So Many More Stories to Tell

There are so many more stories to be told, yet there’s no one to write them.

There’s nothing like a “heartfelt” “close to home,” local story. That’s what the local paper was all about. Those days are gone. In an era of clicks and retweets, local sports writers always seemed to struggle navigating the landscape due in large part to the dreaded pay walls forced upon them by corporate.

Over the years their space which at one time was sacred began to rapidly shrink, but yet they continued to write their hearts out.

Day in, day out they always had command of their craft and the audience.

Local writers were backbone of the communities across this province and region. They attended all the games, seemingly interviewed all of the people at the right times to keep us all up to date. They were the promoters and influencers, they were our storytellers and did they ever weave the magic. They brought ever local story to life.

Local stories matter, they should always live on, but sadly there’s no one to write them anymore. It’s not because there isn’t a demand for them, it’s because massive media outlets didn’t or perhaps never really valued their writers efforts.

Local scribes are the foundation of our communities. When they needed to be promoted and valued they were torn down by stubborn corporate ideology and pay walls.

Local writers were scrutinized by countless readers that wanted their young up and coming athletes showcased. Criticized at every turn for seemingly poor coverage, local journalist were never really appreciated for what they did.

For many years now there’s been an undercurrent of criticism involving local journalism and the delivery of it in this region.

“The paper” isn’t what it used to be. Sadly local journalism is almost extinct. Mainstream news conglomerates were behind the times when it came to their online presence and footprint. Their business model and the lack of value they placed on their writers caused the demise of local coverage.

Some may argue that they have seen this coming for years and that paywalls or limited access on featured articles are the main culprit for the crippling decline of print media.

More and more people are getting their news and sports from other platforms. Through it all, local reporters brought the goods day in and day out. Their passion for their craft and the story never wavered.

There’s nothing like a “heartfelt” “close to home,” success story.

There are so many more stories to be told, yet there’s no one to write them. Local sports coverage will never be the same.