The first time I ever received a cheque for my writing was back in 2018. The article was titled Another Drop and it was published in Vue Weekly, an alternative arts and culture newspaper in Edmonton.
I was ecstatic, over the moon, sweaty palmed – it was great and incredibly nerve wracking.
I interviewed a University of Alberta student completing her master’s degree in fine arts. The student artist had created an exhibition entitled Lacuna.
I didn’t want to miss anything or forget to ask something important, so I questioned her about her work for more than two hours. Thankfully she didn’t seem to mind.
I would go on to have four more stories published before I pivoted and pursued an internship overseas. Freelancing for Vue Weekly was of the coolest experiences I’ve had in my journalism career.
The subject matter was always different, and it introduced me to the creative side of a city often known for its blue-collar, average Joe persona – no offense Edmonton.
Vue Weekly was not able to overcome a growing trend affecting many small news publications across North America. After several years of a declining market for alternative weekly news, Vue Weekly ceased publishing at the end of November 2018.
News outlets closing up shop in Alberta, or even across the country for that matter, have become old news – pun intended.
A “News Desert” refers to a community that is no longer covered by daily or non-daily newspapers. The term emerged after hundreds of daily and weekly newspapers were closed in the 2000s and the 2010s in the United States.
The sad trend has been felt north of the border as well.
But where there are sad endings there can also be new and bright beginnings. Since the Cold Lake Sun has ceased its weekly print editions, Lakeland This Week and LakelandToday.ca have embarked on a new journey in a new market – the City of Cold Lake.
And while the city will not be left as a news desert, it is only because of the support of readers, residents, municipalities and business owners who have continued to support hyper-local journalism – your journalism.
Local news matters. Your communities' stories matter.
