When we asked Nanaimo residents if they wanted The Discourse to come to Nanaimo, the answer was a resounding, ‘Yes.’ Together, you’ve helped shape an in-depth local news outlet by Nanaimo, for Nanaimo. You’ve helped us spread the word to neighbours and informed three reporting series.
But the best part of The Discourse Nanaimo’s work so far, from my vantage point, has been putting local journalists back to work.
Reporters like Julie Chadwick are part of the lifeblood of this community. Through good times and bad they show up and listen, dig deep into issues you care about and inform our decision-makers, while holding them to account.
As Julie puts it, in-depth, solutions-focused local reporting is a remedy to today’s social ills, from misinformation to the division it breeds. “An actual deep look at the issues, what is behind it and not just what’s happening, but why is it happening,” she says, is refreshing to readers and the journalists that produce it.
Since The Discourse Nanaimo officially launched in December, we’ve put people like Julie Chadwick, Hilary Eastmure and Rae-Anne Guenther back to work doing local journalism that connects the dots on complex issues like rental affordability informed by your feedback, ideas and lived experiences.
But in-depth, community-powered investigative reporting like our ongoing series Making Rent takes time and money—and we need your help. Can you help us reach 200 new monthly supporters so we can keep hiring local journalists to produce high-quality, in-depth reporting that’s paywall free?
By pitching in just five dollars a month, or a bit more if you have the means, you can help us hire local journalists to produce newsletters and in-depth resources that inform and uplift.
Monthly contributions gives us the financial security to deliver our newsletter, Nanaimo This Week, and plan for future investigative series. We don’t publish our work behind a paywall or rely on traditional advertising so we can stay accountable to you. Every dollar you contribute goes directly to funding this important work. (You can read more about our business model here).
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So far, we’ve covered big stories like the local housing and homelessness crisis, Nanaimo’s most notorious abandoned buildings and launched a weekly newsletter that connects you to the people that makes this place special. We know from your letters and comments that this kind of context-rich, big picture reporting resonates with you.
As reader Jess put it, “I appreciate having this kind of quality, in-depth news source and storytelling here in Nanaimo/Snuneymuxw and I hope you get all the support you need to keep it going.”
This kind of careful, in-depth journalism requires community, time and money.
You have already made this important work possible by sharing your feedback, responding to our surveys and helping us spread the word.
Some of you have already stepped up to the plate and become supporters—if that’s you, thank you! Your financial contributions are already directly making our series Making Rent possible and keeping our work free for all.
Whether you sign up as a monthly supporter or just spread the word about this work, each one of you makes a difference.
So one last thing—thank you. When we say community-powered, we mean it. You, the people of Nanaimo, make community-driven journalism possible. Help us reach 200 monthly supporters by March. 26 by becoming a member today. We’re just getting started. [end]
