loading . . . Two and a half years ago, CHEK News had the largest Facebook following of any media organization on Vancouver Island.
More than 160,000 people chose to follow our Facebook page. Every month, our stories generated millions of engagements — comments, shares, reactions. On Instagram, more than 60,000 followers relied on CHEK News to stay informed about what was happening in their communities.
Then, overnight, it all went to zero.
When Meta instituted its Canadian news ban in August 2023 in response to the Online News Act, CHEK’s Facebook and Instagram accounts effectively went dark. Years of building trust, building audience, and building community were wiped out with the flip of a switch.
This wasn’t because Islanders stopped caring about local news. It wasn’t because our journalism suddenly lost value.
It was because Meta made a business decision.
### The wrong content is filling the void
At the time, Meta said it was removing all news from its platforms in Canada. But here’s what Canadians are seeing today: news-like content still circulates widely on Facebook and Instagram — just not from trusted, accountable Canadian newsrooms.
Instead, we’re seeing:
* Pages reposting stories without context or accountability
* AI-generated “news” content designed to look legitimate
* Manipulated images and deepfake videos
* Sensational headlines optimized for clicks rather than truth
This is happening at the very moment Canadians are more worried than ever about misinformation and disinformation.
It makes no sense.
Trusted, fact-checked journalism produced by local newsrooms like CHEK is blocked — while misleading or AI-generated content designed to mimic real reporting is allowed to spread.
If you’re concerned about your parents sharing false stories, or your kids being exposed to manipulated content, you should be. The guardrails have been removed.
### This is not about politics. It’s about fairness.
The Online News Act was created to ensure that massive global platforms compensate Canadian news organizations for the value our journalism brings to their platforms.
Google chose to negotiate. It complied with the law and agreed to contribute $100 million annually to support Canadian journalism.
Meta chose to block trusted news instead.
That decision had real consequences. For CHEK, it meant losing direct access to more than 220,000 followers across Facebook and Instagram — people who had actively chosen to receive our reporting in their feeds.
Those platforms helped us reach younger audiences, whose only news source may be social media.
They helped us share breaking news quickly during emergencies. They helped us connect Islanders to their community.
All of that disappeared overnight.
### A troubling new condition
Recently, Meta has indicated it would be prepared to pay Canadian news organizations for the use of our journalism to train its large language models — but only if those organizations publicly call for an end to the Online News Act.
In other words, Meta is willing to pay for Canadian journalism to improve its AI systems — but only if news organizations oppose Canadian law.
That puts independent newsrooms in an impossible position. It risks politicizing journalism and undermining the very independence that Canadians rely on.
Compensation for AI training is a separate issue. It should not come with political strings attached.
### Why we’ve gone to the CRTC
CHEK, along with other independent broadcasters across the country, has filed an application with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) asking the regulator to require Meta to negotiate under the Online News Act.
> **READ MORE:Local TV stations want Meta to pay up for news content**
This isn’t about special treatment. It’s about fairness.
If a platform profits from Canadian audiences and benefits from Canadian journalism — whether through engagement, data, or AI training — it should negotiate fairly with the organizations that produce that journalism.
Google found a way to do that. Meta can too.
### What’s really at stake
Local news is not optional in a democracy.
When wildfires threaten our communities, when municipal councils make decisions that affect your taxes, when public safety is at risk — Islanders turn to CHEK News.
As an independent, employee-owned news organization that has served Vancouver Island for 70 years, we are accountable to you. If we make a mistake, we correct it publicly.
An anonymous page pushing AI-generated “news” doesn’t do that.
Blocking trusted journalism does not eliminate news from social media. It simply removes credible sources and creates space for misinformation to flourish.
Canadians deserve better.
We believe Facebook and Instagram users in Canada should have access to trusted local news — not just viral content designed to provoke outrage or generate clicks.
Along with other Independent Canadian broadcasters, we remain ready to negotiate in good faith.
The question is whether Meta is ready to put Canadians’ access to reliable information ahead of its corporate strategy.
For the sake of informed communities on Vancouver Island and across this country, we hope the answer is yes.
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