Saskatchewan paper seeing success through independence

It’s not too common in a newsroom nowadays to be moving desks because there’s not enough room for new hires. 

That was the scene recently at the Prince Albert Daily Herald. This summer they expect a total of seven staff, including an intern — a significant jump from their lowest number of two reporters in the past two-and-a-half years.

Bought out by employees in 2017 when it and several other Saskatchewan Star News Publishing papers faced closure, it is the sole publication serving the city of Prince Albert (population 36,000) and surrounding area. 

Peter Lozinski (RSJ ’14), who has worked at the paper since 2016, was part of the buyout. The editor said that, “some people took pay cuts to make things work.” But now they are seeing success as an independent publication, with autonomy over operations.

“There's a lot of things you don't realize you missed when you aren't independent,” said Lozinski. “And then when you are, you have so many more things to do. We… don’t have a web team or a larger production team. None of that. That's all been taken in house.”

While the paper is self-sustaining, it has received support from the Local Journalism Initiative (external link) , a federal program that provides funding for civic journalism initiatives in underserved communities. The funding is accelerating their long-term plan to add more positions.    

The Herald runs a daily, 16-page print edition from Tuesday to Saturday, with Thursday’s being a thicker weekly edition. Online, its digital reach has been growing. And last year the editorial team  launched a monthly original-reporting northern Saskatchewan publication, replacing the former quarterly publication that ran recycled content.

They don’t try to work against their radio and online competitors, instead focusing on their strengths in depth and detail.

“Part of the reason we've been successful is we're really focused on what our audience wants, both in terms of my infrastructure for the newsroom and the advertising department’s perspective for their clients,” said Lozinski.

“Previous ownership had taken out some features that people liked, just sort of (like) crossword puzzles… some of the syndicated content,” said Lozinski. “You can't underestimate how important that is to some readers… any small-town editor will say, ‘don’t mess with people’s crosswords.’”

Lozinski said that members of the  staff rely on each other and he finds the Herald to be a “pretty positive atmosphere.”

“People are happy to be here. They could go elsewhere, make more money there probably, but (they) stay here, because of the atmosphere, the type of journalism we do and the way we work together.”

To journalism job-seekers who have the means to move, Lozinski suggests that they consider getting a driver’s license and expanding their horizons, even for those serious about getting into the biggest publications.

“Look outside of the major urban centre you’re in,” said Lozinski. “I know other small-town editors have immense problem hiring, usually… a lot of the people who work in the smaller media, if they do a good job and get noticed, end up in bigger media.”

Though they are seeing success initially, the paper still has to see if its success will be lasting. However, Lozinski said that they are optimistic about their current model.

“We're starting to really find our groove,” said Lozinski. “I think we're just gonna keep pushing… find the stories in the areas that aren't necessarily being covered by others and keep focusing on quality over speed. And hopefully people can really respond the way they’ve been responding.”

Visit the Prince Albert Daily Herald’s website. (external link)