National Post
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The National Post is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper and the flagship publication of the American-owned Postmedia Network. It is published Mondays through Saturdays, with Monday released as a digital e-edition only.[3] The newspaper is distributed in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia. Weekend editions of the newspaper are also distributed in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Key Information
The newspaper was founded in 1998 by Conrad Black in an attempt to compete with The Globe and Mail. In 2001, CanWest completed its acquisition of the National Post. In 2006, the newspaper ceased distribution in Atlantic Canada and the Canadian territories. Postmedia assumed ownership of the newspaper in 2010, after the CEO of the National Post's, Paul Godfrey, assembled an ownership group to acquire CanWest's chain of newspapers.
History
[edit]This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2026) |
Conrad Black built the National Post around the Financial Post, a financial newspaper in Toronto which Hollinger Inc. purchased from Sun Media in 1997. Originally slated for an October 5, 1998 launch date,[4] the debut of the paper was delayed until October 27 because of financial complications that stemmed from Black's acquisition of the Financial Post,[5] which was retained as the name of the new newspaper's business section.[citation needed]
Outside Toronto, the Post was built on the printing and distribution infrastructure of Hollinger's national newspaper chain, formerly called Southam Newspapers, that included the newspapers Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald, and Vancouver Sun. The Post became Black's national flagship title, and Ken Whyte was appointed editor.[citation needed]
Beyond his political vision, Black attempted to compete directly with Kenneth Thomson's media empire led in Canada by The Globe and Mail, which Black and many others perceived as the platform of the Liberal establishment.[citation needed]
When the Post launched, its editorial stance was conservative. It advocated a "unite-the-right" movement to create a viable alternative to the Liberal government of Jean Chrétien, and supported the Canadian Alliance. The Post's op-ed page has included dissenting columns by ideological liberals such as Linda McQuaig, as well as conservatives including Mark Steyn and Diane Francis, and David Frum. Original members of the Post editorial board included Ezra Levant, Neil Seeman, Jonathan Kay, Conservative Member of Parliament John Williamson and the author/historian Alexander Rose.[citation needed]
The Post's magazine-style graphic and layout design has won awards.[clarification needed][6] The original design of the Post was created by Lucie Lacava, a design consultant based in Montreal.[7] The Post now bears the motto "World's Best-Designed Newspaper" on its front page.[8]
21st century
[edit]The Post was unable to maintain momentum in the market without continuing to operate with annual budgetary deficits. At the same time, Conrad Black was becoming preoccupied by his debt-heavy media empire, Hollinger International. Black divested his Canadian media holdings, and sold the Post to CanWest Global Communications Corp, controlled by Israel "Izzy" Asper, in two stages – 50 percent in 2000, along with the entire Southam newspaper chain,[9] and the remaining 50 percent in 2001.[9] CanWest Global also owned the Global Television Network.
Izzy Asper died in October 2003, and his sons Leonard and David Asper assumed control of CanWest, the latter serving as chairman of the Post. Editor-in-chief Matthew Fraser departed in 2005. Fraser's deputy editor, Doug Kelly succeeded him as editor. Pyette departed seven months after his arrival, replaced by Gordon Fisher.[citation needed]
The Post limited print distribution in Atlantic Canada in 2006, part of a trend to which The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star, Canada's other two papers with inter-regional distribution, have all resorted.[10] Print editions were removed from all Atlantic Canadian newsstands except in Halifax as of 2007.[11] Focussing further on its online publishing, in 2008, the paper suspended weekday editions and home delivery in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.[12] The reorientation towards digital continued into its next decade.
Politically, the Post has retained a conservative editorial stance, although the Asper family has long been a strong supporter of the Liberal Party of Canada. Izzy Asper was once leader of the Liberal Party in his home province of Manitoba. The Aspers had controversially dismissed the publisher of the Ottawa Citizen, Russell Mills, for calling for the resignation of Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien.[citation needed]
However, the Post endorsed the Conservative Party of Canada in the 2004 election when Fraser was editor. The Conservatives narrowly lost that election to the Liberals. After the election, the Post surprised many of its conservative readers by shifting its support to the victorious Liberal government of prime minister Paul Martin, and was highly critical of the Conservatives and their leader, Stephen Harper. The paper switched camps again in the runup to the 2006 election (in which the Conservatives won a minority government).
