Local news, national impact: Why trust is Canada’s biggest investment

Earlier this summer, British Columbia faced not only the spread of wildfires, but a surge of dangerous fake news. AI-generated images of dramatic fires engulfing British Columbia sparked panic on social media.

In a rare response, the British Columbia Wildfire Service issued a warning — not about the fires themselves, but about the risks of misinformation in an emergency.

In fact, The World Economic Forum lists misinformation and disinformation among the most urgent short-term threats to societies, warning that they undermine trust, erode social cohesion and jeopardize informed decisions for citizens and businesses alike.

In a country where our civic fabric depends on shared facts and open debate — and an era when artificial intelligence is becoming a content tool, synthesizer and now creator, this isn’t a peripheral issue. It’s a leadership test.

Trust is the ultimate competitive advantage. It’s the currency that underwrites both commerce and community. For brands, it builds preference and loyalty. For societies, it sustains democracy and civic health. And for media, it’s the foundation of every credible story.

Canadian newsrooms earn it through verification, accountability and transparency. Across the country, local and national newsrooms build their pages for community, reporting stories that shine a light on the day’s unfolding issues so people and businesses can act on clear, trustworthy information.

Contrast the sensationalist images generated by AI to the vital coverage of the fires and global events that journalists provided. One week, reporters mapped summer wildfire smoke and its impact on retail footfall; the next, they unpacked tariff pressures and inflation. This is the craft of journalism, uncovering what matters and helping communities respond.

It’s why we follow our favorite journalists and stay with stories over time.

Consider Doug Saunders of The Globe and Mail, who chronicled the Hamidi family’s journey from Afghanistan to Canada, keeping their story in the spotlight with clarity and compassion.

Leading with integrity in the AI era

Leadership today — in an era of information overload and emergent AI — means supporting media environments that inform, empower and strengthen communities. And it’s smart business. When brands appear beside trusted, fact-checked reporting, they meet Canadians in a decision-making mindset and gain credibility by association.

Media and advertising are vital economic engines, powering more than 170,000 jobs and contributing over $21 billion to Canada’s GDP.

The CMDC’s Canadian Media Manifesto has been such a galvanizing force for precisely this reason. When we launched it in 2021, the goal was clear: Rally Canada’s advertisers, agencies, brands and partners to support local media, not as an act of charity, but because it’s smart, sustainable business.

We set an ambitious target: to see 25% of digital media budgets dedicated to Canadian media by the end of 2025. As we prepare to release the final numbers later this year, we’re encouraged to see real progress. Some agencies and brands have already surpassed the 25% threshold, proving what’s possible when commitment meets action.

But the Manifesto was never just about hitting one number. It’s about building a stronger foundation for Canadian media and ensuring its place in our economy and culture.

This is an ongoing movement, one where we’ll continue uniting marketers, platforms and media leaders to champion local media and the communities it serves. The impact is both cultural and commercial: Brands gain attention in high-trust environments and publishers build sustainable demand. Plus, Canadians benefit from journalism that holds institutions to account.

AI enters the publishing race

Over the past four years, the information landscape has undergone seismic change. Enter the age of agentic AI, with autonomous curators and assistants that can learn and increasingly publish stories.

AI is accelerating content creation and personalization, but it raises hard questions: Who owns the stories machines are trained on? Which signals tell audiences what (and who) to trust?

This is where responsible leadership matters. AI must be guided toward strengthening — not weakening — our information ecosystem.

Already, NewsGuard has identified 1,271 “unreliable AI-generated news sites” operating with little to no human oversight. And in a more troubling shift, the 10 leading generative AI tools now repeat false claims on news topics 35% of the time, up from about 18% a year ago. 

Still, AI brings real opportunity when wielded responsibly with tools that accelerate experimentation, unlock scale and serve audiences more personally without sacrificing standards. The point isn’t to resist technology; it’s to embrace it with intention, so innovation strengthens trust, drives growth, and makes our Canadian information ecosystem more resilient.

Canada’s future depends on how we choose to shape change and lead. 

Anchoring ourselves in trusted sources and credible information isn’t just about defending truth; it’s about creating stronger communities, healthier conversations and smarter businesses.

As a mother of two young kids, I believe news literacy matters. The next generation deserves a country where facts matter and stories are told with integrity, care and a sense of hope for what’s ahead.

This op-ed represents the views and opinions of the author and not of The Current, a division of The Trade Desk, or The Trade Desk. The appearance of the op-ed on The Current does not constitute an endorsement by The Current or The Trade Desk.