Good morning.
My name is Julie Bernier, owner and editor of the newspaper Ici I'info.
I'm here this morning to tell you about the media crisis. We never received subsidies during the COVID‑19 pandemic because it was too complicated to apply for them. I can't complete and submit the applications on my own. I need outside assistance, but that's too costly. For that reason, I can never file for subsidies.
As you are also aware, we are being cannibalized, as it were, by the online media. Advertising revenue is the only thing keeping us afloat. If everyone goes onto the Internet, our advertising revenue will dry up. However, local news is important, and even critically so for democracy and for people. It's important for everyone, not just seniors.
Consequently, I would ask you please to simplify the process or make someone available to help us complete subsidy applications without us being required to pay out astronomical amounts of money.
That's more or less what I wanted to say, but I think I may have forgotten most of it.