In the eight years since the former NDP government changed rules governing Alberta’s municipalities, newspaper publishers say they’ve seen a once stable revenue stream evaporate and relationships with local governments become more politicized.

The Municipal Government Act (MGA) requires municipalities to advertise certain proposed bylaws, resolutions, public hearings and other government business. The act previously specified public notices be placed in newspapers as paid advertisements or delivered directly to residents, but it was amended in 2017 to allow municipalities to write bylaws authorizing the use of alternatives like social media and online advertising.