Island Social Trends
(previously West Shore Voice News)
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Professional news service:
Island Social Trends is a professional news service based in Langford, BC. Attentive readers in the west shore and the broader Greater Victoria and south Vancouver Island region appreciate our local, regional, provincial and national insights. We participate in BC Legislative news reporting, as well as local and regional.
Daily professional news coverage is available to all readers at islandsocialtrends.ca as part of our commitment to independent journalism as a key component of an informed knowledge-based society which supports a vibrant economy, inclusive society, and open democracy.
This is independent journalism that aims to inform individual citizens and to enhance the conversation among various sectors of society, economy and politics.
Our work is also thought leadership; ideas presented and analyzed in the news serve to build relationships across lines within the business and community leadership sectors; this is community service is part of the Island Social Trends mission statement to support a knowledge-based society and economy.
Editor Mary P Brooke reports with the BC Legislative Press Gallery.
Advertisers, Sponsors & Subscribers:
Advertisers appreciate our digital reach at islandsocialtrends.ca and active social media platforms including Twitter @IslandSocTrends (where we have blue verification checkmark status) and Facebook @IslandSocialTrends, as well as by free ENews by email, and the paid Premium Subscription access to the Premium Portal within islandsocialtrends.ca plus a digest of all articles that are posted online (with additional editorial analysis).
We supply local coffee shops, rec centres and libraries with Island Social Trends ‘latest news’ rack cards in west shore locations (Langford, Colwood and View Royal), where patrons have easy access to our news. Island Social Trends reminder flyers are distributed around local west shore neighbourhoods.
Sponsor-investors can make an annual payment in support of independent journalism (link on our sponsor page but no advertising spots).
The news we write:
Think-tank journalism. We don’t cover everything, but we do go deeper or take a wider scope of analysis through a socioeconomic lens. Top topics include food security, education, transportation, business, the economy, and politics (local, regional, provincial and federal).
Something for everyone. We offer journalism that stimulates thoughtful reflection for individuals, families, business, community, and society as a whole. We cover current news and go deeper where insights are found.
Why South Vancouver Island? We appreciate the west shore and south Vancouver Island region for its natural beauty and the shared drive of its people to do better. We live and do business here. This region — in general — is a leader of lifestyle thought and change; we like being part of that through our articles and community connections and hope that our writing contributes to the broader well-being of the socioeconomic dynamics of this region.
Serving community. We help communities come together through storytelling and thoughtful dialogue. This has been our mission from day one (publishing since 2008).
SPRING 2023: Monday April 17. Island Social Trends will be covering the BC Legislative Assembly Monday-to-Thursday, to May 11. Then off for the summer, reconvenes October 3. | Parliamentary Calendar.
MORE ABOUT ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS
FORMATS
- DAILY NEWS PORTAL (this website): Daily news about local communities and beyond, with a socioeconomic perspective. News by region including politics, economy, food security, health, education, technology, and things that affect the success of our daily lives. Analysis and insights on stuff that matters, forging the way forward to the new normal. Articles posted at islandsocialtrends.ca | (WSVN) ISSN 2368-9382
- PREMIUM NEWS PORTAL. For paying subscribers — ENEWS digest by email with additional editorial insights, links, leads and calendar notes, plus access to premium news section. Subscribe to get Login.
- FREE ENEWS. Receive a basic digest of all links/articles as posted within this website. Subscribe to the free Island Social Trends ENews.
- PRINT EDITION ran weekly in tabloid & PDF format 2011-2020. Starting in 2023, top articles will be distributed on flyers and rack cards in local communities.
- SOCIAL MEDIA: We publish regularly on Twitter at @IslandSocTrends to a regional and national audience, and to a west shore audience on Facebook at IslandSocialTrends.
- PREVIOUS PUBLICATION NAMES: The Island Social Trends news mission started in 2008 — first as MapleLine Magazine 2008-2010, then Sooke Voice News 2011-2013, then West Shore Voice News 2014-2020, always with a socioeconomic lens on the news. Island Social Trends emerged mid-2020, fully online as a daily news portal at islandsocialtrends.ca .
