Vancouver Island news. From Vancouver Island writers. About Vancouver Island people. For today’s Vancouver Island readers.
That’s what the newest Black Press publication is about. That’s what sets it apart.
The Vancouver Island Free Daily launches on Sept. 27 across the Island, in print, on the net, and – perhaps most significantly – as a cutting-edge new app available to both iPhone and Android users.
Publisher Peter McCully said it will offer people from Port Hardy to Sooke their best chance to stay on top of all the news that is important to them on a daily basis – from one convenient source, on whatever platform works best for them.
The Daily will provide readers with a wide range of provincial, national and international news and sports coverage. But what makes it unique is the depth of its Island coverage, and the many ways readers can access it.
“People from here are all Islanders,” McCully said. “They care about their home communities, but they also care about their neighbours on each coast and on both sides of the Malahat. The Daily is about sharing their stories in the way that works best for them.”
Helming the Daily’s news team is a pair of veteran Island-born, Island-raised journalists with a combined 50 years of experience reporting on Island people and issues.
Managing editor Philip Wolf promises a read with plenty of personality, and a strong emphasis on a digital product that takes full advantage of what modern users expect and modern technology allows.
“So many people read the news on their phones and their tablets,” he said. “We will have plenty of great content, and with the new app, it’s easy to navigate and there’s just an endless amount of information at your fingertips. The depth and breadth of that content will continue to grow each week.”
Content editor John McKinley will be drawing material from Vancouver Island’s largest news team.
“Our team includes more than 50 journalists based in nearly every Island community,” he said. “No one else even comes close to that. These are the writers who are in touch with their communities. They know the people they are writing about. They understand Island thinking and Island culture.”
The Daily will be delivering their stories in a manner that blurs and breaks the boundaries of traditional media sources. Arnold Lim, the Daily’s multi-media editor, is shepherding the use of a brand-new digital platform that opens exciting opportunities.
“For the first time, I can truly say the possibilities are endless. Vancouver Island residents have been waiting for this and I have never been as excited by a launch than I am right now,” he said.
The easiest way to read it is to register at www.ladysmithchronicle.com/contests, where readers can download the free app and put their names into a draw for $5,000 worth of free groceries.
For those who prefer reading their news in print, the Free Daily will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at a variety of pickup locations from Mill Bay to Campbell River. Home delivery and mail subscriptions to the print edition are not available at this time.
According to McCully, the Daily is an example of Black Press responding to what the community wants.
“People are consuming more information than ever before,” he said. “Black Press is thriving because it continues to invest in our communities and our industry. The Vancouver Island Free Daily is just another example of how we are finding new ways to deliver readers the information they want.”
For more information, please like vancouverislandfreedaily on Facebook, visit vifreedaily.com, or call 250-905-0018.