Island Social Trends
Local, regional, provincial and national news insights. | ISSN 2817-8572
NEWS |Community Calendar| Traffic & Transit
Free ENews by email | Premium Subscriptions
Advertising | About |Contact
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 doing local and regional news coverage.
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.
Leadership:
Journalism is a positive contributor to society. This is independent journalism that aims to inform individual citizens and to enhance the conversation among various sectors of society, economy and politics.
Urgency has never been greater for independent media to somehow carry on despite the onslaught of social media and large corp media seeing only the bottom line. With the loss of experienced journalists there is loss of context and insight. Readers and society will take the final blow if independent journalism is lost.
Our work is also thought leadership; news analysis serves to build relationships across and within business and community leadership sectors; this community service is part of the Island Social Trends mission statement to support a knowledge-based society and economy.
Who is the editor?
Island Social Trends is spearheaded by Mary P Brooke as Founder, Editor and Publisher. She holds a B.Sc. in health science (with a second major in sociology and community education) and a Certificate in Public Relations.
Ms Brooke was nominated in 2023 for a Jack Webster Foundation award that each year recognizes a woman who contributes to her community through full-time journalism.
Mary P Brooke reports with the BC Legislative Press Gallery as well as covering local and regional news.
Mary believes that a community which knows itself makes better decisions for its residents and businesses and has a greater opportunity for achieving more sustainable directions. Journalism in support of a knowledge-based society is her contribution to the socioeconomic ecology of the west shore and south Vancouver Island region.
Ms Brooke has spearheaded this socioeconomic news coverage through a series of publications, each building upon the other: MapleLine Magazine* (2008-2010), Sooke Voice News* (2011-2013), West Shore Voice News* (2014-2020), and Island Social Trends (since mid-2020). [*Print editions are archived at the Sooke Region Museum]
Advertisers, Sponsors & Subscribers:
Advertisers appreciate the benefits of the readers having open access to our news at IslandSocialTrends.ca and on various social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter) at @IslandSocTrends (blue verification status), LinkedIn and Spoutible.
A curated digest of articles with additional editorial content is available to paying Premium Subscribers by email (sign up for a Premium ENews Subscription here).
Advertisers benefit by reaching an attentive, community-active readership including businesses, organizations and all levels of government.
Sponsor-investors of independent journalism may contribute with advertisements in this news portal, or silently without ads.
Print edition returns in 2024:
The print edition was on hiatus during the pandemic. Starting in 2024, we aim to again supply coffee shops, rec centres, libraries and some retail outlets with the Island Social Trends print edition in Greater Victoria area west shore locations (Langford, Colwood, View Royal, Metchosin, Sooke), where patrons will have easy access to our news.
Island Social Trends flyers are distributed around local west shore neighbourhoods.
Flyers pickup locations will be posted on this website.
The news we write:
Think-tank journalism. We don’t cover everything, but we do go deeper or take a wider scope of analysis and provide insights through a socioeconomic lens (how people interface with community and the economy). During election season we give top priority to election coverage.
Otherwise, we cover what matters to households, businesses and community leaders, including the cost of living, food sustainability, education, transportation, business, the economy, and the politics which impacts all of that (local, regional, provincial and federal).
Something for everyone. We offer journalism insights and analysis that stimulates thoughtful reflection for individuals, families, business, community, and society as a whole. We cover current news and go deeper where further exploration is warranted.
Emergent from South Vancouver Island:
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 — takes a lead in lifestyle thought and progressive social change; Island Social Trends likes being part of that and making a positive contribution through our articles and community connections.
Serving community. We help communities know themselves better through storytelling and thoughtful dialogue. This has been our mission from day one (publishing since 2008).
Island Social Trends aims to contribute to the broader well-being of the socioeconomic dynamics of this region.
Island Social Trends has covered education on the west shore (Sooke School District 62 news coverage and broader issues) in-depth since 2014.
Since 2022, Island Social Trends has been building a Food Security section with a growing emphasis on Urban Food Resilience.
We support other organizations with promotional exposure through journalism. In particular, since 2017 we have been a proud annual sponsor of the Sooke Fine Arts Show.
Testimonials:
::: “Mary, thank you for your excellent reporting of local news issues that really matter to your readers. Your story behind the story is often more interesting, accurate and relevant. Well done.” ~ George Holmes, Property & Strata Manager, Raven Property Management [Aug 2023]
::: “Thank you for that last long piece (about John Horgan’s career and farewell, with community-wide comments upon his retirement); it’s now in my keeper box.” ~ former Premier John Horgan [June 2023]
Summary:
Journalism is made possible by the function of a thriving publishing industry and through a continued desire by citizens to have an active news media sector providing professional journalism.
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 support the availability of news to everyone as a component of democracy.
Island Social Trends on social media: X | LinkedIn | Spoutible
This page last updated November 26, 2023