Like its competitor The Globe and Mail, the Post publishes a separate edition in Toronto, Ontario, Canada's largest city and the fourth largest English-language media centre in North America after New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. The Toronto edition includes additional local content not published in the edition distributed to the rest of Canada, and is printed at the Toronto Star Press Centre in Vaughan.[citation needed]
On September 27, 2007, the Post unveiled a major redesign of its appearance. Guided by Gayle Grin, the Post's managing editor of design and graphics, the redesign features a standardization in the size of typeface and the number of typefaces used, cleaner font for charts and graphs, and the move of the nameplate banner from the top to the left side of Page 1 as well as each section's front page.[citation needed]
In 2009, the paper announced that as a temporary cost-cutting measure, it would not print a Monday edition from July to September 2009.[13] On October 29, 2009, Canwest Global announced that due to a lack of funding, the National Post might close down as of October 30, 2009, subject to moving the paper to a new holding company.[14] Late on October 29, 2009, Ontario Superior Court Justice Sarah Pepall ruled in Canwest's favour and allowed the paper to move into a holding company.[15] Investment bankers hired by Canwest received no offers when they tried to sell the National Post earlier that year. Without a buyer closing the paper was studied, but the costs were greater than gains from liquidating assets. The lawyer for Canwest, in arguing to Justice Pepall, said the National Post added value to other papers in the Canwest chain.[16]
In 2010, an ownership group was assembled by National Post CEO Paul Godfrey in 2010 to bid for the chain of newspapers being sold by the financially troubled Canwest (the company's broadcasting assets were sold separately to Shaw Communications). Godfrey secured financial backing from U.S. private-equity firm Golden Tree Asset Management as well as other investors. The group completed a $1.1 billion transaction to acquire the chain from Canwest on July 13, 2010, forming the Postmedia Network.[17] The company's shares were listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange in 2011.[18] On October 28, 2011, the Post announced its first ever yearly profit.[19] In 2016, Chatham Asset Management acquired a 66 per cent stake in the Postmedia Network, resulting in the reduction in their staff, including a third of the National Post's editorial staff.[20][21]
In 2024, the National Post published two articles in which it advocated for the Russian documentary film Russians at War. The first article by columnist Chris Selley introduced the claim that this film showed the human face of the Russians and was therefore banned.[22] This statement was later used by the magazine Die Weltwoche and other media to which cinematographer Anastasia Trofimova gave interviews to defend her film after it had been banned from the Zurich film festival.[23][better source needed] In the second article by Chris Knight, "Russian-Canadian filmmaker battles attempts to suppress controversial film as Ukraine launches probe",[24] the idea was taken further, claiming a Ukrainian campaign against the film, whereas in reality the film was widely criticized by the international press and others.[citation needed]
Facilities
[edit]The National Post's main office is at 365 Bloor Street East in Toronto, Ontario. It was formerly located at 1450 Don Mills Road in the Don Mills neighbourhood of Toronto, which was vacated in 2012.[25]
The newspaper is published at Postmedia's Islington Printing Plant in Toronto's Rexdale neighbourhood, along with the Toronto Sun, London Free Press and various Postmedia and Metroland-owned weekly newspapers. The newspaper was previously printed at the Toronto Star Press Centre in Vaughan, Ontario, until the Toronto Star closed the site.[citation needed]
Notable staff
[edit]Editors-in-chief
[edit]- Kenneth Whyte, 1998–2003
- Matthew Fraser, 2003–2005
- Doug Kelly, 2005–2010
- Stephen Meurice, 2010–2014
- Anne Marie Owens, 2014–2019
- Rob Roberts, 2019– [26]
Staff
[edit]- Nicole MacAdam,[27] executive producer, Financial Post
- Terence Corcoran, FP comment editor
- Andrew Coyne, executive producer, comment & editorial (2014–2015)
- Diane Francis, FP editor-at-large
Columnists
[edit]The following is a list of past and present columnists for the National Post.[28][29]
Current
[edit]Former
[edit]Criticism
[edit]2006 Iran hoax
[edit]On May 19, 2006, the newspaper ran two pieces alleging that the Iranian parliament had passed a law requiring religious minorities to wear special identifying badges. One piece was a front-page news item titled "Iran Eyes Badges For Jews" accompanied by a 1935 picture of two Jews bearing Nazi-ordered yellow badges. Later on the same day, experts began coming forward to deny the accuracy of the Post story. The story proved to be false, but not before it had been picked up by a variety of other news media and generated comment from world leaders. Comments on the story by the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper caused Iran to summon Canada's ambassador to Tehran, Gordon E. Venner, for an explanation.
