Member services

BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP

QCNA (The Quebec Community Newspapers Association) is recognized as the official representative of Quebec’s official language community newspapers by the federal and provincial governments, the public, and by the vast majority of Quebec’s community press whether independent, corporate, or not for profit.

  • This recognition is acknowledged in part by official ranking systems for media in regard to criteria for acceptance or inclusion on approved cost guides for the Government of Canada and Quebec.
  • Government ranking systems make specific reference to holding membership in recognized media industry associations.
  • Membership in QCNA provides a recognized “seal of approval” and an acknowledged level of quality assurance for decision makers at many levels. QCNA membership criteria outlines and upholds measures that adhere to recognized national and provincial industry and press council standards.


QCNA provides advocacy, government representation, marketing and promotion for Quebec’s community newspapers.

  • To ensure that governments, the public, the media industry, including advertising clients, are aware of QCNA newspapers and to keep them top of mind.
  • To represent the various needs of members in the areas of advertising and readership and to demonstrate QCNA collective and individual publication strengths.
  • To highlight newspaper challenges in official language markets and to provide possible solutions and establish partnerships that will benefit members and the association.
  • To demonstrate that QCNA provides an easy access point to reach official language newspapers in Quebec.
  • To represent members in areas of government activity that may negatively or positively affect members.  Examples are provincial and federal recycling legislation, official language action plan, research on community media and OL communities, programs such as the Publications Assistance Program, the Canada Magazine Fund and Canada Post.

  • Targeted government bodies:
    • PWGSC  (Department of Public Works)
    • Canadian Heritage
    • OL Senate Committee
    • Statistics Canada
    • Canada Post
    • Individual MPs and MNAs representing official language communities – usually matched with a newspaper primary market.
    • Communication Directors, federal and provincial departments such as Culture and Communications, Education, Industry and Agriculture.
  • Targeted newspaper and advertising industry bodies:
    • Canadian Community Newspapers Association/Canadian Newspaper Association
    • Provincial and state newspaper associations
    • Association de la Presse Francophone (key OL media partner)
    • Hebdos Quebec
    • Conseil de presse du Québec
    • Reseau Select
    • Quebecor Ventes Media
    • Cossette Media
    • Approved advertising contractors for the Government of Canada i.e.: Cossette and ACART

  • QCNA effectively monitors and develops important media lists and planning tools to ensure members are actively and appropriately represented.
  • QCNA employs a full-time Advertising Coordinator who ensures members are represented on these cost guides and approved media lists and tools. The advertising coordinator serves as the primary liaison between the agency of record, clients and member publications to ensure accurate and effective placement*.

    • * Inclusion on government-approved lists does not necessarily guarantee government ad placement for newspapers due to variables such as government strategy or budgets, frequency and penetration, overall or individual market circulation, readership affinity and or distribution methods, verified circulation status and or variance in production or editorial quality or ad to editorial ratio

  • Membership in QCNA provides access to a recognized and accepted low cost program for verified circulation (CMCA), a critical element of national and local advertising placement. Verified circulation is mandatory for admissibility to the publications assistance program or provincial community media assistance program.
  • Full membership in QCNA allows access to the national Canadian Newspaper Association (CCNA/CNA) programs and services such as full time Ottawa representation.
  • Membership provides access to the AWSOM digital newspaper archiving and electronic subscription service as well as to readership and audience research services such as COMBASE.
  • Membership provides publications with strong representation at important newspaper industry tables and meetings.

Professional Development and Education

QCNA offers regular training opportunities for all levels of newspaper employees and publishers across every sector of newspaper activity. Through face-to-face and online sessions and seminars, these educational opportunities are delivered by QCNA at below cost and subsidized prices.

QCNA develops and works with key industry partners to deliver high caliber sessions on sales, technology and production, editorial and legal issues for all platforms.

Communications and Support

QCNA keeps members up to date on industry issues and news through a regular newsletter, The Connector, containing relevant, timely and important items as well as best practices, tips and tools with links to vital programs and services offered throughout the industry. The Connector also serves to “connect” members by providing news about and from the newspapers themselves with items like transitions, appointments, anniversaries, and contributed member columns.

In addition, QCNA delivers regular email bulletins highlighting critical industry developments. Our consistently updated website, QCNA.ORG provides members and the public with easy access to important information about our newspapers including specs, data and rates, local, provincial, and national industry events, and scheduled education opportunities. The QCNA office employs an experienced and skilled staff that is available to assist members at short notice in real time.

The QCNA Better Newspapers Awards competition, conference and awards gala

Perhaps our most popular and recognized program, this annual competition recognizes excellence in journalism, production and sales across 32 categories provincially. Full member publications are also eligible to participate in the national newspaper awards program.  The competition culminates with an annual awards gala often held in concert with the QCNA annual general meeting and convention. The conference and gala provide an exceptional networking opportunity with industry colleagues, peers and professionals and educational sessions are scheduled and held on site.

Costs

QCNA membership fees are recommended for approval at the annual general meeting each year. Fees are the lowest of any newspaper association in Canada, and are currently $150 per year per publication.
In order to keep member cash output and membership fees to a minimum, members participate in the member donated ad space program up to a maximum of four donated pages per year. Members also participate in the QCNA blanket classified program. The blanket classified program offers additional revenue opportunities for members and provides support to all QCNA programs.