Unpublished Media official statement re: Fall-out from Bill C-18

Dear Unpublished Media Members and Supporters, 

It seems we have been swept up in the battle between big government and the social media giants.

Due to the fallout from the government’s new Bill C-18, which passed through parliament earlier in the year, Facebook is blocking Canadians from seeing our Canadian content on the Unpublished Media Facebook page. Because Facebook is our primary social media distribution and engagement tool, their actions are directly, and negatively, affecting our business.

Unpublished Media Inc. is an online, interactive media company that focuses on current affairs and politics in Canada.  We are not news media. We don't produce news. We do produce podcasts, streaming shows and audience polls on Canadian issues in the news, but we don't create news like news media companies do. We also don't qualify for government support for news media organizations. To do so you need to employ at least two journalists and have an editorial board. We don't have either. 

We do, however, share Canadian news. We do so in order to help better inform and empower Canadians so they can share their opinions with our community and interested Canadians. That's what Unpublished Media is all about. Providing space and tools for people to share their ideas and opinions. To start discussions and/or debates on the issues that concern them most. 

As an online media company, we exist only in the virtual world of the internet. Which is why we use our social media channels to distribute content from our website http://unpublished.ca, and news from across the country and around the world.

Unfortunately, Facebook has incorrectly deemed Unpublished Media news media rather than just online media, as we are. We’ve gone out of our way since our inception 10 years ago not to be deemed or viewed as news media.  We've done this so we can help Canadians engage in Canada's political process, in a non-partisan manner, no matter their opinions and political allegiances. As long as they adhere to our Terms of Service, any member of the Unpublished.ca community can publish through its platform.

Nevertheless, the result is that Facebook has blocked Canadians' ability to see all of the content on our Facebook page. Including our company banners, apparently.

Service Changes

So, until this situation is rectified, Unpublished Media will make the following adaptations to its services in order to continue serving our members and supporters as best we can: 

1. The Unpublished Newswire > We’ve added comments and sharing for every article that comes through the Unpublished Newswire. Both Unpublished members and the general public can comment and share any article on the Unpublished Newswire. Unpublished Members, including Trial Members, will be automatically entered into a weekly draw for a $10 gift certificate of their choice;
2. Daily Headlines > We’re moving our “daily news-sharing” over to X, the app formerly known as Twitter. You can follow us at: https://twitter.com/unpubmedia
3. Weekly Newsletter > We're re-starting our weekly e-newsletter this week in order to share the top news stories of the week. Sign-up or become an Unpublished Member and help us build a community of informed and engaged Canadians, at: http://unpublished.ca/join
4. LinkedIn Page > We've created a new LinkedIn page for Unpublished Media. If you're on LinkedIn please follow us at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/77659709/admin/feed/posts/ 

With your help we will weather this storm. 

The team at Unpublished Media would like to thank-you in advance for your continued patronage and interest in evolving and strengthening Canada’s democracy.

Sincerely,

James O’Grady, President

Unpublished Media Inc.

Empowering Democratic Change 

PS: Don't forget to check out our podcasts, streaming shows and audience polls on Unpublished.ca, and to become a member of our community to publish your ideas and opinions on the Unpublished Media Network...