Today is the last publication day for the Chinese-language newspaper Ming Pao, as it will end operations on Jan. 31 in B.C. and Ontario.
“It was local community news, so it was definitely a venue that people went to get credible journalism and news about what was going on in their community, in their language,” said Carleen Finch, president of Unifor Local 87-M.
About sixty Unifor members will lose their jobs, according to a press release from the union.
“It’s a huge impact to to lose your job, especially in media at this particular point in time, as there’s not a lot of new media jobs jumping up all over the place. So it’s devastating for the members, it’s devastating for their community,” said Finch.
She added that a majority of the workers have been long-term employees for Ming Pao.
“This widens the gap of news deserts for Chinese-Canadian communities across the country, who rely on these sources for fact-based information. We will support our journalist and media worker members as they navigate this uncertain time,” said Lana Payne, national president for Unifor.
Unifor said that the company will pay severance to staff as per its collective agreement, and benefits will continue until March 9.
The paper was first established in Hong Kong in 1959. It opened up offices in both Richmond and Toronto in 1993, according to The Canadian Press.
During the last few years, Ming Pao relied on government grants and funding to keep afloat. Last year, it received about $1.1 million through the Online News Act.
Local Richmond politicians commented on the newspaper’s closure.
“It is always difficult when media outlets close, both for the employees who have put in such hard work, and the readers who rely on their coverage to stay informed,” said Kelly Green, MLA for Richmond-Steveston, in a social media post. “Ming Pao has been an important part of British Columbia’s media landscape, and the closure is a major loss for Chinese-speaking communities.”
“Hearing the news that Ming Pao will cease newspaper production in Canada is truly saddening. Having spent 16 years in the news industry, I deeply understand the value of print journalism. As the Fourth Estate, journalists not only inform the public, but also hold power to account and safeguard the public interest,” said Hon Chan, MLA for Richmond Centre, in a post.
“This marks the end of an era and reflects the profound changes in today’s media landscape. My sincere respect and gratitude go to all the journalists and staff who dedicated their careers to serving the community,” he added.
The Ming Pao layoffs and closure are another example of the troubles journalism has faced recently. Last year, for example, both Global News and Bell Media announced significant staff cuts. And Lodestar Media (formerly Glacier Media) shut down three Metro Vancouver news publications.
Daily Hive reached out to both Unifor and Ming Pao’s Richmond office but did not hear back before publication.