $1 million.

The CBC alone secures a staggering $6.8 million — 7% of the total payout. Meanwhile, smaller outlets, like Glacier Media Digital Limited, receive six-figure sums, but independent voices like Rebel News are excluded.

This payout stems from Google’s deal to sidestep Canada’s Online News Act, a Liberal-led law meant to force tech giants to pay for news content shared on their sites. Instead of fostering fairness, Google’s cheques secure a five-year exemption, hinting at influential posturing by the tech giant over newsrooms.

Can Canadians expect outlets flush with Google’s cash to challenge Big Tech? Unlikely. This is how silence is bought, compliance is sought, and editorial independence eroded.

Worse, the Canadian Journalism Collective, tasked with distributing these funds, skims $2 million for “admin fees.” And with funds expected to rise as ineligible applicants are weeded out, the dependency trap deepens.

Newsrooms, especially smaller ones, risk becoming hooked on Google’s money. What happens when the tech giant or the government shifts the rules or pulls funding?

While legacy media is bankrolled by millions in taxpayer subsidies, operating without accountability for biased editorial slants, Rebel News is barred from Qualified Canadian Journalism Organization (QCJO) status by a Trudeau-appointed panel and excluded from Google’s lucrative payout fund.

This exemplifies how independent voices are systematically silenced.

A Federal Court ruling upheld the claim that only 2% of Rebel’s content (despite extensive and original coverage of the 2022 Freedom Convoy, for instance) qualifies as “original news.” This isn’t just absurd — it’s a deliberate attack on those who challenge the mainstream.

Google’s payouts aren’t about saving journalism; they’re about control. By propping up legacy media while starving independent outlets, Big Tech is turning the press into a corporate puppet show.

Canadians must act to support independent outlets that refuse Big Tech’s money by subscribing, sharing their stories, and demanding a press that prioritizes truth over corporate agendas.

Please donate to help Rebel News fight back against the Liberal government's draconian censorship regime!

The Liberals still say they’re committed to bringing in censorship. Bill C-63 would create unprecedented censorship agencies, investigate your online posts, and even impose hate speech restraining orders before words are spoken. Rebel News has fought censorship in courts across Canada, spending over $500,000 on free speech lawyers this year alone. To protect freedom of speech, we’re ready to challenge this law the moment it passes. If you believe in standing up to this censorship, please chip in to our legal defence fund and join the 75,000+ Canadians who have signed our petition. We have to fight this — if we don’t, the law will be used to silence us, and to silence you, too.

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