On May 24, 2006, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper, Doug Kelly, published an apology for the story on page 2, admitting that it was false and the National Post had not exercised enough caution or checked enough sources.[31]
Accusation of anti-Islam sentiment
[edit]From 1998 to 2014, the now defunct Canadian Islamic Congress (CIC) had been actively monitoring media coverage for anti-Muslim or anti-Islam sentiment and had issued reports highlighting its findings. It had opposed the use of phrases such as "Islamic guerrillas," "Islamic insurgency" and "Muslim militants" saying that terms like "militant" or "terrorist" should be used without a religious association "since no religion teaches or endorses terrorism, militancy or extremism."[32] The Congress had singled out the National Post, saying the paper "consistently is No. 1" as an anti-Islam media outlet.[33]
Allegations of bias
[edit]The advocacy group Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East has accused the Post of pro-Israel bias for publishing articles from the Jewish News Syndicate which it describes as "a mouthpiece for the Israeli military".[34]
Climate change coverage
[edit]In a 2021 academic study on the presentation of the subject of climate change in 17 mainstream media outlets in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the National Post came out as the worst in terms of its misrepresentation of the scientific consensus on the impact of anthropogenic climate change.[35] The National Post was found to represent scientific consensus only 70.83% of the time—noting the significant contribution of anthropogenic climate change—while 9.17% of the time it presented anthropogenic climate change and natural climatic variance as equally relevant, and 20% of the time presented anthropogenic climate change as a negligible phenomena.[35]
Institute for Canadian Values ad controversy
[edit]On September 24, 2011, the newspaper ran an advertisement paid for by the Institute for Canadian Values (ICV) which was hosted by Canada Christian College. The advertisement argued against the teaching of LGBTQ-related sex education topics in the Ontario school curriculum, and was criticized for alleged discrimination against transsexual, transgender, intersex, and two-spirited people. Following the controversy, the National Post apologized for the advertisement on September 30 and withdrew the ad from circulation.[citation needed]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "The birth of the National Post and 'the impending newspaper war'". Deprecated link archived October 23, 2020, at archive.today. CBC.
- ^ "AAM: Total Circ for US Newspapers". Retrieved June 21, 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "National Post to eliminate Monday print edition". Archived September 16, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. The Canadian Press. June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
- ^ "Black's daily to debut Oct. 5". The Globe and Mail, May 2, 1998.
- ^ "Black's newspaper delayed". The Globe and Mail, August 8, 1998.
- ^ "Lifetime achievement award: Lucie Lacava – The Society for News Design – SND". September 26, 2010. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
- ^ "The Post was so Black and Whyte". The Globe and Mail. May 3, 2003. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
- ^ See, for example, National Post issue of August 16, 2016.
- ^ a b "The newspaper war was fun while it lasted". The Globe and Mail, August 25, 2001.
- ^ "National Post limits Atlantic distribution". CBC News. March 29, 2006.
- ^ "National Post limits Atlantic sales to Halifax". CBC News. August 9, 2007. Archived from the original on October 14, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2007.
- ^ "National Post axes weekday edition in Manitoba, Saskatchewan". CBC News. October 30, 2008. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
- ^ "National Post halts Monday edition during summer" Archived July 25, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. newslab.ca, May 3, 2009.
- ^ Dabrowski, Wojtek (October 29, 2009). "Canwest says National Post could close after Friday". Reuters. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- ^ Friend, David (October 30, 2009). "Will judge's Canwest decision save the National Post?". Toronto: thestar. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- ^ Robertson, Grant (October 31, 2009). "No outside buyer, CanWest shuffles National Post". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Archived from the original on September 18, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2009.
- ^ "Postmedia Network opens new era for newspaper chain"[permanent dead link], Financial Post, July 13, 2010. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
- ^ Lam, Eric (June 14, 2011). "Postmedia begins trading on TSX". Financial Post. Archived from the original on February 7, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
- ^ "Post toasts 13th birthday with first profit". Archived from the original on October 30, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2011.
- ^ Lee, Edmund (July 16, 2020). "Under Hedge Fund Set to Own McClatchy, Canadian Newspapers Endured Big Cuts". www.nytimes.com. The New York Times Company. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 18, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- ^ "Quarterly Filings". www.postmedia.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- ^ Selley, Chris (September 13, 2024). "Chris Selley: Canada banishes a film with the nerve to portray Russians as human". National Post. Postmedia Network.
