Could Canadians finally get their grubby paws on Apple News, the iPhone maker’s curated news service which is only available in the USA, United Kingdom and Australia? According to a scoop by reporter Sean Craig at The Logic, Canada could be next in line for an Apple News launch.
The Logic says it spoke with a journalist who was told by an Apple headhunter a hiring spree for Canadian editors is set to begin “in the coming months”. While no exact launch timetable was mentioned, it appears Apple wants to launch Apple News in Canada “within the next year.”
The Apple headhunter from outside of Canada is seeking candidates from Canadian media, according to an unnamed source. Prospective candidates are being required to sign non-disclosure agreements to move ahead with any recruitment, mentioned the source. The company used by Apple to lure over Canadian journalists had “clearly worked” to learn about Canadian publications, noted the source.
Back in March, Apple acquired the Texture digital magazine service, which was partly-owned by Rogers Media, Hearts, Meredith and Condé Nast. The acquisition provided Apple with over 200 top magazines and access to worldwide leading publishers.
At the time of the acquisition, Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, said “We are committed to quality journalism from trusted sources and allowing magazines to keep producing beautifully designed and engaging stories for users,” suggesting Apple will do its part to combat ‘fake news’ from spreading, a problem which social media companies like Twitter and Facebook are struggling with.
Apple is also reportedly set to use Texture’s technology to launch a premium news subscription service.
This summer, Apple News in the U.S. launched a section dedicated to the country’s 2018 Midterm Elections, to provide users with information from reliable sources.
Canadians have long been able to acquire Apple News in Canada by using a simple workaround, but a localized version of the app is definitely preferred by many. Currently, Canadian iOS users have an Apple News widget which populates popular news stories.
Will we see Apple News in Canada launch with iOS 12? Probably not, but we may hear something at Apple’s special iPhone event set for September 12th, or even at WWDC 2019.
