A former councillor in Prince George has purchased the cityB次元官网网址檚 only newspaper after watching multiple outlets in other British Columbia Interior communities shut down last year.
Cameron Stolz is the new owner of the 108-year-old Prince George Citizen after buying the paper from Glacier Media.
Stolz, a businessman who owns a toy and comics store, said he entered talks to buy the weekly newspaper last November after outlets in Fort St. John and Dawson Creek closed, followed soon after by the newspaper in Kamloops.
He said he was worried that the Citizen, which lost about $56,000 last year, would be the next to go.
B次元官网网址淚 do believe firmly that there is a need for local news for communities, I believe that thereB次元官网网址檚 a need for people to be aware of whatB次元官网网址檚 going on in their community and be able to find a trusted source of information on their stories,B次元官网网址� Stolz said.
B次元官网网址淚 also believe that local communities need to have their elected officials being watched, you know? (With reporters) paying attention to what theyB次元官网网址檙e doing, and then reporting what theyB次元官网网址檙e doing to the community to inform people.B次元官网网址�
The number of local newspapers in Canada has been in steady decline for years, with a steep drop in 2023 after the end of pandemic-related government supports.
A study out of Toronto Metropolitan UniversityB次元官网网址檚 School of Journalism found that between Jan. 1 and Dec. 1, 2023, 36 local news outlets closed in Canada. Twenty-nine were community newspapers and seven were privately owned radio stations.
Stolz said he didnB次元官网网址檛 expect the Citizen to become incredibly profitable but believed he could turn things around to the point where he would hire more reporters in 18 months.
B次元官网网址淚 never envisioned the Citizen being something thatB次元官网网址檚 going to be buying me a new vehicle. ThatB次元官网网址檚 not the case,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淚f we go from a $56,000 loss to a $56,000 profit that means I can spend that money on additional wages for additional reporting.B次元官网网址�
He says his plan focuses on being B次元官网网址減ro-Prince George,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址減ro-solutionB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址減ro-businessB次元官网网址� while remaining connected to the community.
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