Support local journalism
As most of you know, Colleen Sparrow is leaving her role as publisher next week, after 29 years of dedicated and committed service to Prince George and our news operations at the Citizen. As such, once again (I did it in 2007), I will have the pleasure of stepping in as interim publisher. I do want to take this opportunity to recognize Colleen for her dedication and caring service over all these years. Thank you, Colleen and good luck on your next chapter.
Prince George, the region, the province, the country, the world has all changed so much and so quickly in the past few weeks. We can’t really talk about the new normal yet because it’s still changing and nothing feels normal about it.
We’re all making radical adjustments to our personal and professional lives. That means we’re taking hard looks at what is essential to us.
I’m confident you’ll agree that having reliable access to timely, independent local news is more important than ever. Our news team has been working tirelessly at telling the story of how Prince George and area residents are dealing with the pandemic reality through our website and the weekly print edition.
Along with the main page of the website, we have introduced a new section dedicated to the latest news headlines about COVID-19 from The Citizen, our sister Glacier Media publications in B.C. and the Canadian Press. On that page, you’ll also find links to important resources to answer common questions, as well as connections to the various health authorities.
The Citizen team is working hard to keep you connected and informed. You can depend on us for factual, up-to-the-minute updates on COVID-19 to help you navigate this crisis.
But we need your help.
As it has always been, our stories, opinion and analysis will remain free and open to everyone. We are dedicated to continuing that coverage as long as it takes. We do not believe in a paywall for important local news, especially at this time.
That promise to you, however, comes at a significant investment.
Small, local businesses – of which we are one – are all under huge pressure to continue to provide essential services, while also trying to pay their bills and pay their valuable employees. We wouldn’t be here without the consistent support local businesses have provided The Citizen, making it possible to deliver the local news you value so highly. In other words, the news you read from The Citizen is free because these businesses are paying for it.
Right now, many of our friends in the business community can’t support us because they’re doing trying to keep their operations alive through this challenging time and support their loyal employees. So that’s why we’re asking you for help. Will you support local news when it needs it most?
We know many people can’t afford to invest in local journalism at this time but we also can’t afford to lose it, either. We are asking everyone who reads us regularly and appreciates our coverage to help support it with a monthly contribution or one-time gift at whatever amount you can afford.
Thank you for your consideration.