Publisher’s Note: Local news can still thrive

Discourse Community Publishing CEO Brandi Schier presented a speech at the 2023 Business Excellence Awards highlighting how Revelstoke Mountaineer is one of the sure signs in Canada that local independent news can continue to thrive even if current fears might say otherwise. An edited version of that speech has been added for all readers.

My name is Brandi Schier and I’m the CEO and publisher of Discourse Community Publishing (DCP). DCP is a growing network of community news outlets based in British Columbia, including communities in the Interior, such as Kamloops and Sun Peaks. Our most exciting new addition is your beloved local publication, Revelstoke Mountaineer.

I’m extremely grateful to the founder Aaron Orlando, for reaching out and for trusting myself and my team with the next evolution of this magazine. Our reception into the community is a true testament to what Aaron was able to build here over the years.

I also want to thank the Mountaineer’s staff, Chris Payne and Melissa Jameson who have been instrumental in helping us through this transition with their wealth of community knowledge and enthusiasm

As I mentioned, I’m a community news publisher, and to be honest, it took me a while to fully own this title. Even back in 2015 when I first entered this space, people generally had questions after telling them you’ve invested in a community print product, in what many consider a dying industry. But now, almost nine years in, I can say with some pride that the potential I saw back then is continually being realized, and the fact I’m here with you all helps to show that. One thing my work in this industry has taught me is that there is so much power sharing stories of success in local news

I’m so passionate about the work I get to do because through my unconventional journey in journalism entrepreneurship I’ve been able to create jobs for people who share my love for community news. And along the way, we get to tell some amazing stories about the people and events that make up our unique communities. And that’s one of the reasons I’m so excited about what we can continue to create here in Revelstoke

At DCP, our mission is to reimagine journalism from the ground up: how it is produced and delivered, how it is funded and, most importantly, how it can serve communities.

One of the ways we do this is by listening to readers and residents by creating opportunities to learn what’s important to them. Thank you to everyone who has responded to our digital surveys. So far, we’ve learned you’re looking for information and solutions surrounding topics like affordability, housing, sustainability, — these are all complex issues that I believe we can try solve together. You also want to celebrate the stories and people that make your community great.

This mission also means that we are committed to slow journalism – this means taking the time to get it right, to be fair and accurate while also elevating diverse voices – even if this means not being the first out with breaking news. This allows us to prioritize impact over clicks, meaning the value of our journalism comes from the level of engagement and trust we have with our audience.

Our mission also relates to our business model. Our experience has shown the most resilient journalism businesses have multiple revenue streams. While a strong print product is appreciated and effective, especially in tourism communities, my experience as a business owner through COVID-19 showed me we have to find additional ways to fund our journalism if we want to move toward true sustainability.

Membership is one way to do this, which allows residents who value our community impact to contribute financially. While this is a slower growing component of our businesses, it’s extremely important, as it allows us to be accountable directly to readers, and keeps local news accessible to everyone in the community.

All of these components help us build toward our vision, which is to build an equitable media ecosystem in Canada.

While this might seem like a lofty goal, I take heart knowing that we are not alone in this fight. Not only do we have the support of the communities we serve, there’s also an increasing number of other independent news organizations who are working to change things, although this isn’t the story we’re generally told about local news in Canada.

The latest numbers show there are 270 Canadian independent local news businesses that are actively working to fill the expanding gaps in our local information systems. You may be shocked by that number, as we tend to focus on the declining trends. However, the latest count shows the majority of these businesses have been founded in the last 10 years, with B.C. having the highest proportion of new publications.

Imagine the power of flipping the script, and spending our time and energy having our national conversations about these outlets, and their real impact in communities?

This is something I try to do every day, whether it’s through my work here, or as co-chair of Press Forward, where I help represent the collective voice of Canada’s growing independent news outlets.

Part of this work has been mitigating the damage surrounding a recent piece of federal legislation, The Online News Act. This is a law that independent publishers didn’t advocate or ask for, yet we’re dealing with the unintended effects. While I don’t want to get into the sordid details surrounding the fight between massive international information platforms, our Canadian government, and legacy media, one thing is increasingly clear: It’s readers and communities who are being negatively impacted the most.

I wish I had more positive news to share on this front, however the possibility that Google may pull news from its platform by the end of this year is very real. My advice at this moment is to create or reinforce your direct connection with the news organizations you value. In Revelstoke you can do this by signing up for our email newsletters and not relying on third parties or apps to deliver your local news.

Together, the most powerful thing we can do going forward is to help shift the negative narrative: We’ve shown that local news has a future, and innovative solutions are underway. We don’t need to be saved. We need to collectively rally behind the local news services we value.