Editorial

February 18 2026

Cutting through the chaos with local journalism

If you feel there’s too much chaos and noise in today’s world, you’re not alone. And with the rapid acceleration of AI, online misinformation and rage-baiting has become increasingly commonplace.

Community newspapers and other news outlets, such as independent local radio stations, are an indispensable antidote to all that chaos, noise and negativity.

Local newspapers may be fewer in number than they were five or 10 years ago, but those surviving — and even thriving — continue to demonstrate how important newspapers are to healthy communities and a healthy democracy.

Community newspapers are still here because they do things that social media and AI can’t — like hold local governments to account for their decisions and dig deep on social issues that challenge our communities. That’s all part of a healthy democracy, and it’s why strong local journalism warrants our support.

While The Journal is a success story, stretching back almost 32 years, through lots of ups and downs, many Canadian communities are now without local journalism – and that should concern us all.

According to a recent Public Policy Forum (PPF) report, more than 340 communities have lost local news providers (newspapers and radio) since 2008.

What exactly do communities lose when that happens? An Ipsos poll conducted in January 2025 asked Canadians that question. Sixty-one per cent of respondents said less knowledge of the workings of local government, schools and hospitals is one impact. Respondents said ties to the community (58 per cent) and decreased participation in local events (57 per cent) were other major impacts. Sadly, 54 per cent said the loss of local journalism meant less of a sense of caring for one another.

This research reiterates what we’ve long known: local news is vital for the wellbeing of our communities. Our hope is that the trend in newspapers closing or becoming a mere shadow of their former selves will cease — and maybe even be reversed.

That won’t be easy. It takes resilience, creativity and nimbleness to keep community newspapers going strong. But it is happening.

The contributions of today’s local newspapers and independent radio stations are complemented by relative newcomers in community storytelling, such as local podcasts. Our communities need new models in community dialogue and news sharing, too, to help cut through so much misinformation and disinformation.

The Guysborough Journal embraced change and innovation last year with the launch of Antigonish This Week inside these pages. And we continue to embrace innovation and evolution. You’ll see more growth and changes over the coming year, including with our next edition, on Feb. 25.

Success in local journalism means partnership. It requires a collaboration between a newspaper and the community it serves. That kind of community engagement – ranging from letters to the editor and posting community events to small business support through advertising – is vital to the successful evolution of this paper, as we work to meet the needs of our large and diverse coverage area.

Local journalism matters. Thank you for supporting it.