Canadians want more local news on health care; affordability tops national concerns: new CJF study

TORONTO, Oct. 13, 2026 /CNW/ - Canadians are highly interested in what is happening in their communities with health care the local issue that matters most, according to a new national study commissioned by the Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF).

The survey of 1,600 Canadian adults, conducted by Canada Pulse Insights, finds that 88 per cent are interested in news about their local community. Health care and access to care ranks as their top local concern, selected among the three most important issues by half of Canadians, ahead of roads, traffic and public transit at 39 per cent, crime, policing and public safety at 38 per cent, and housing, homelessness and development at 34 per cent.

At the national level, affordability and the cost of living dominates, most often identified as a top concern by 61 per cent of Canadians, followed by health care at 49 per cent and jobs and the economy at 30 per cent.

The findings also point to an appetite for more local reporting. Fifty-three per cent of Canadians say at least two of the three local issues that matter most to them receive not enough news coverage, including one-third (34 per cent) who say all three receive too little coverage.

"Clearly, Canadians care deeply about the issues closest to their daily lives--health care, affordability, housing, public safety and how their communities are working," says Natalie Turvey, CJF president and executive director. "They also want journalism that goes beyond the headlines, with more depth, context, accountability and reporting that helps them understand what is happening and what can be done about it."

Health Care Leads Local Priorities

Asked to rank their top three municipal or local concerns, Canadians selected:

• Health care and access to care: 50 per cent (rising to 62 per cent in Atlantic Canada and 61 per cent in SK/MB);
• Roads, traffic and public transit: 39 per cent;
• Crime, policing and public safety: 38 per cent;
• Housing, homelessness and development: 34 per cent;
• Local government spending, services and accountability: 31 per cent; and
• Local economy and jobs: 26 per cent.

Coverage Shortfalls on Critical Local Issues

Among respondents who prioritized these local issues, majorities say they receive too little news coverage. The exception is crime, policing and public safety, at 49 per cent.

• 61 per cent of those prioritizing health care say it gets too little local news coverage.
• Equally, 61 per cent of those prioritizing local government spending say it gets too little coverage.
• 57 per cent prioritizing housing/homelessness and 51 per cent prioritizing the local economy say the same.

High Interest vs. Local Information Gap

While 88 per cent of Canadians are interested in local news, only 70 per cent feel well informed about their local community (compared to 79 per cent for provincial news and 78 per cent for national news). Two-thirds (66 per cent) are satisfied with available local news coverage, while one quarter (26 per cent) are dissatisfied.

Demand for Depth, Context, and Accountability

When asked what is missing from news coverage, the most common answer was simply that it needs more coverage (15 per cent). Beyond that, respondents highlighted more depth, detail and analysis (13 per cent), solutions and action-oriented reporting (12 per cent), greater accountability for government actions (10 per cent) and how issues affect ordinary people (6 per cent).

Affordability Dominates National Agenda

Nationally, affordability and the cost of living was most often identified as a top concern by 61 per cent of all respondents. It was also the single issue Canadians most frequently asked news organizations to cover more thoroughly (17 per cent).

Traditional News Sources Remain Essential

On a typical day, 79 per cent of Canadians turn to at least one traditional news source (TV, radio, daily/local newspapers or their digital apps/websites). TV news programs lead at 48 per cent, followed by news websites or apps (34 per cent), radio (32 per cent), daily newspapers (30 per cent) and local/community newspapers (25 per cent). Meanwhile, 38 per cent get news from social media, one-half (51 per cent) use at least one social or creator source, 13 per cent rely on independent creators/influencers and four per cent use AI chatbots or search summaries for daily news.

Paid News Subscriptions

One-third (32 per cent) of Canadians currently pay for at least one news provider. Among subscribers, 57 per cent pay primarily for Canadian news sources, while 22 per cent split their subscriptions between Canadian and international outlets.

Methodology

This survey was conducted online with 1,600 Canadian adults by Canada Pulse Insights for CJF from September 11 to 22. The sample was drawn using an online panel managed by Sago and weighted according to Statistics Canada population estimates by region, age and gender. The margin of error for a comparable, probability-based sample of this size is ±2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Respondents were given the choice to complete the survey in English or French. Residents of the Territories were not sampled.

Detailed survey findings, methodology and charts are available on Canada Pulse Insight's website.

About the Canadian Journalism Foundation

Established in 1990, The Canadian Journalism Foundation promotes, celebrates and facilitates excellence in journalism. The foundation runs a prestigious annual awards and fellowship program featuring an industry gala where news leaders, journalists and corporate Canada gather to celebrate outstanding journalistic achievement and the value of professional journalism. Through monthly J-Talks, a public speakers' series, the CJF facilitates dialogue among journalists, business people, academics and students about the role of the media in Canadian society and the ongoing challenges for media in the digital era. The foundation also fosters opportunities for journalism education, training and research.

About Canada Pulse Insights

Canada Pulse Insights is a Canadian public opinion research firm specializing in national and regional studies on public policy, media and consumer behaviour. The firm adheres to the standards of the Canadian Research Insights Council and provides transparent reporting of methods and findings.

SOURCE The Canadian Journalism Foundation

For further information, please email Natalie Turvey, CJF president and executive director, at [email protected].