News/Media Sources

Overview

Ottawans get their news from a variety of sources: in print with newspapers and magazines, on the radio or television, and now online.

The major daily paper is the Ottawa Citizen, and the Ottawa Sun provides a more conservative perspective with a high concentration of interest on sports. Metro is a brief free daily paper that gives bite sized info for those on the go—it’s especially good for commuters riding public transit, covering local news as well as all the “water cooler” hot topics from entertainment and sports. Le Droit serves the Francophone community in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.

In addition, there are several free community newspapers home-delivered that offer news focused specifically to the region of the city you live in. These often feature articles such as construction and development of the area, as well as human interest stories. Many long-standing community papers have been purchased and folded into the EMC/Ottawa Community News brand. There are also a large number of college/university papers that offer journalism students experience covering local news, as well as news affecting the student body.

For those with a political bent, reading the Hill Times, the Wellington Street Post or the Diplomat Magazine is a must. For those generally interested in Ottawa, check out Spacing Ottawa online or Ottawa Life Magazine.

If you enjoy talk radio, CFRA, 1310 News or the excellent CBC Radio One are great options. On TV, most English-speaking viewers watch either CTV or CBC for local, national and international news, and Francophones can watch V, TVA or ICI Radio Canada, the French branch of the CBC.