Local Newspaper gets downsized !

If you read the The Daily Courier and look forward to the 8 page Vernon Edition that fronted the remaining sections which essentially are the Kelowna Courier you will be sadly disappointed with what has been imposed on the Vernon content of this fledging newspaper. The Vernon section of this newspaper has continually and constantly endeavored to function as investigative journalists and provide us with more behind the scenes and under the rocks viewpoints on our local city, especially on the Political Beat. Their candid and provocative editorials that caused our local MP to suggest sending all the reporters to the hoosegow and the honorariums for Land Corps appointees controversy that they broke are classic and worthy of applause. Their recent skewering of our Mayor in relationship to his appointment to the Super Regional Governance committee may have caused some consternation in the hallowed chambers of City Hall but it was fair political comment and worthy of debate. With a minimum of resources and backup the small number of employees raised the competitive and investigative reporting level in this town. They must have been effective as they inspired their cross town rival The Morning Star to raise their reporting and editorial skills to new heights over the last several years.

Now it appears that the Vernon component of the new 12 page front section of the paper purportedly labeled The Vernon Edition has been reduced to 2 pages. The First page and page 3 are all that seem to be left from the original 8 pages. The traditional editorial and opinion page of this newspaper now bears the Kelowna imprint and the managing editor is Kelowna based Tom Wilson. It looks like we can kiss goodbye the local content of Vernon on the editorial pages of this newspaper. Page 3 still bears the CITY page moniker and our local shit disturbing editor Scott Neufeld gets credit on top of this page only. For how long only time will tell.

I am a subscriber (and you know how hard it is to pry money from my stingy hands) and an advid reader of this newspaper. The decision to downsize the local content which may see some of your more proficient and readable columnists get less space boggles the mind. I would have suggested more reporting resources rather than less be used to increase the local coverage and increase circulation. Their head office decision last year to increase the daily papers cost was the first nail in the coffin and this reorganization is another nail.

It is my intention to write to both the local and the head office Kelowna editors of this paper next week to make my concerns expressed above known to them. (If they are blog readers they will have advanced warning of the content of this letter and the frustration that I feel. I do not want to go back to a one newspaper town and the resultant complacency that will ensue.)

If the Blog readers wish to write to these EDITORS to express their views, the e-mail addresses are:

• scott.neufeld@ok.bc.ca (260-4004) Vernon
  
• tom.wilson@ok.bc.ca (470-0741) Kelowna