MISSION STATEMENT
- We are motivated by how journalism supports community growth and development as appropriate for a robust sustainable economy and progressive supportive society.
- We aim to inform readers with information intended to help people make up their own minds about the issues of the day. We follow the principles of Plain English and Accessible Writing, so that readers are best-served.
- We support a knowledge-based economy and society. When people can make their own decisions based on facts and information, socioeconomics, science, and with perspectives from as many angles as possible, there is an opportunity for more tolerance and prosperity for everyone.
- We hope to make a meaningful contribution to your day, your perspective, and your success in life through our reliable journalism which includes critical thought and sensitive analysis.
- We produce articles that you won’t find anywhere else, because it’s important to ‘tell it like it is’. Subscribers get additional news analysis and insights.
BUSINESS MODEL
- Island Social Trends is an independent media entity. Independently owned and operated as a business registered in BC, delivering independent journalism to the south Vancouver Island region and beyond.
- We follow professional standards of the Canadian journalism industry. Published articles adhere to Canadian Press Style Guide (with custom adaptations for style and brevity, and online presentation). We write in Plain English and follow the practice of Accessible Writing.
- We provide a community service through journalism which informs the community about itself. As such, we offer special discounts for non-profits and special causes. There is a custom package for municipalities.
- Our revenues are generated entirely from subscriptions to our Premium ENews edition and through advertising (within this web portal, in social media, and in the ENews Digest to subscribers). Your ads and subscriptions contribute to independent media in this region; we have made a significant contribution to public discourse in the west shore and south Vancouver Island since 2008.
- Why subscribe or advertise? Advertisers and subscribers support the role of independent news. Subscriptions help you stay current with our coverage. Ad placements for your business or organization can foster good exposure for your business, organization or campaign.
JOURNALISM
Our content is original journalism. Where we use news releases as supporting documentation, that will be indicated. We welcome opinion-editorials from community leaders. Freelance writers and photographers may contact us for opportunities.
- West Shore & Greater Victoria Regional Coverage: Covering the news of the south Vancouver Island area. Our head office is in Langford, providing local west shore news coverage (Langford, Colwood, Sooke, Metchosin, Highlands and View Royal) and more growing into more coverage of Victoria, Saanich, Esquimalt and Oak Bay. We cover Capital Regional District (CRD) news.
- Sooke region: Specialized legacy coverage of the Sooke region (where this publication once operated from, 2008-2014), including Juan de Fuca (west of Sooke to Port Renfrew). Specialized Twitter feed for this at @SookeVoiceLOCAL.
- Saanich peninsula: occasional coverage as news warrants.
- Cowichan-Duncan Regional Coverage: Footprint of the Cowichan-Malahat-Langford federal riding, reaching up to Nanaimo.
- School board coverage: Insightful coverage of education trends in BC, with a focus on school districts in the south Vancouver Island region, primarily SD62 (schools in Langford, Colwood, Sooke) as well as key issues of SD61 (Greater Victoria), SD63 (Saanich), and SD79 (Cowichan Valley).
- BC-wide and national news: We address broader issues as they impact the Greater Victoria area, west shore communities, and South Vancouver Island. Island Social Trends Editor Mary P Brooke has BC Legislative Press Gallery day-pass access.
- Freedom of expression: This is a Canadian publication of thoughtful political, economic, and cultural ideas from a range of perspectives. As to political perspective, we don’t fit within any traditional box of left/right/center. Thoughts are progressive but also pragmatic. Our mission statement is about offering thoughtful insights around living wisely and creatively on this planet.
- Mentoring the next generation. For a few years (2019-2021) we took part in the Canada Summer Jobs program (providing training to new young employees), and continued providing summer work to students in 2022. Starting in 2022, the Island Social Trends Journalism Scholarship has morphed into a year-round program to engage high school students in learning about news coverage in their local community. High school career offices and teachers of English and Socials (in SD61, SD62, and SD63), and students in Grades 9 to 12 (including home-schooled teens) are invited to checkout the 2023 Island Social Trends Journalism Program.
