A Symposium on Incubating Local News in the Maritimes- Sackville
Local News Matters is a one-day symposium to bring together journalists, citizens, experts, and community leaders to talk about how to expedite the rebirth of local news in the Maritimes.
Local journalism supports resilient communities, healthy democracies, and vibrant economies. Communities can be the ones to help bring back local news.
Local News Matters participants and panelists will discuss:
- What communities need from their news
- How existing local outlets are serving their communities
- What needs to be done to sustain and seed the growth of local news projects
April Lingdren, of the Local News Research Project, will kick off the event with a keynote address. The symposium will conclude with a facilitated workshop designed to help boil down activities and next steps for participants to take home and make their own.
10am: Keynote address by April Lindgren
11:15am: PANEL 1: What do communities need from local reporting?
Featuring Jo-Ann Roberts (former CBC journalist and author of Storm the Ballot Box); Paul MacNeill (publisher of PEI’s Eastern Graphic and associated Island Press newspapers); Darrell Cole (former reporter for Amherst News / Citizen Record); and Marcel Parker-Gallant (Assistant general manager, Radio Beauséjour)
12:05pm to 1:25pm: Lunch break (lunch not provided)
1:30pm: PANEL 2: What are you doing and how are you doing it?
Featuring Vicki Hogarth (News Director, CHCO-TV and St. Croix Courier, St. Andrews, NB); Maureen Googoo (Owner/editor Kukukwes.com); David Gordon Koch (Reporter, New Brunswick Media Co-op and instructor, St. Thomas University); Larry Lynch (Editor/webmaster, Miramichi Online), Theresa Blackburn (Publisher/managing editor, River Valley Sun)
2:30pm: PANEL 3: What tools are out there for startups or existing outlets?
Featuring Terra Tailleur (Professor of Digital Journalism and the Business of Journalism, University of King’s College J-School); April Lindgren (Local News Research Project); Tim Bousquet (Editor & Publisher, Halifax Examiner), Ariel Freiman (media strategist & founder of CoNEX)
3:30pm: FACILITATED WORKSHOP:
What can we do to facilitate the revival and survival of local news? Hosted by facilitator Annika Chiasson.
