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News Advertiser
APRIL 1, 2020
www.NewsAdvertiser.com
Note to Vegreville News Advertiser Readers
Arthur Beaudette - General Manager News Advertiser Over the last few weeks, our world has drastically changed. As we have for the past 73 years and the Vegreville Observer before us, we are working hard to keep you informed during
the COVID-19 pandemic. Other than certain stories such as the floods that affected Vegreville in the 1970s or the hotel fires we have experienced, nothing has impacted us so greatly as a community. Clearly as a broader “News Advertiser Community” we have seen much more and are bound by our rural lifestyle, our friends and neighbours. We have been on the front lines and behind the scenes bringing you vital and accurate information on what is happening in our communities. We value your input and are proud to be able to bring you local coverage during this unprecedented time. We are also proud that our advertisers have chosen us as a way to connect with you about what they are doing as they face new challenges. Now more than ever, trustworthy journalism matters. We have already seen the consequences of false information across the world and it is terrifying. Our publication has always been free to our circulation area. This is made possible entirely by our advertisers which is why we are strong advocates of shopping local and keeping your money close to home. We have never had a “pay wall” and have no current plans for one. We feel that open access to accurate information should not be dependent on how much money you make. Your print edition is delivered by a fabulous team of independent carriers and the fine people at Canada Post in all of our communities. Soon we will be adding a subscriber signup on our web site. This will allow us to send you a link to our digital edition which is an exact replica of our print edition. You will receive this in your in-box before we are done printing. This also
allows us to more accurately report our circulation numbers. We are also opening up full access and fasttracking our News Advertiser Go App. Any community group, municipality, volunteer organization, etc. who would like access only needs to reach out to us. Access for any business or group will be completely free for 1 year. Access by readers will always be free. To support local journalism in a time when it matters more than ever you can help in a number of ways. First and foremost, support local businesses in your community. Costco, Amazon, E bay and Facebook do nothing to support our communities and even less to bring you credible local news coverage. Your local businesses pay taxes in your community and support us, we ask that you support them. Second, subscribe to our digital edition and tell your friends to as well. Maybe even help mom or grandma get a subscription and try adding digital. Lastly, when we roll out our membership program, consider joining and getting more involved in the news that reaches your friends and neighbours. To flatten the curve of COVID-19, we were one of the first to close our doors to the public and we have many of our team members working remotely whenever possible. We are also in a routine of disinfecting our workplace regularly. We appreciate your patience when you experience communication challenges. Thank you for your support of the News Advertiser. We take our responsibility to the many communities we serve very seriously. - AB
