Friday 13 August 2010

New Uxbridge paper

Another independent newspaper has popped up on the Ontario print media map.

The Uxbridge Standard, launched last week, is a spinoff from the independent Scugog Standard in Port Perry, where Rik Davie is publisher and general manager.

A TSF reader writes: "I thought you would like to know that in the face of newspapers closing, especially at Sun Media, a new newspaper has opened.

"This is a full paper covering news, local events, sports and entertainment. It serves Uxbridge and Port Perry area, including Greenbank, Caesarea, Utica etc., the whole north Durham area.

"Yesterday’s paper was the second one and fingers are crossed that it is successful as it is a really excellent paper, better I think than the tiny local Cosmos or the Metroland paper, the Uxbridge Times Journal published in Uxbridge."

The Uxbridge Standard is looking for volunteer reporters and columnists if you are retired, in school or fresh out of school and in need of an audience.

"In these dark days of papers closing or getting axed as a 'cost saving convergence measure,' and you know of whom I speak, a new independent is always welcome," says the TSF reader.

The reader also tells TSF:

"While I don’t always agree with your editorial comments, I do really enjoy reading your blog daily and the debates that ensue. How else will we ever find out what the heck is going on?"

Good luck, Uxbridge Standard. Let us know when your website is up and running.

4 comments:

  1. The Uxbridge Standard is one of many start-up ventures by independents in the past decade, including the Scugog Standard (Uxbridge's parent publication).

    Two "start-ups" in my region that come to mind are The Southpoint Sun and The Essex Voice (although the Voice has been around now for six or seven years). Both are solid, informative and entertaining newspapers that serve their communities very well. The Sun competes directly against Sun Media's, Leamington Post.

    It is heartening to see the independent publisher snatching up the ball and running with it. It appears driven individuals are investing in newspapers while tired corporations are stripping their publications bare. The corporations have much to learn from the independent publishers.

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  2. Good for the Uxbridge Standard. It seems the independents are paving the way.

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  3. Some glimmer of hope that jobs will still be available once the axe falls at our paper.

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  4. As the ME of both The Scugog Standard and the newly launched Uxbridge Standard I was honoured to have our papers noticed by this group. The staff here have had a rare chance to do what few have done. That is to start a newspaper. Your past staff have been heroes to any of us who got hit by the corporate train and had to pick ourselves up and start again. We now beat the corporates every week.
    Newspaper wars are great!
    Rik Davie, The Uxbridge Standard

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