Hi there,

When I think back on this past year, the only real word that comes to mind is noisy. There’s been a lot of noise, at times seemingly at dangerous decibels. It’s been a cacophony of uncertainty from south of the border and elsewhere, resulting in “elbows up” and other vocal reactions. 

Almost every conversation about news media and our industry is getting louder about the lightning-fast developments in AI and its potential effects on already threatened democratic systems. Even down to municipal levels, it can feel like we’re hearing nothing but infighting, division and disinformation.

It’s a lot to try to listen to, and it’s a lot to try and tune out.

While I’m not saying there haven’t been moments of overwhelm, here at Discourse Community Publishing — a family of independent local news outlets that include The Discourse, Sun Peaks Independent News, The Wren and Revelstoke Mountaineer — we’ve concentrated on what we do best: community.

As the world gets louder, we’ve leaned into quiet and meaningful conversations with each other, our sources and our neighbours. It’s not a panacea, but it’s definitely medicine.

Our Vancouver Island team has continued to show up for its communities where they’re most needed, not shying away from uncomfortable conversations and topics. They’ve amplified the voices of those most affected by the province’s ongoing drug health crisis, an emotional and close-to-home topic.

They’ve tabled and hosted events for International Womens’ Day, Pride and Cowichan River Day, talking to readers and learning more about the things that matter to them. They’ve championed and supported local artists, musicians and filmmakers at every opportunity, promoting and attending these important cultural events.

The Wren readers gathered on a winter evening for a fun game of community trivia.

Our outlets in the B.C. Interior attended numerous farmers’ markets in our communities, listening to readers’ and residents' concerns and ideas, sparking connections that became some of our most impactful stories of the year.

We hosted municipal byelection forums, bringing the community’s questions directly to candidates in both digitally accessible and in-person formats.

We even infused a bit of joy into some dark winter nights with community-themed Trivia Nights, collaborating with some great friends and neighbours.  

Candidates for Sun Peaks council speak at an election forum in March 2025. 

It's in our mandate to show up to events instead of just relying on the press releases; conduct in-person interviews instead of jumping on Zoom, and meet up to get the photo instead of pulling one from social media. 

These are small moments and efforts, but together they add up to something bigger, something that’s been able to rise above the noise and remind us of our purpose.

It’s also been helpful to lean into conversations with my industry peers, learning from each other and venting about the never-ending challenges independent publishers face.

Through my work with other independent Canadian media outlets at Press Forward, it’s been a breath of fresh air to have real conversations about tangible actions we can take within our own newsrooms and also ask for what we need to see from Ottawa going forward to support more robust local media. 

Publisher and CEO Brandi Schier, centre, speaks to Senator Cardozo about the harms of framing the media landscape using a crisis narrative when independent local outlets are making such an outsized impact across Canada.

Collectively, our news outlets service roughly 40,000 newsletter subscribers across six communities, and we appreciate every single one of you.

We read every email, every comment and every handwritten note you send. We count every dollar and celebrate every milestone in our fundraising campaigns — not only because it means we can continue to operate, but also because it shows that you’ve heard us.

By building on our strengths and sticking to our roots, we’ve somehow cut through the static. But we can't do this without your help. If you've ever considered contributing $20 a month or $5 to this news service, now is the time to support.

If you’re reading this far, you likely see us as an important community partner heading into whatever the hell 2026 happens to have in store for us. Our appreciation for that fuels our work as much as the money does, and I don’t think that will ever change.

I’d love to say that things will get easier, but I think the more important message here is that as the world gets louder, let’s continue to deepen our hyperlocal relationships and understandings. 

While we may not always comprehend what’s happening at a global level, we can understand what’s important to our neighbours. 

And sometimes that all starts with a magical little conversation between a reporter and someone who thinks they might have something important to say. They just need someone to tune everything out and listen for a moment.

If you haven’t yet joined our growing community of local news champions, it’s not too late to support us in producing local journalism and events in 2026. Every single contribution counts. 

Thank you for being here,