- ^ Ukraine cancelt russischen Kriegsfilm in Zürich: Regisseurin Trofimova über ihre Doku von der Front. YouTube. Die Weltwoche. September 27, 2024.
- ^ Knight, Chris (October 11, 2024). "Russian-Canadian filmmaker battles attempts to suppress controversial film as Ukraine launches probe". National Post. Postmedia Network.
- ^ "Postmedia Network Announces the Sale of 1450 Don Mills Road in Toronto | Postmedia". postmedia.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
- ^ "Postmedia names Rob Roberts editor-in-chief of National Post". Toronto Star. July 8, 2019.
- ^ "Contact Us". National Post. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
- ^ "Columnists". National Post. Retrieved December 13, 2011.[dead link]
- ^ "You Must Be This Conservative To Ride: The Inside Story of Postmedia's Right Turn". canadalandshow.com. August 12, 2019. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
- ^ Zeisberger, Mike (November 8, 2024). "Burnside 'covered League with integrity and passion' en route to Hall of Fame". National Hockey League. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
- ^ "Our mistake: Note to readers". Retrieved February 18, 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Hess, Henry, "Media's portrayal of Islam criticized", The Globe and Mail, September 24, 1998
- ^ Petricevic, Mirko, "When religion's in the news; Faith groups often voice outrage about unfair media reports, so scholars are trying to determine if the complaints are valid", Kitchener-Waterloo Record, August 25, 2007.
- ^ "Postmedia Called Out For Publishing Israeli Propaganda As 'News'". The Maple. December 8, 2023. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- ^ a b Lucy McAllister (2021). "Balance as bias, resolute on the retreat? Updates & analyses of newspaper coverage in the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia and Canada over the past 15 years". Environmental Research Letters. 16 (9). Bibcode:2021ERL....16i4008M. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/ac14eb.
External links
[edit]National Post
View on GrokipediaHistory
Founding and Launch (1998)
The National Post was established by Conrad Black, the Canadian-born British media magnate and chairman of Hollinger International Inc., as a response to what he described as a lack of ideological diversity in Canada's English-language national journalism, dominated by outlets like The Globe and Mail. Hollinger, which controlled Southam Inc.—Canada's largest newspaper chain at the time—invested in the venture to create a right-of-centre daily that would prioritize market-driven reporting and challenge perceived liberal biases in the press. The project stemmed from Black's broader strategy to consolidate and revitalize Canadian media properties under Hollinger's umbrella following its 1996 acquisition of Southam for approximately $1.4 billion CAD.[6][7] Originally scheduled for launch on October 5, 1998, the debut was postponed to October 27 due to unresolved financial and logistical hurdles, including printing press preparations and advertiser commitments. The first edition, printed in multiple cities including Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, had an initial run of 500,000 copies distributed nationwide, marking a bold entry into a market with limited national competition. Black personally distributed copies at launch events, emphasizing the paper's ambition to capture underserved conservative readers and foster a "newspaper war" against incumbents. Founding editor Kenneth Whyte, recruited from Saturday Night magazine, shaped the inaugural issue's tone with a focus on crisp design, opinionated commentary, and coverage of business, politics, and culture from a classical liberal perspective.[8][2][9] The launch was underpinned by Hollinger's full ownership of the National Post Company, a subsidiary formed specifically for the newspaper, with startup costs estimated in the tens of millions of dollars, funded through Hollinger's cash flows from its international holdings like the Chicago Sun-Times and Daily Telegraph. Black articulated dual motives: commercially, to exploit untapped advertising revenue in a consolidating industry; publicly, to inject competition and counter what he viewed as the Toronto-centric, left-leaning consensus stifling debate on issues like free markets and national sovereignty. Early reception highlighted the paper's innovative full-colour format and tabloid-sized sections, though it faced skepticism from industry analysts doubting its viability against The Globe and Mail's entrenched subscriber base of over 400,000.[6][7]Early Challenges and Ownership Shifts (1999–2010)
