At a time when news outlets are falling into decline and disappearing from the map, Jeff Elgie has been steadily growing Village Media from his base in Sault Ste Marie, Ont. In the process he has wound up at the centre of one of the most important debates of the digital news era: how to effectively sustain journalism and, by extension, the strength of our democratic fabric. He talks to host Edward Greenspon about the government's recently announced $100-million agreement with Google, and what motivates him to keep fighting for local news.