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QUEBEC — The Legault government has committed to holding parliamentary committee hearings in the coming months on the future of the news industry in Quebec.

Amid a financial crisis facing newspapers and other forms of journalism, Culture Minister Nathalie Roy said Friday a mandate to launch a parliamentary commission will be submitted next week.

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The last time the National Assembly studied the issue was in 2001. Since then, the situation has considerably changed, the minister said. More than a quarter of Quebec’s weekly newspapers has stopped publishing since 2010, with their number dropping from almost 200 to 143, according to culture ministry figures.

“The protection of Quebecers’ right to news is naturally a priority for the government,” Roy told journalists. “Access to quality, reliable and diverse Quebec news, in all its forms and in all regions of Quebec, is essential for democracy, and we support it.”