Saturday January 1, 2022 | VANCOUVER ISLAND, BC
by Mary P Brooke, Editor | Island Social Trends
Happy New Year to all of the Island Social Trends readers, subscribers, advertisers and contributors. Wishing everyone some peace, success and stability in 2022.
The Year 2022 promises one thing for sure, and that is change! Change has been the byword of the COVID pandemic, and the pandemic continues. Following from that are all the socioeconomic changes that are underway at all levels of society and economy.
Keeping track of trends:
Despite new awareness about inequities, it appears there are some who will shoot out of the post-pandemic gate still far ahead of others. Island Social Trends is attentive to that in our news coverage — not as a bleeding heart but in keeping track of the trends and shining light on opportunities. This is the role of advocacy journalism — it is professional journalism in the mainstream media but makes clear a direction for positive progressive change.
Part of the news coverage in today’s world — a big part — is the news coverage of people who are seen as the leaders of change. We will continue to focus on those who steer the boat. That certainly includes elected leaders but also the organizations who support them and the critics who attempt to align those leaders with the needs of economy and community.
As such, our journalism is broad and well as deep, sometimes detailed and sometimes offering the overarching view. Sometimes the news is presented through editorials and analysis.
Readers first:
Island Social Trends is “news for you”. News written first with the readers in mind.
In the past decade or so — given the power and availability of social media — the news process has become in large part a practice of “comforting the comfortable”. While we of course write about what the powerful and influential are doing, we never forget what the readers are needing, hoping or wanting to hear.
Thank you for following our news stream, some of you from the beginning. MapleLine Magazine (quarterly colour glossy print) was launched in 2008 as a think-piece about islander living, then emerged as a weekly newspaper (print) in 2011 through 2013 called Sooke Voice News. In 2014 we followed the action of the region and shifted to a west shore focus with the weekly print and digital-PDF West Shore Voice News.
Online only since March 2020:
When our key advertisers determined that COVID would restrict the print edition we shifted to online only in 2020. The daily active news portal at www.islandsocialtrends.ca was born.
The data-driven IslandSocialTrends.ca portal (searchable by categories and topics) has allowed more time for the actual work of journalism, rather than focussing on the mechanical aspects of layout, printing and physical distribution. Our advertiser base is now catching up to the power of our portal — it’s *who* we reach as much as how many clicks happen on the pages themselves.
Subscription options:
Subscribers to our ENews receive a news digest six days a week (Monday to Saturday) by email.
- Headlines Edition: You are invited to receive the free ‘headlines edition’ (send an email to subscriptions@islandsocialtrends.com to add your email address to the list).
- Economy subscribers get the Headlines, with links, and additional bulletins.
- Premium subscribers get Headlines & links with editorial analysis, and will also will soon also have Login access to additional articles that offer more detail and ideas.
Advertiser options:
We have a rate sheet (request the 2022 Island Social Trends rate sheet), but that’s just the starting point. We customize every client’s marketing presence to their budget.
The marketing presence is for you, your messaging is for the readers, and the function of journalism as part of democracy is thereby supported.
Scholarship:
The Island Social Trends Journalism Scholarship is available each June to one or more high school graduates in the west shore (SD62 – Langford, Colwood, Sooke) and Cowichan Valley (SD79) who display evidence of future success in journalism.
Advertisers and subscribers are part of supporting the scholarship. Unlike big organizations who set aside funds that gain interest which is used for the scholarship payout.
Island Social Trends (owned and operated by Brookeline Publishing House Inc) puts our money where are goals are … supporting authentic journalism for the emerging new future of Canada.
- Schools that are interested in the scholarship (including the opportunity for students to get articles published) may inquire to publishing@brookeline.com for further information.
- Students may apply directly to editor@islandsocialtrends.com to submit articles (to build a portfolio) or to be considered for the annual scholarship.
News coverage area:
The Island Social Trends office is located in Langford, BC.
The local news footprint is Langford, Colwood, View Royal, Metchosin and Sooke. The regional footprint is all of Greater Victoria and the Capital Regional District (CRD), as well as up to Cowichan/Duncan on the east and up to Port Renfrew on the west side of the island.
BC provincial news is actively covered, as is national news where it impacts islanders.
Education news focuses on K-12 in SD62 (west shore – Langford, Colwood, Sooke) and SD79 (Cowichan Valley), with an eye to provincial education news. Post-secondary education covers UVic, Camosun and VIU as well as other universities and colleges as impacts islanders.