"It's a sad day in the media world"

Groupe Capitales Médias' insolvency proposal, which forced Québec's rapid intervention to allow the journalistic group to continue its operations thanks to $ 5 million in assistance, prompted a lot of reactions on Monday. Here are a few.

Marc Ranger, Quebec Director of the Canadian Union of Public Employees:

"We have a reaction a little catastrophic. That's a lot, a lot, all the regional information. These are long-established dailies, The government must intervene. (…) These are vital sources of information, these media must survive, "said Marc Ranger, in an interview with TVA Nouvelles.

Patrick White, professor at the UQAM School of Media:

"It's a sad day in the media world. It's still dramatic, because local newspapers are at the heart of democratic life. These newspapers are very important in Quebec, "Patrick White said in an interview with TVA Nouvelles.

"The government should have done well before. It's almost too late, "said the former editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Quebec, who believes it should" force Google and Facebook to pay taxes (since) they are the ones who take up half of advertising revenue in Quebec. "

Pascale St-Onge, President of the National Federation of Communications (FNC-CSN):

"It is not for nothing that the United States wants to dismantle the giants of the web. They are really giants, monsters who capture a huge amount of advertising revenue, destroy everything in their path, and we see the results. There are hundreds of weeklies that have closed (in North America), "said Ms. St-Onge in an interview with TVA Nouvelles.

"This is a situation that is really worrying for society, for democracy, and I think governments have a very important role to play in it," she added.

"Currently, the rules are not fair with the giants of the web. (…) It will be necessary that our laws, our rules, make so that the giants of the web participate in the creation of information ", considers also the trade unionist.

Pascal Bérubé, Acting Leader of the Parti Québécois:

"The important thing is that there are buyers. People who want to operate newspapers. (…) The important thing is that there are media that operate, that are present, independently, and that play an important role for our democracy, especially to question elected officials, "commented Pascal Berube on the tray of TVA News.

Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin, Mayor of Gatineau:

"I wonder what it means for" The Right ". There is not a city that can work … In fact, democracy can not work if we do not have strong media. I am very worried. I hope there are solutions that will be found, "Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin said in a press conference.

"For a city like us, it's a powerful development tool," he added.

François Bourque, chronicler to the "Sun":

"I think we saw him coming a little bit. It was known that there were liquidity difficulties. What shape was it going to take? Well, we did not know it, but we're learning it today; it takes the form of bankruptcy, "François Bourque told TVA Nouvelles.

"You have to find a business model that can work. One-time help from the government is fine for today. It's never something we like as a journalist. We would prefer that independence be total and that appearances of independence be there too. So, this is not the solution that I would have preferred, but I think that in the short term there are no others, "continued Mr. Bourque.

Jean Lamarche, Mayor of Trois-Rivières:

"We grew up looking for the newspaper in the mailbox in the morning. (…) It would be a heavy loss for the region, "said Mayor Jean Lamarche to TVA Nouvelles.

Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of the Economy:

"It was impossible for us in the government to consider closing these six newspapers. I am not announcing anything to anyone saying that the print media are in crisis, with some groups more in crisis than others. The government is very concerned about this situation, "Minister of the Economy Pierre Fitzgibbon said in a press briefing.

Nathalie Roy, Minister of Culture:

"Information from many sources is a pillar of our democracy. (…) The more people are informed, the more they make informed decisions. In addition, we have always maintained that it is journalism that must be protected, not a specific press owner, and that is exactly what we are doing today, "said the Minister of Culture, Nathalie Roy, in a press conference.

François Legault, Premier of Quebec:

"(The newspapers of Capital Media) are important for information and democracy in the region. Interim funding from the Quebec government will allow time to set up a program for all the media and to find new owners, "wrote François Legault on his Twitter account.

Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada:

"We are very concerned about the fate of the media across the country. We understand (that the media have) an essential role in our democracy. A free and strong press is essential to the proper functioning of our society, "he said at a press conference in Quebec City

Régis Labeaume, Mayor of Quebec City:

"I do not know what else I can do as Mayor of Quebec, but Le Soleil must survive. It needs to be released tomorrow, next week, next month, next year and next decade. (…) It can not be that The Sun no longer exists from tomorrow. In my head, it's impossible, "said Mayor Régis Labeaume in a press conference.