Around the world, local journalism is changing – but local news remains more important than ever.
With the ongoing wildfires, both across the province and recently in our backyard, such as the blaze on Maple Mountain, Black Press reporters have been working around the clock, all hours of the day, to keep the public apprised of exactly what is happening.
We field private messages and phone calls from readers, asking us how to report a fire to the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) or where individuals can find information about evacuation alerts and orders.
We get sent addresses by those who are unsure if their properties are included in the alerts or orders, and personally go in to check the maps. We pass on all the information individuals need, and provide them the tools to access it themselves.
When disaster moves close to home, we jump to action.
We become more than just a newspaper, but part of a larger public support system.
We stress the little details, we wait anxiously by the phone and actively seek out answers to all of the pressing questions bearing down on the community. That’s the job. But we are only able to do this because we know the community.
We live here.
We have a rapport with regional districts, with the BCWS and the cities, and we know the best places to go to find the answers we need.
Large, national organizations, like the CBC or The Globe and Mail sit in offices far from the small communities they report on, and for all their talented journalists, they will never be able to do everything that a local paper can in a time of crisis.
In times like these, local news shines.
— Black Press
