152 years and going strong — with your support

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/11/2024 (313 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I can’t think of a better way to mark the 152nd anniversary of the Free Press than by thanking our readers.

We’ve served our readers for more than a century and a half since that first edition was cranked, by hand, off a rickety old press in a rented shack on Main Street.

In turn, our readers have backed us from the days of hot lead through to the hot takes of the digital age — and today, they are increasingly funding our journalism.

As we celebrate what began on Nov. 30, 1872, here’s a toast to you for being part of the Free Press story.

Our readers distinguish themselves with their recognition of the real cost of journalism.

The title Free Press references a fundamental feature in our democracy — not something you should be able to read for zero dollars, no down payment, no interest.

Alas, in the age of TikTok, Facebook and X, many have become conditioned to believe whatever is online is also gratis.

The bottom-line reality: everything we produce, in pixels and in print, costs money. On an annual basis, the budget for my newsroom is $6 million, which covers everything from reporter salaries to travel costs to notebooks to notebooks to our suite of newsletters.

The value proposition of the Free Press is directly linked to that investment, which delivers more depth and breadth than any other organization in Manitoba’s news ecosystem.

Over-the-top boasting by the editor? Before you answer that question, take a look any day at the number and range of stories we deliver on the news, sports, entertainment and business beats. Then compare that with any of our competitors.

There’s not a day when we don’t deliver more for Manitobans by breaking stories, setting the agenda, and countering disinformation and disconnection with news you can trust.

Another boast from the editor: The value of our readership can’t be overstated. Readers increasingly fund our journalism through their subscriptions, which still cost less than a cup of coffee per day. Some of those readers are prepared to go further with their support by becoming patrons of our journalism.

We created the patron subscriber tier two years ago to mark our 150th anniversary. Much has changed in the media landscape since then.

Ex-defender of journalism Mark Zuckerberg is already more than a year into blocking news on Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram in Canada. The town square that was once Twitter has morphed into an increasingly toxic space under Elon Musk, who used X as a bullhorn to help Donald Trump return to the White House. The rising tide of artificial intelligence threatens to further weaponize the post-truth age. And along the way, more and more journalism jobs have been lost, more media outlets closed.

Fortunately, what hasn’t changed here in Manitoba is the support we receive from patrons: readers so committed to the power of our journalism they go above and beyond their subscription by gifting $150 or more.

I’m going to pause here for a moment to emphasize the significance of that generosity. At a time when independent, fact-based journalism is dismissed and derided, when communities increasingly suffer from disinformation and disconnection, a growing circle of supporters has stepped up to make a difference in our city and province.

In the past two years, their generosity has added up to more than $130,000. That support has meant the Free Press is a newsroom that keeps hiring to better serve our readers, instead of cutting back.

That backing helps fund our investigative efforts, which were rewarded in June with the top prize from the Canadian Journalism Foundation — an award in which the Free Press bested the likes of the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and Global News.

Patrons’ contributions help keep our reporters on the road covering the Winnipeg Jets and Blue Bombers, unlike other media organizations that have given up on that commitment to sports journalism.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: Your support means the world to me and my team of reporters, photographers, editors and artists.

We’re committed to building on the legacy that began in 1872 with that first edition of the Free Press — and our patron program is a key part of that blueprint.

If you’re a subscriber, I want to thank you for your support. If you’re not already a patron, I want to encourage you to learn more about the patron program.

Together, we can ensure the Free Press bucks the challenging trends facing our industry.

Together, we can keep Manitobans informed and engaged.

Together, we can strengthen this homegrown fabric of our community.

A strong Manitoba needs a strong Free Press.

Paul Samyn is Free Press editor

paul.samyn@freepress.mb.ca