THE IMPORTANCE OF JOURNALISM
Comments about the importance of journalism:
- “Thank you to the media for doing your job, especially those who did your research (to show all perspectives), you have my respect.” ~ Marc Garneau, MP (on March 8, 2023 as he retired)
- Outgoing MLA John Horgan (36th BC Premier, 2017-2022) thanked the media and journalists who’ve been covering his journey through the channels of rough political waters for decades. During Horgan’s farewell speech on February 9, 2023 he looked up to the gallery at that point, also knowing there were many journalists everywhere around the province taking note of his remarks remotely, about ‘how good it must be to be a journalist’.
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the International Day of Democracy (Sept 15, 2022): “Democracy can never be taken for granted. It requires constant, sustained work. It requires us to always deal in facts. And it requires us to fight the spread of lies.” | And during the pandemic (June 1, 2020): “As leaders and allies we must do the hard work needed to listen and learn, we must ensure that everyone is safe and respected,” said Trudeau today in the anti-racism context” and (having seen the arrest of journalists on the front lines of protests in the USA), added: “That includes journalists who need to be able to do their work on the front lines to expose the truth, and tell the stories we need to hear.”
- “One of the pillars of a functioning democracy is the protection of freedom of the press that ensures journalists have the ability to transparently report on matters of public interest. This includes reporting on stories that hold individuals in positions of power to account.” ~ Leah Gazan, NDP Critic for Women and Gender Equality. (Aug 25, 2022)
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
Official Sponsor of the Sooke Fine Arts Show. We have sponsored the annual Sooke Fine Arts Show since 2017. Gold Level 2017-2021 and the media-sponsor Platinum level in 2022 and 2023.
Food Security community leadership. Through our insightful and attentive news coverage. See the Island Social Trends Food Security Section.
Island Social Trends Journalism Program. A mentoring and skill-building opportunity for students in Grades 9 to 12 to submit articles through their teachers, for publication in IslandSocialTrends.ca (see information on the year-round Island Social Trends Journalism Program).
Advertising discounts for groups and non-profits. We adapt to your budget. Sponsor-Advertisers and Investors welcome (inquire for custom packages).
Promotions for worthy community causes such as blood donation clinics, community contests, public emergency announcements.
Active leadership in journalism, helping maintain knowledge and respect for the role of journalism and media in a modern democracy.
PUBLISHING TEAM
Publishing: All formats and articles published by Brookeline Publishing House Inc.
The office is in Langford (on the west shore of Greater Victoria), on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Serving a local, regional, and South Vancouver Island audience, as well as addressing issues that are provincial and national in nature but impactful for our readers.
The Island Social Trends news mission started in 2008 (first as MapleLine Magazine 2008-2010, then Sooke Voice News 2011-2013, then West Shore Voice News 2014-2020), always with a socioeconomic lens on the news. Island Social Trends emerged mid-2020, fully online as a daily news portal at islandsocialtrends.ca .
Mary P Brooke is the founder, editor, photojournalist, and publisher of Island Social Trends (and the preceding publications). Independent contributions welcome.
Creative contributors: Articles, op-eds and photos welcome. Please inquire.
Production team:
- Ivandafish Computing – server manager
- Invision Web – web tech support
- Catherine Brooke – science & tech consultant
- Harley Gordon – environmental contributor
- WordPress – online news portal managed in-house, powered by WordPress
Photojournalism contributors: Tom Myrick (Sooke)
Support team: Our advertisers, subscribers and readers!
Office: Contact
Summary:
Journalism is made possible by the function of a thriving publishing industry.
Thank you for following Island Social Trends and contributing through readership, advertising, sponsorship or subscriptions.
Your subscriptions (Free ENews & Premium Subscriptions) and advertisements help us ‘keep the lights on’ and help enable the availability of news to everyone as a component of democracy.
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This page last updated April 18, 2023
