Newspaper Innovation

The 10 month anniversary of a free newspaper is under normal circumstances not something to celebrate. But circumstances for MédiaMatinQuébec are far from normal. The launch of MMQ in April 2007 was the result of a lockout at Journal de Québec by publisher Quebecor (Sun Media). Locked-out staff members then launched their own newspaper, no. 202 is published today February 22.

At March 2 – if the lockout continues – it will be the longest newspaper labor conflict in French speaking Canada. The end of the conflict, however, is not near. Although the Minister of Labor appointed a mediator, the talks have not been resumed.

MMQ developed as a very professional paper. Yesterdays’ issue counted 24 pages, 6 of them filled with ads. But in the last weeks also editions of 28, 32 or even 36 were published. The paper contains breaking news on the front page, and has a mix of long and shorter stories, quality of photography is excellent.

According to Denis Bolduc, the spokesman for the 252 locked-out workers of the Journal of Quebec, increasing circulation and expanding the number of distribution points are things the paper is now considering. Circulation now is 40,000. MMQ also has a website were the paper can be downloaded as a pdf. All editions from 24 April 2007 on are available.

Lockout of employees is used by Quebecor nine times in the last ten years. Unlike a strike were employees refuse to work, a lockout is meant to prevent employees from working. Lockout is a typical North-American way of putting pressure on (unionized) employees. (SCFP – also for picture)

Although free dailies are all over Canada with a share of more than 25 per cent of the total newspaper market, Quebec City has no free dailies except MMQ. It is the second biggest city after Montreal with more than 500,000 inhabitants. Montreal has two free dailies: Metro and 24 heures by Sun Media\Quebecor. Even Ottawa with a French population half the size of Quebec City has an edition of 24 heures.

(On May 9, I will speak at the Canadian Newspaper Association’s conference in Toronto.)

This entry was posted on Friday, February 22nd, 2008 at 11:36 am and is filed under Titles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.