Torstar Corp.’s self-described “major investment in journalism” won’t benefit Saskatoon and Regina – former homes of the Metro newspaper.
The company, which also publishes the Toronto Star, announced Monday it plans to add 20 new reporters to its existing newsrooms in western Canada.
“Some journalists are going to get employed. Hopefully that will stem some of the bleeding in our newsrooms,” Mitch Diamantopoulos, University of Regina journalism associate professor, said.
The Regina and Saskatoon editions of the Metro were shuttered in November 2014.
“They took a beating in Saskatchewan and I doubt they’re going to want to come back here any time soon,” Diamantopoulos said.
The Metro works well in cities like Toronto and Vancouver, where a larger portion of the population uses transit and reads the paper during the commute, Diamantopoulos said.
John Boynton, president and CEO of Torstar, wasn’t available for an interview Tuesday.
In a news release, he stated research supports the idea that western Canada and the Maritimes have “a large appetite … for a progressive voice in the news media.”
“This initiative represents a major investment in journalism for Torstar in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Halifax where we already have a strong presence with our Metro newspapers and digital products,” Boynton said.
Torstar’s five remaining newspapers will be rebranded as the StarMetro beginning April 10.
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