A Look Back At 2025 & A Look Ahead At 2026
2025 was a big year for my journalism career. And 2026 will be even bigger!
Happy New Year!
2025 changed the trajectory of my journalism career.
What was supposed to be a relatively normal year became one of the most intense and rewarding periods of my professional life.
It began with covering the resignation of Justin Trudeau, a trade war between Canada and the United States, and then an early 2025 federal election. During the campaign, I travelled across the country on a flight pass, often filing stories from airport lounges and late-night flights. I loved every moment of it.
The year was not without challenges however. This summer, I lost my job. It was unexpected and forced me to rethink my plans. After the initial shock, I made a decision to turn that setback into an opportunity and finally pursue something I had wanted to build for years.
With seed funding from generous supporters, I soft-launched EMCN Media this fall while completing my undergraduate degree, which I have now officially completed.
I launched EMCN Media with a clear mission: to help Canadians better understand political, public policy, industry, energy, media, and cultural issues from a fact-based, common-sense conservative perspective.
The fall was meant to test the waters. The results exceeded expectations.
I launched with an exclusive interview with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and quickly saw strong growth across platforms. Since September, YouTube views have grown by 1100%, YouTube subscribers have grown by 1200%, and average YouTube view counts now exceed those of several major legacy media outlets operating with million-dollar budgets. Substack subscriptions have grown by 225%, and I have also received 4 million organic social media impressions.
The plan for 2026
With my degree complete, there is now nothing limiting my time.
Between now and the end of July, the goal is to produce 100 videos and launch a weekly newsletter, while travelling across Canada and abroad to:
Show how Canada remains broken under Mark Carney
Warn where the country is headed without a change in course
Show what is possible
Help Canadians better understand their country and political system
All of this will be done independently. There will be no government funding, no government advertising, and no money from political parties.
The first major assignment of 2026 will be coverage of the Conservative Party of Canada convention. The total cost for me and my cameraman is expected to be $3,000. A donor has already contributed $1,000, and we are now raising the remaining $2,000 to cover our flights, hotel room, and meals. Please consider supporting our GiveSendGo by clicking HERE.
Beyond that, I am currently securing capital to carry EMCN Media through to the end of July, as well as advertisers for at least 50 of the 100 videos planned.
The best way to support this work right now is by supporting our convention GiveSendGo and becoming a paid Substack subscriber by clicking HERE. And upgrade by January 10 to get the first month free!
Thank you to those who have already upgraded.
Also, if you are, or know, someone interested in advertising or contributing capital, please reach out to elie@emcnmedia.com.
With your support, we can help build a serious, independent media landscape and prove that high-quality journalism can thrive without government funding.
Thank you for being part of this journey in 2025. I look forward to what we will build together in 2026.
Elie Cantin-Nantel
Founder and Publisher, EMCN Media