July 20, 2010
Press turns for last time at Prince Rupert Daily News
The newspaper has broken the erstwhile rule and has become the news
By George T. Baker, The Daily News
The Prince Rupert Daily News, for 99 years the paper of record in the community, will end its historic coverage of the community and shut down for good today.
Residents and politicians alike marked the final day with sadness and regret, with some saying that the closure of a daily newspaper is reflective of the tough economic climate Prince Rupert is currently mired in.
“It shows that the town is really drying up,” said 19-year old Jordan McArthy.
McArthy who, like many residents in rainy Prince Rupert, once delivered the paper as a way to make a small allowance in her younger days, said that she enjoyed the free copy Wednesdays and Fridays, but admitted that she did not subscribe and rarely bought the paper.
“It’s really unfortunate. Everyone in town is talking about it,” she added. “It’s been here for so long, with so many people who started their journalism careers there.”
Longtime reader Doug Sankey echoed her sentiments. Sankey has been an avid reader of the Daily News since the 1950s and was dismayed that such a community icon would abruptly stop printing today.
“It’s a crime. It brought a lot of news from the outside world,” said Sankey.
All-Native Basketball Tournament president Peter Haugen said that he didn’t like the idea of anything closing down in town.
“It’s a big sign – that the Daily News is closing,” said Haugen.
The newspaper is shutting down after Glacier Media Inc. sold it to Black Press, who has subsequently shut the paper down. Representatives from Black Press have said that the closing is a business decision, feeling that the way the Northern View produces its content is the most sustainable way to operate a newspaper in this market.
However, talk amongst the community has been one of shock that the ‘newspaper of record’ will close.
Mayor Jack Mussallem agreed, saying that he worried about how he would communicate city plans with taxpayers.
“It’s a loss because, when you have a daily newspaper, people can follow events certainly more immediately than a weekly. And there are events where things happen that are of interest to the public at large. You miss that with a weekly newspaper,” reasoned Mussallem.
“The other thing is that a lot of people don’t realize the impact it will bring until afterwards. There have been a few generations here that have grown up with a daily newspaper. I’m sure that there are people who are going to miss it.”
In the past, the newspaper has played a vital role in holding politicians accountable and challenging the status quo in the community, said Mussallem.
Vacationing North Coast MLA Gary Coons said the closure of the paper was a complete surprise and that it’s a real disappointment.
“After close to 100 years, I think it is going to be a real hit to the community. But I guess it’s a sign of the times. Unfortunately, it’s not good for the community.”
Coons said his best memory of the Daily News is the people who worked at the paper. Every time something was happening in the community he saw people from the newspaper there.
“It will be devastating to the 20 people [on staff]. Anywhere else in the province, we would be talking to a 500-600 job loss equivalence.”
Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen said that a good newspaper is the recording of a community story.
He also dismissed the direction of newspapers in British Columbia.
“For a long, long time that has been the Daily News. To have that gone is a real loss. I’m frustrated with the media concentration going on in B.C. and the bean counters that make choices about things that are so critical as a local paper. It’s unfortunate.”