Following its 1998 launch under Hollinger International, the National Post faced immediate financial hurdles, with Hollinger reporting losses of $55 million in the newspaper's early operational phase as it competed against established dailies like The Globe and Mail. Hollinger's financial filings projected additional negative cash flow totaling $60 million over the subsequent three years, reflecting high startup costs, aggressive expansion, and slower-than-expected advertising revenue growth. These deficits contributed to broader pressures on Hollinger, prompting divestitures amid mounting corporate debts and investor concerns. In July 2000, Hollinger agreed to sell a 50% stake in the National Post to CanWest Global Communications as part of a larger C$3.5 billion deal for its Canadian newspaper assets, including 13 dailies and community papers; the transaction closed in November 2000, with CanWest paying approximately C$1.8 billion in cash plus stock and debt assumptions. On August 24, 2001, Hollinger divested its remaining 50% interest, granting CanWest full ownership and ending Conrad Black's direct involvement, though the sale price for this portion was not publicly detailed at the time. This shift aligned with Hollinger's strategy to offload non-core assets amid legal and financial scrutiny facing Black. Under CanWest ownership, the National Post's profitability issues persisted, with annual losses peaking at around C$60 million in 2001, prompting immediate cost-cutting measures including the elimination of 130 staff positions in September 2001 and suspension of dividends to conserve cash. CanWest's C$3.2 billion debt from the Hollinger acquisition strained operations across its holdings, leading to further efficiencies such as 350 job reductions in its newspaper division by late 2008 amid declining ad revenues and economic downturns. By 2009, amid CanWest's creditor protection filing and recapitalization, the National Post's ongoing unprofitability raised closure risks, as it lacked independent funding sources and contributed to parental liquidity crises.[10]Postmedia Acquisition and Modernization (2010–Present)
In July 2010, Postmedia Network Canada Corp. completed the acquisition of Canwest Publishing's print and online assets, including the National Post, for approximately $1.1 billion, forming Postmedia Network as Canada's largest newspaper publisher.[11] The transaction, emerging from Canwest's creditor protection proceedings, was financed through $110 million in Canadian term loans, $300 million in U.S. term loans, $275 million in notes, and equity investments totaling around $111.6 million.[12] This leveraged buyout saddled Postmedia with significant debt from the outset, setting the stage for ongoing financial pressures amid declining print advertising revenue across the industry.[13] Under Postmedia ownership, the National Post underwent operational restructuring to address these challenges, including a pivot toward digital platforms. In June 2017, the newspaper eliminated its Monday print edition to prioritize digital distribution, citing cost efficiencies and reader shifts online without immediate staff reductions.[14] Postmedia invested in digital infrastructure, expanding online content and paywalled premium access for the National Post, which reported revenue growth in recent quarters—such as a 13.9% increase to $110.8 million in Q2 fiscal 2025—driven partly by digital and marketing services.[15] However, these efforts coincided with broader cost-cutting, including multiple rounds of layoffs; for instance, Postmedia cut 11% of its editorial staff in January 2023, affecting National Post operations amid a wave of industry consolidations.[16] Financial strains persisted, exacerbated by the 2010 debt load and later ownership changes, such as U.S.-based Chatham Asset Management acquiring a two-thirds stake by 2022, which prioritized debt management over expansion.[17] Critics, including reports from outlets like the Columbia Journalism Review, have attributed Postmedia's frequent buyouts and closures—such as shifting 12 Alberta community papers (under the same corporate umbrella) to digital-only in 2023 with associated layoffs—to a "death spiral" of leverage and ad revenue loss, though company statements emphasize adaptation to digital consumer trends.[13][18] Despite these hurdles, the National Post maintained its editorial focus, leveraging Postmedia's scale for national distribution while navigating subsidy-dependent media economics in Canada.Ownership and Operations
Corporate Ownership and Financial Structure
The National Post is published by Postmedia Network Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Postmedia Network Canada Corp., the publicly traded holding company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols PNC.A and PNC.B.[19] Postmedia Network Canada Corp. was established in 2010 as part of a consortium led by former National Post CEO Paul Godfrey to acquire newspaper assets from the bankrupt CanWest Global Communications, including the National Post, for approximately C$1.1 billion, financed through a combination of equity investments and debt. As of 2025, approximately 66% of Postmedia's equity is held by Chatham Asset Management, a U.S.-based hedge fund that also controls American media properties such as McClatchy Newspapers and the National Enquirer parent A360 Media, raising concerns among Canadian media analysts about foreign influence over domestic journalism.[20] [21] The remaining shares are dispersed among public investors and minority stakeholders, with no single Canadian entity holding a controlling interest.