For the year of its independent existence The Post was, as stated by one reader, “A newspaper that takes a stand on behalf of a community; a newspaper that articulates its position through editorials; a newspaper that is not afraid to speak out!”
Readers were treated to political columns penned by three local columnists; an editorial page that was wide open to any subject of interest and importance to the community; an editorial page that granted letter writers words enough to develop arguments and ideas; stories and editorial comment on important community issues such as Plan A.
Readers wrote to express their gratitude for a newspaper that was “… and being ‘different!’ We need another voice for the public…” and the fact that all in all the Post was a “…must read publication.”
Catastrophe, as is so often the case, struck without any warning several weeks ago when CanwestGlobal’s purchased The Post making it part of the Abbotsford Times.
Quietly and without fanfare THE VOICE of public debate, discussion and an informed electorate in Abbotsford was silenced. Bound by the banal, spiritless and don’t rock boat editorial polices of the Times, Post readers have lost political commentary by local columnists and the only free, wide ranging editorial page in Abbotsford.
The timing for the citizens of Abbotsford could scarcely have been worse with this November’s municipal election looming and of such importance to the direction and future of Abbotsford.
When I was growing up community newspapers were a vital part of the community. Were, past tense. Today newspapers are part of chains, often chains with cross-media ownership, no longer rooted in the community but bound to head office and far away ownership.
Ideally Canwest Global would be required to divest itself of either its Vancouver television station, Vancouver Sun, The Province or Abbotsford Times. This does not seem any more of a realistic expectation than hoping for a return to the days of independent owned, community based newspapers.
The problem with CanwestGlobal’s purchase of The Post is that management of the Abbotsford Times quickly proceeded to remove the independent and wide open editorial content from the Post, without changing its (the Times) own editorial policies to be more open and reflective of the entire community not just “the old boys club/network”.
I am not sure how one goes about ensuring wide ranging and open editorial independence that responses to and reflects the needs of the community in which a newspaper resides.
I do know that individual communities and Canada as a whole have lost something vital in losing these independent voices to conglomeration. Given a world and issues of ever increasing complexity, we need to promote and develop independent voices in order to provide citizens with the information required to make the informed decisions needed in order to prosper.
