Today marks an important day for the Powell River Peak as we provide a copy of this week’s paper to our entire market.
Although counter sales at local outlets continue to be strong, we have faced a shrinking base of subscribers over the years. With today’s initiative, on a new publication day, we hope to reintroduce your hometown newspaper to many Powell River area residents and share it with newcomers.
We want to make sure everyone in our great community has a chance to evaluate our product and have it delivered by carriers right to your home. For many youngsters, it is the first paid work they undertake and sets them on a responsible path to their future.
The newspaper industry is facing unparalleled challenges in today’s digital world. Many communities have seen their local papers close or reduce publishing frequency or page counts. While the financial challenges of a local paper may not concern everyone, the reality is the loss of community journalists has real consequence. Newspapers also offer a solid connection between local businesses and customers.
A city or region without journalists attending council meetings, public hearings or school board meetings, and defining local events, leaves a void in terms of holding local government and institutions to account. Without journalists, stories about the accomplishments of youth and volunteers, moments of sporting glory and perspectives of artists, among other things, never make it into the public record.
As the world leans further toward online news sources, our journalists and other staff members continue their hard work to keep our readers’ attention. When we only consume news from online sources, we risk being disconnected from local words written or expressed by our fellow residents, journalists and neighbours.
We will continue our commitment to delivering local news using timely and effective methods through print and digital mediums. Articles and subjects can bring positive and negative reactions, often creating a bigger stir than necessarily intended. We embrace both. Either way, we value the opportunity to connect with readers.
Community journalism remains critical to a vibrant community. Our publication has had the privilege of documenting life here for more than two decades and we are planning to do so for many years to come.
Read our stories, look at the pictures and support the advertisers. If you like what you see and read, then we ask that you show it by purchasing a subscription and have the convenience of delivery right to your door each week.
We are offering a special rate to encourage everyone to count himself or herself as someone who cares about the quality of life here in Powell River.
Bring in a receipt from any business advertising in today’s issue, before June 1, 2018, and we will reduce our yearly subscription rate from $57 to $47.
It’s a small investment in the future of community journalism.