[17] Postmedia's financial structure is characterized by high leverage and periodic restructurings to manage substantial debt loads, stemming from its 2010 acquisition and subsequent expansions. In fiscal year 2024 (ended August 31, 2024), the company reported total revenue of C$423.4 million, primarily from advertising (about 60%) and circulation, with gross profit of C$369.4 million but net losses driven by operating expenses of C$352.4 million and interest on long-term debt exceeding C$50 million annually.[22] Postmedia has undergone creditor restructurings, including in 2016 under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, which reduced debt by over C$400 million but imposed stringent covenants; as of early 2025, it continues to operate under a going-concern basis with liquidity ratios below 1 (current ratio 0.74), reliant on cash flows and occasional asset sales for solvency.[23] [24] The company's capital structure includes senior secured notes and term loans, with total liabilities significantly outweighing assets, reflecting a model vulnerable to digital ad market fluctuations and print declines.[25]Editorial and Production Facilities
The editorial operations of the National Post are headquartered at 365 Bloor Street East in Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4, which also serves as the primary corporate address for its parent company, Postmedia Network Inc..[26][27] This facility houses the newsroom, where journalists, editors, and production staff manage content creation for both print and digital platforms, including daily news gathering, opinion pieces, and multimedia output..[28][29] The Toronto location centralizes decision-making and leverages proximity to key Canadian political and financial centers, facilitating rapid response to national events..[26] Print production for the National Post occurs at Postmedia's Islington Printing Plant, located at 2250 Islington Avenue in Toronto's Rexdale industrial area..[30] This facility handles the high-volume offset printing required for the newspaper's daily and weekend editions, alongside other Postmedia titles such as the Toronto Sun..[30] In August 2017, Postmedia sold the property to RICE Group for $30.5 million but secured a long-term lease for operational continuity, ensuring uninterrupted printing capabilities amid financial restructuring efforts..[30][31] As of 2023, the plant remained active for regional printing consolidation, absorbing work from closed facilities like Windsor's..[32] Digital production, including website management, app development, and content syndication, is integrated into the Bloor Street headquarters, reflecting the shift toward online-first strategies in response to declining print circulation..[27] Postmedia's broader network occasionally outsources specialized printing to third-party plants, such as Metroland Media in Hamilton for certain titles, but the National Post relies on the Islington site for core Toronto-area output..[33] These facilities support a hybrid model, with editorial emphasizing investigative reporting and commentary while production focuses on efficient distribution amid industry-wide cost pressures..[27]Circulation, Distribution, and Digital Expansion
The National Post maintains a print edition distributed six days per week (Tuesday through Sunday), with home delivery options available five days weekly or on weekends in major urban markets, primarily across Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. Since June 2017, the Monday edition has been published exclusively as a digital e-edition to redirect resources toward digital platforms and strengthen financial sustainability. Print circulation aligns with broader Canadian newspaper declines, though specific audited figures for the National Post are not routinely disclosed in recent Postmedia financials; industry shifts have prompted reduced print frequency at Postmedia titles amid rising production costs.[34][35][36] Postmedia has emphasized digital expansion for the National Post, offering tiered subscriptions that provide unlimited access to nationalpost.com, ePaper replicas, and bundled content across more than 130 Postmedia digital and print properties, including reduced ads for premium users. This strategy has contributed to circulation revenue growth, with Postmedia reporting an 8.9% increase in the third quarter of fiscal 2025 (ended May 31, 2025) and a 10.3% rise in the first quarter, driven by digital paid access amid stagnant or declining print volumes. Website traffic to nationalpost.com rose 3.19% month-over-month in September 2025, reflecting sustained engagement in a competitive digital news environment.[37][38][39][40]Editorial Stance and Philosophy
Conservative Roots and Principles
