This is a sad day. I always felt the Outlook did a great job of covering North Shore news issues and having a second media voice in the community is of course always a good thing.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
It's the End of the Road for the North Shore Outlook
North Vancouver newspaper The Outlook is shutting down. The last publication of the iconic North Shore publication will be Thursday, the 27th of March. Glacier who owns the Outlook shut down another one of its papers The Kamloops Daily News earlier this year because they were no longer able to balance their books. No particular reason was available for the Outlook's demise.
This is a sad day. I always felt the Outlook did a great job of covering North Shore news issues and having a second media voice in the community is of course always a good thing.
This is a sad day. I always felt the Outlook did a great job of covering North Shore news issues and having a second media voice in the community is of course always a good thing.
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19 comments:
I thought the Outlook was doing better lately. There were many more ads, including both North Van municipal halls.
The Outlook used to be owned by Black Press. What happened there?
No particular reason was available for the Outlook's demise.
Undoubtedly part of Glacier's bold new "Value Enhancement Initiatives."
Or perhaps the "Evolve, Enrich and Extend strategy."
If only their commitment to journalism and community service went as far as their love of corporate doublespeak gobbledygook....
In this age of digital technology, newspapers printed with ink on paper are fast becoming as widely read as scribbles on a pottery shard.
I'm not convinced people are reading much of anything anymore, judging by how uninformed so many appear to be. It seems too many people are relying upon social media to get their news.
I just went onto the Outlook website and the NSN story on Lynn Valley is there.
Also, the NSN did not make their e-edition available on their website yet--yesterday's paper.
Very interesting...
Just received this week's issue of the Outlook dated Apr. 2 - 8.
The reported last issue date looks a bit premature.
Anon Wednesday, April 02, 2014 6:02:00 pm, did you happen to read it? It's nothing but advertising. It seems that it has become an advertising/real estate insert for the NSNews.
To the Mods,
I appreciate that this website was transferred to you in a state of decline, but it should be transferred to someone else who has the energy and interest to keep it relevant.
On Monday the City of North Vancouver council censured their Mayor... four days later, after a front page article there is still no mention of it on here. Give the blog to someone who will keep it relevant and seek out contributors, someone who will promote debate on all issue rather than just wait to attack their own issues such as Lynn Valley Development. There will be a municipal election this year and we need a forum that fosters debate.
Maybe you should give the blog to the two councillors that are not seeking re-election, Alan Nixon and Guy Heywood.
Agreed. Johns lack of involvement in maintaining his blog has been a bone of contention since he took it over. I agree, either shut it down, give it your attention, or turn it over to someone who will do something with it. Preferably someone who's going to give the City and District equal treatment. There's been too much emphasis on development in the District. There are other issues of importance to the North Shore.
You aren't posting if you're using Anons.
If you don't like this blog, then start your own. Don't put John down.
Anon 10:09 pm, do you see the irony in what you said?
And I think criticism of how John "manages" this blog is warranted. Where is he? Where are the topic posts for discussion? He's obviously no longer interested in maintaining this site and should shut it down or turn it over to someone with time and interest.
If anyone would like to post on this blog they just have to request the privilege.
If nobody is posting, how is this John's fault.
This blog will perk up as the Municipal election nears. And then after that the Federal Election.
I recall this blog being criticized when Barry still ran the joint for similar (and other) reasons....Barry had at least a dozen regular individuals with posting privileges then he became too busy and was elected to school board so he handed it over to John. From what I've seen Mr. sharpe has tried to attract new authors and posted numerous topics himself. News should be as many different point of views as possible. Right now it seems it's just John and Barry R. posting. Maybe Sharpe will give it up to someone, but doubt that would make any difference.
I agree the blog will pick up leading to the municipal election as per usual, but when Barry had the energy for it he actually looked for writers, and wrote stories. I remember he took the time to interview each of the candidates and put the recordings on the blog for all of our benefit. When I posted the original complaint I addressed it to the Mods, because I didn't want to criticize John, I realize it was a feeble attempt to lessen the blow, but I respect that he stood up when the blog needed a new moderator. Now it needs a new one again.
What about one of the NS News reporters? or a journalism student from Cap? or give it to ml, I know he is a politician but at least he would probably seek out new contributors.
I don't think Barry Forward had to look very hard for writers at the beginning of this little blog. There were the Ernie Crists, the Pam Bookhams, and the John Sharpes, etc. who posted and commented regularly. But the blog was a novelty then, and now there are too many.
Are there other blogs covering North Shore politics? I'd love to find one where the blog owner doesn't just link to old news articles...
I've visited this blog for years and it has had its ups and downs alright, but I still check in because I think it has a history and there's been some good discussion over the years. I don't have a particular interest in posting privileges, but
a partial solution would be for some of the anons to become posters themselves. If public identity is an issue I don't believe you need to have one, only a 'blogger name'. I remember a few posters who had just 'titles' like' North Vanner' and' Koby'. What ever happened to them and who were they? Only the administrator would have to have any knowledge of whoM you were and could
'disavow any knowledge of your actions' if that what was your wish.
And Barry was actually a reporter in his past (can't remember for who) so the blog was second nature for him. In reference to the candidate interview thing Barry did, it with some kind of podcast technology and it was only the once in 2005 just prior to the election that year.
Seems to me Sharpe took over the blog in the spirit and interest of keeping up a political discussion within the community. And in his defense I have seen him seek out new posters on this blog, but no one has been apparently interested. Too bad. There were a lot of people who didn't like the things said on this blog back a few years ago. If you have noticed, you can't even access any of the topics or comments during Barry's reign. Kinda makes me wonder why, perhaps so no one could reference that time now that he is elected.
The idea of a politician (ml )as an administrator is a bad one. Journalism needs to be as 'unbiased' as possible although impossible in an absolute sense.
To sharpe I say, try a little harder, but don't give it up.
I believe the demise of the North Shore Outlook was because they were not publishing regular letters from their readers. Your opinion was not wanted, so who cared about reading the NSoutlooks opinion? It goes both ways.
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