The Toronto Star is Canada’s largest newspaper by circulation, while The Globe and Mail and the National Post also circulate widely throughout the country. The largest radio and television broadcaster is The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which is taxpayer-funded. There is a significant number of media catering to French-speaking communities, mostly in Quebec. Overall, though, the number and diversity of outlets are declining. Canadians lost at least 603 news outlets between 2008 and 2025, according to a report by the Local News Research Project. Nonprofit media organisations often encounter administrative hurdles because they are not recognised as major media players by public agencies. The Online News Act established the Canadian Journalism Collective in 2024, which distributes $100 million annually from the online search engine Google to news outlets around the country.

Media outlets in Canada are generally free of pressure from politicians, political parties, and political movements. The government has publicly acknowledged that “media freedom remains an important part of democratic societies and essential to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.” Canada passed the Online News Act in 2023, which requires large online platforms to properly compensate news organisations. The tech giant Meta responded by blocking news content on its platforms in Canada.

Canada has repeatedly demonstrated a legal commitment to freedom of the press, including “shield laws” to protect journalists and their sources. However, in a few instances, journalists have been arrested while covering protests, particularly those over indigenous rights and land usage. Freelance photojournalist Amber Bracken was arrested in 2021 while covering a protest over a natural gas pipeline in northern British Columbia. Reporter Brandi Morin was arrested by Edmonton Police in January 2024 while covering police action against a homeless encampment. These arrests and the charges brought against journalists threaten to set a dangerous precedent and could have a chilling effect on reporting in Canada.

Print newspaper sales have been declining in Canada for over a decade — a trend recently exacerbated by the impacts of COVID-19. The industry has made a shift to online advertisement and subscriptions, but revenues have eroded, leading to the shutdown of small outlets and the loss of good-paying jobs in the journalism industry. The Canadian government actively supports local journalism through an initiative that provides funding to outlets to hire journalists, as well as tax credits and incentives to advertise in local media. 

Although Canadians say they still have some confidence in journalism, their overall trust in the media has declined.

While journalists are typically safe to do their jobs in Canada, reporters covering the 2022 Freedom Convoy to protest vaccine mandates received death threats, were spat on, and were verbally and physically harassed. The window of a CBC Radio Canada vehicle was smashed. Online harassment also poses a threat, especially to female and minority journalists.