Partner Perspectives: Ontario Community Newspaper Association (OCNA)

This past week, the interns were delighted to meet with Gordon Cameron, Executive Director of the Ontario Community Newspaper Association (OCNA), an esteemed Partner of OLIP.  

Founded in 1950 and based in Toronto, the OCNA operates as a non-profit establishment with over 200 members located across the province. Over the course of our conversation, Gordon led us through an industry profile of community newspapers, including circulation systems, market sizes and distribution patterns, as well as readership statistics. It was incredibly enlightening to learn about how the association provides the means for members to improve their competitiveness in the industry, as well as how resources are pooled to secure collective benefits.  

Gordon also impressed the value of strong journalism – particularly, the importance of truth and justice. Through various anecdotes, he illustrated how he fought for transparency in a number of cases, and sought to use newspapers as avenues of sharing local, vital information for the communities who need them most.   

We would like to sincerely thank Gordon for taking the time to meet with us and share his insights about the OCNA, as well as the broader newspaper industry. As we keep these critical perspectives in mind, we would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Ontario Community Newspapers Association for continuing to support OLIP!