#207 Village Of The Sprawling Phoenix: New Models for Local News

November 13, 2017

CANADALAND

Is local media doomed? We speak to three entrepreneurs who are making a go of it with three very different models.

Jesse Brown

Host & Publisher

Kevin Sexton

Producer

The Moose Jaw Times-Herald is shutting down next month after serving the community for over 125 years. Other local newspapers like the Nanaimo Daily News and the Guelph Mercury have also recently ended long runs.

Meanwhile, national news institutions like the CBC and the Globe and Mail have dramatically cut back on local coverage.

So what now?

We speak to three entrepreneurs who are trying to fill the gap in local news.

Dave Bidini publishes the West End Phoenix, a recently-launched, print-only monthly newspaper that covers west Toronto.

Jeff Elgie is the CEO of Village Media, a digital-only company that provides hyper-local news to nine small communities, mostly in Ontario.

Jeremy Klaszus is the founder and editor of The Sprawl, a Calgary news site that practices “pop-up journalism.”

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