The National Post was established on October 27, 1998, by Conrad Black via his Southam Inc. newspaper chain, primarily to challenge the perceived dominance of liberal-leaning national media and to amplify underrepresented conservative viewpoints across Canada. Black articulated that the motivation stemmed from observing a "soft-left bias" in major outlets like The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and the CBC, which he and his associates believed marginalized conservative perspectives in western Canada and the eastern conservative minority. This founding intent reflected a deliberate effort to foster a platform for traditionalist and libertarian ideas, countering what was seen as a liberal consensus that stifled diverse discourse.[6][8] At its core, the newspaper's principles emphasized rigorous journalism that distinguished factual reporting from commentary, while prioritizing enterprise-driven content, opinionated analysis, and a break from the "earnest" template of mainstream Canadian media. Black's vision included injecting humor, adventure, and bold national focus to disrupt what he described as a "nice little cartel" of established players, with an initial print run of 500,000 copies across nine cities spanning 4,400 kilometers. The stance advocated for free-market dynamics in media, individual liberty, and skepticism of institutional orthodoxies, aligning with Black's broader conservative ideology that favored [limited government](/page/Limited government) and Western cultural traditions over expansive state intervention.[6][8] These roots positioned the National Post as a small-c conservative alternative, willing to sustain losses up to $150 million over five years to gain traction, especially in Toronto against The Globe and Mail's stronghold. Under founding editor-in-chief Ken Whyte, the publication committed to quality over conformity, aiming to elevate public debate by representing views often sidelined in Canada's media landscape, as Black noted: "practically all of western Canada, and the sizeable conservative minority in eastern Canada, were practically unrepresented in the national media."[6][8] This foundational philosophy has informed its editorial approach, prioritizing empirical scrutiny and causal accountability in policy critiques over prevailing narratives.[3]Influences from Founders and Key Figures
Conrad Black, through his Hollinger International media conglomerate, founded the National Post on November 8, 1998, with the dual aim of commercial expansion and providing a countervoice to the perceived soft-left consensus dominating Canadian national journalism.[6] Black sought to challenge the Globe and Mail's status as the preeminent national paper by emphasizing skepticism toward establishment orthodoxies, vigorous national debate on issues like federalism and unity, and a clear separation between factual reporting and opinion.[6] His vision drew inspiration from the successful revitalization of the Daily Telegraph in London, prioritizing high-quality writing, enterprise journalism, and broader political perspectives to represent underrepresented conservative viewpoints in both Western and Eastern Canada.[6] Black's personal philosophy—rooted in advocacy for free enterprise, Western democratic values, and criticism of multiculturalism's excesses and bureaucratic overreach—profoundly shaped the paper's early editorial direction, positioning it as a defender of capitalist principles against what he viewed as media complacency with statist policies.[6] This influence manifested in the Post's commitment to unfiltered commentary, humor, and personality-driven writing, free from imposed corporate uniformity, which contrasted with the more restrained tone of competitors.[41] Black attributed the initiative partly to public-spirited motives, aiming to elevate discourse on Canada's national identity and economic vitality amid a media landscape he saw as insufficiently diverse.[6] Key figures amplified these influences: founding editor-in-chief Kenneth Whyte infused the publication with intellectual curiosity and irreverence, recruiting talent and establishing a newsroom culture of bold, personality-infused journalism during the rapid launch.[8] Columnists like Barbara Amiel, Black's wife and a neoconservative voice, contributed to the paper's hawkish stances on foreign policy and cultural issues, reinforcing its role as a platform for robust conservative critique.[6] Other early contributors, such as Neil Reynolds and Russell Mills, helped embed principles of fiscal conservatism and anti-elitism, while General Richard Rohmer suggested the name "National Post" to evoke a unifying Canadian focus.[6] These elements collectively steered the Post toward a philosophy prioritizing truth over consensus, influencing its enduring skepticism of progressive orthodoxies in media and politics.[6]Positions on Major Policy Issues
The National Post's editorial board has consistently advocated for fiscal conservatism, emphasizing reduced government spending, tax cuts, and deficit reduction as essential to economic growth. In response to the Conservative Party's 2025 platform, which proposed over $70 billion in tax reductions alongside $34 billion in new spending by 2028-29, the paper highlighted these measures as a pathway to fiscal responsibility, contrasting them with Liberal policies perceived as inflationary and unsustainable.[42] It has criticized Liberal accounting practices for masking fiscal shortfalls, arguing that such maneuvers obscure the true extent of debt accumulation, which doubled federal totals from $1.1 trillion in 2014-15 to a projected $2.2 trillion by 2024-25.