Fireside brings back traditional newspaper to Kawartha Lakes
Benns' Belief
Since Metroland stopped publishing their Kawartha Lakes This Week print edition last fall, the pressure to bring back a weekly paper has been persistent. We have consistently heard that you love your monthly Advocate but that you still missed the weekly paper.
This tells me at least two things. One, that big corporations clearly cannot be trusted to serve the public interest on their own. And two, that our communities love print and are not eager to depart from their weekly paper habit.
And that’s why, dear reader, we have brought your weekly paper back – the all-new, all-local Kawartha Lakes Weekly.
Fireside Publishing House (that’s our business name) produced its first edition of Kawartha Lakes Weekly for delivery to 25,000 homes across the city on Aug. 15. By now, you will have seen a few editions delivered right to your home by Post Media, with flyers inside, each Thursday. There are also boxes across the city where you can pick up a copy.
You told us you missed knowing what’s going in the community; you told us you liked local sports; that you wanted to know about interesting people; that you wanted to follow city council news; that you liked the classified section; that you valued the obituaries. In short, you wanted to feel more connected to your community.
A fall 2023 study from the non-profit organization, Two Sides, showed that consumers prefer to read the printed version of magazines (72 per cent), and newspapers (55 per cent) over digital options. More consumers believe they gain a deeper understanding of the story when read from print media over online news sources.
The study also showed that 46 per cent would be more likely to take an action after seeing an advertisement in a printed newspaper or magazine than they would if they saw the same ad online. The results reveal that most consumers do not pay attention to online advertisements and 57 per cent do their best to avoid them. (This does not surprise me. We are tired of how busy and top-heavy the online world has become.)
A 2018 Kantar study found that news magazines in print form are the most trusted source of news, with a 72 per cent positive rating, followed by TV news, radio updates, and national newspapers.
Trust is essential for local democracy to function. And print engenders trust, partly because it shows a true investment has been made. Editors, writers, advertisers, a printer, a delivery team – all in this shared enterprise to bring a carefully curated product to you each week. (Or, in the case of the Advocate, each month.)
It may take us a little time to grow the weekly paper. We can do this only with the help of our small business advertisers and with your continued, constructive support.
Where are the boxes located so I can pick up a copy when in Lindsay from Fenelon Falls. Look forward to the day I can start getting delivery to my home. Thanks for bringing a newspaper back.
Will there be any delivered or a box anywhere close by kirkfield? My son would love to deliver them if you are looking for delivery people?
Hi Ed,
You can find the paper at Kent Place Mall, Lindsay Square Mall and Cambridge Mall in Lindsay. While supplies last they are also in a yellow box in Fenelon Falls at 43 Colbourne St (Royal Le Page Realty.)
Would love to know when I can buy a subscription?
Oh My! Memories!
When I became County Engineer for the County of Victoria the Post’s reporter on Council doings was Mrs. Buckley – who was also my landlady – and also the wife of my General Foreman. When she misinterpreted a council discussion one time I contacted her to correct the story. She appreciated it and would afterwards come to me occasionally to clarify what had been discussed or decided.
Much later, when I was teaching and whatever at the Frost Campus of Sir Sandford Fleming I started writing a weekly human interest column that went on for ten years, including our year in Edinburgh Scotland. Talked to many readers over the years at auction sales or other local get-togethers who’d enjoyed (or not) my scribbles.
Occasionally I come upon stories from somewhere about successful local papers that help keep track of local government and officials doings. They are appreciated, but need either deep pockets or very supportive advertisers to thrive.