CLARIFICATION: News articles about municipal affairs written by Campbell River Mirror staff will continue to run in the newspaper. The proposed changes in the City bylaws apply to advertising material and public notices only. If passed, a shorter notice will be published in the newspaper about the full public notice on the City's website and social media moving forward.
The City of Campbell River is looking to change how it communicates public notices and its municipal news, potentially reducing newspaper advertising, despite a survey that revealed the local newspaper remains a popular way to learn about municipal issues.
During the upcoming March 13 council meeting, Council Procedures Bylaw No. 3987, 2025, and Public Notice Bylaw No. 3988, 2025, will be considered for third reading. If approved, these bylaws will likely be adopted during the council meeting set for March 27.
If passed, the City will move forward with posting news to its website, followed by posting the second notice on its social media site. An additional notice that directs the public to the City website will be placed in the local newspaper. This could lead to potentially fewer and smaller ads in the newspaper.
With public notices, the City currently publishes a full public notice in the local newspaper, reaching audiences through both print and e-edition formats. This is in addition to posts to the City website and its social media platforms. According to the City, the proposed bylaws look to make public notices available on a notice board at City Hall, on the City website, and on its social media platforms. A shorter notice informing the public about some details of a public notice will be published via the local newspaper letting readers know where to find the full notice on City channels.
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According to a City of Campbell River report, 62 per cent of residents prefer to learn about municipal issues from news articles in the local newspapers, while 41 per cent prefer to learn about issues through Facebook. A further 38 per cent prefer the City website, with 38 per cent preferring direct mailers. Currently, the main ways residents learn about local government issues are through word of mouth, at 63 per cent, and local newspaper articles at 61 per cent. This information was compiled in the 2023 Campbell River Citizen Survey.
Kamal Al-Solaylee, a professor and director of UBC's School of Journalism, Writing, and Media, said despite the financial challenges faced by city councils, keeping the public informed "is not something you can put a price on."
"Advertising online will save some bucks, but the message may not get through to the community for whom the local paper, in its traditional print format, remains the town square," he said. "This should not be an issue of economics but of democracy and the public's right to know."
Generally, a decline in advertising will also impact the resilience of local newspapers, which are filling the void left by national media outlets that have all but pulled out of many communities, he added.
The City is requesting that the public submit comments on the proposed changes. Written comments should be submitted to info@campbellriver.ca or delivered to City Hall by noon on March 13, 2025.
