Local news, supported by readers

Readers in markets across British Columbia have taken to showing their support for local news by taking out advertisements.

Inspired by Frances Bula (@fabulavancouver), Chad Skelton started this trend with an ad in the Peace Arch News in Surrey, B.C. Chad is a former reporter with the Vancouver Sun as well as a journalism instructor. Others have followed suit with ads in Cranbrook, Burnaby, Squamish and Abbotsford, to name a few.

Research from Mindshare’s Culture Vulture (trends that shape the Canadian marketing landscape) finds that Canadians are looking to detox from digital and turning to print products (newspapers and books) more during the pandemic and stay at home orders.  Some newspapers are leveraging this trend by asking for reader support specifically.

Glacier has launched Support Local News allowing readers to make one time donations or monthly donations to support local journalism.  Supporters of Ontario community newspapers can make donations through the central platform at the Ontario Community Newspapers Foundation site that has been refocused to help support local journalism through the COVID crisis.