Pontiac’s two local newspapers have had their distribution heavily disrupted by the ongoing postal strike, but are hoping their readers turn to their online editions for their news.
Sophie Kuijper Dickson, the managing editor of The Equity, a weekly English broadsheet based in Shawville, said that they have been making the digital transition for some time The strike has hastened their efforts.
“It is kind of like a wake up call. … It’s like ‘oh my goodness’. This is what it would look like if our newspaper wasn’t going out.”
Newspapers big and small across the country have long been struggling with the steady decline of print advertising revenue, though small, local publications have been hit the hardest. According to the Local News Research Project, since 2008, 525 local news outlets closed in 347 communities across the country, with roughly three quarters of those being community papers.
