MONTREAL - The Quebec government has released details on how it plans to spend $36.4 million over five years to help the province's struggling print media.

Quebec Culture Minister Marie Montpetit said today print news media will have until Jan. 15 to present the government with plans on how they will transition to digital platforms.

She says $19.2 million will be dedicated toward helping media with that transition.

Another $5.2 million she says will be set aside for 156 community newspapers.

Montpetit says the remaining $12 million will be given to newspaper companies in order to help relieve them of part of the costs of recycling.

The goal of the aid package is to help print media cope with declining advertising revenue as well as competition from social media platforms that offer news free of charge.