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Island Social Trends
(previously West Shore Voice News)
We are 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.
Advertisers appreciate our digital reach at islandsocialtrends.ca and associated social media platforms, as well as directly to our ENews subscribers.
Who reads here? Daily professional news coverage is available to all readers at islandsocialtrends.ca as part of independent journalism being a key component of democracy. We also have subscribers who receive an ENews digest of all articles that are posted online, plus additional columns and editorial content.
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, socioeconomics, and politics.
Something for everyone. We offer journalism that stimulates thoughtful reflection for individual lives, families, business, community, and society as a whole.
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.
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 (including COVID-19), education (local focus on SD62, with an eye to SD61, SD63, SD79), 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 on this website. Click here to Subscribe to Free Island Social Trends.
- PRINT EDITION ran weekly 2011-2020 (no active print edition at this time).
- 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.
MISSION STATEMENT
- We are motivated by how journalism supports community growth and development as appropriate for a robust and sustainable economy.
- 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. Making decisions based on facts and information, socioeconomics, science, and with perspectives from as many angles as possible allows 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 offering of critical thought and sensitive analysis.
- We often present articles — with responsible analysis — that you won’t find anywhere else, because it’s important to ‘tell it like it is’. Subscribers get additional news insights.
BUSINESS MODELÂ 
- We’re an independent media entity. Independently owned and operated as a business registered in BC.
- We follow professional standards of the Canadian journalism industry. We write in Plain English and follow the practice of Accessible Writing. Our published articles adhere to Canadian Press Style Guide (with custom adaptations for style and brevity, and online presentation).
- 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 ENews edition and advertising (within this web portal and in the ENews Digest to subscribers).
- Why subscribe or advertise? Advertisers and subscribers are keen to 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.
- Greater Victoria Regional Coverage: Covering the news of the south Vancouver Island area. Our head office is in Langford, our news is west shore outward, starting with Langford, Colwood, Sooke, Metchosin, Highlands and View Royal. Growing into more coverage of Victoria, Saanich, Esquimalt and Oak Bay. We cover Capital Regional District (CRD) news.
- West Shore region: Operating from our office in Langford, we experience the pulse of the west shore and write with insight about Langford, Colwood, Sooke, Metchosin, View Royal and First Nations in the region.
- 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:Â Insightful coverage of education trends in BC, with a focus on school boards in the south Vancouver Island region, primarily SD62 (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.
- 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 we have taken part in the Canada Summer Jobs program (providing training to new young employees). As well, we award the Island Social Trends Journalism Scholarship to a graduating student in the west shore of Vancouver Island; high school students may submit articles through the year as a way to experience professional journalism and build their portfolio.
COMMUNITY SUPPORTÂ
- 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.
- Food Security community leadership. More to come.
- Island Social Trends Journalism Scholarship. Offered to graduating students in the SD62 School District (2021 and 2022). Also, a sub-program whereby students in Grades 9 to 12 can submit articles through their teachers, for publication in IslandSocialTrends.ca. [On pause in 2022-2023]
- Advertising discounts for groups and non-profits. We adapt to your budget needs.
- 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) 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, then Sooke Voice News, then West Shore Voice News), 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, photojournalism editor, and publisher of Island Social Trends (and the preceding publications).
Creative contributors:
Articles, op-eds and photos welcome. Please inquire.
Tech team:
- Les Oberg – server manager
- Invision Web – web tech support
- Catherine Brooke – science & tech consultant
- WordPress – Online news portal powered by WordPress
Support team: Our advertisers, subscribers and readers!
Office: Â Contact
Thank you for following Island Social Trends. Journalism is made possible by the function of a thriving publishing industry. Your 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 October 21, 2022
