Arguably, the whole purpose of the subsidies was to support a vibrant media. In turn, it could provide Canadians with accurate information, so they could make informed choices as citizens in the democratic dialogue that we are all part of.
I quote those numbers to you. Trust in news fell from 55% in 2016 to 39% in 2024. Much of that period was covered by the current subsidy regime. The subsidy regime doesn't seem to be having any positive effect on trust.
In fact, as our polling showed, 76% of Canadians, three out of four, agree that government funding undermines journalistic objectivity. That may be true or not. In many cases, it's probably not true. It's the perception of what large-scale government funding is doing to the media. This is a Faustian bargain that the media has entered into.