[43][44] On immigration, the National Post has expressed concerns over rapid population growth driven by high intake levels, advocating for "very hard caps" and a shift toward skill-based selection to align with housing, infrastructure, and economic needs. Editorials have noted public sentiment shifts, with polls indicating 60% of Canadians opposing further increases and nearly half favoring mass deportations of unauthorized entrants, attributing strains like housing shortages to unchecked temporary migration that nearly doubled permanent resident targets from 260,000 in 2015.[45][46][47] The paper has highlighted investigative reporting on systemic issues, such as the sale of fake visas, underscoring failures in border integrity and assimilation.[48] Regarding climate change, the National Post maintains a skeptical stance toward alarmist narratives and associated policies, prioritizing economic impacts over stringent emissions targets. It has reported declining public prioritization of climate issues, with only 4% of Canadians citing it as a top challenge amid rising economic pressures, and critiqued Liberal commitments to net-zero by 2050 as detached from fiscal realities, especially amid stalled international progress.[49][50] Editorials have accused governments of politicizing the issue, portraying carbon taxes and rebates as ineffective burdens that fail to deliver verifiable environmental gains while exacerbating affordability crises.[51][52] In social policy, the National Post defends individual liberties against perceived overreach, particularly on issues like abortion and firearms. It has argued that Conservative leaders pose no threat to abortion access, dismissing Liberal claims as fearmongering given the issue's de facto settlement post-1988 Supreme Court ruling and lack of federal interference for over three decades.[53] On gun control, the paper aligns with conservative critiques of restrictive measures, framing them as infringing on self-defense rights without addressing root criminal causes, though it acknowledges urban safety concerns in balanced discourse. It opposes coercive elements in policy, such as mandates on charitable organizations to promote abortion services, viewing them as prioritizing ideology over pluralism.[54] Foreign policy editorials emphasize robust support for Western allies confronting authoritarian threats, framing conflicts in Ukraine and Israel as interconnected defenses of liberal democratic order. The paper has urged sustained aid to Ukraine against Russian aggression, criticizing delays in packages and viewing foreign troop deployments as legitimate escalations only if they deter invasion without direct NATO involvement.[55] On Israel, it has lambasted Liberal shifts toward equivocation as dishonorable and strategically naive, advocating firm backing amid Hamas threats and rejecting one-sided condemnations that undermine alliances.[56][57] This stance extends to broader realism, decrying Trudeau-era naivety exposed by events like the 2022 Ukraine invasion.[58]Notable Contributors
Editors-in-Chief
The founding editor-in-chief of the National Post, Kenneth Whyte, served from 1998 to 2003, overseeing the newspaper's launch on October 27, 1998, under Conrad Black's Hollinger International. Whyte, previously editor of Saturday Night magazine, shaped the paper's early emphasis on national unity, free markets, and skepticism toward prevailing orthodoxies in Canadian journalism.[8][59] Matthew Fraser succeeded Whyte in 2003 and held the position until 2005, focusing on investigative reporting and opinion-driven content amid the paper's transition following Black's legal challenges.[60] Fraser's tenure emphasized digital adaptation and editorial independence.[61] Doug Kelly, Fraser's deputy, became editor-in-chief in 2005 and served until 2010, navigating ownership changes including CanWest's acquisition in 2000 and subsequent financial strains. Kelly, a launch team member since 1998, prioritized cost efficiencies and maintained the paper's contrarian voice during the 2008 financial crisis coverage.[62][63][64] Stephen Meurice followed in 2010, departing abruptly in March 2014 after 17 years with the organization. Meurice, who joined at launch, emphasized bilingual operations and newsroom integration post-Postmedia's 2010 acquisition of CanWest assets, though his exit coincided with corporate restructuring under CEO Paul Godfrey.[65][66] Anne Marie Owens, the first woman in the role, was appointed in May 2014 and served until April 2019, rejoining from Maclean's where she had been deputy editor. Owens, an original 1998 staffer, advanced digital strategies and investigative series on topics like indigenous issues and federal politics, while managing print declines.[67][68][69] Rob Roberts, a "day-one" staffer from 1998 who returned after stints at The Canadian Press, assumed the position in July 2019 and remains editor-in-chief as of 2025. Roberts, with prior roles as national editor, has steered coverage toward data-driven critiques of government policy, including on inflation and foreign affairs, while expanding subscriber-focused digital content.[61][60][70]| Editor-in-Chief | Tenure | Key Prior Role at Post |
|---|---|---|
| Kenneth Whyte | 1998–2003 | Founding editor |
| Matthew Fraser | 2003–2005 | Deputy editor |
| Doug Kelly | 2005–2010 | Deputy editor |
| Stephen Meurice | 2010–2014 | Deputy editor |
| Anne Marie Owens | 2014–2019 | News features editor |
| Rob Roberts | 2019–present | National editor |
