Similkameen newspaper latest victim of digital media

A Princeton newspaper is saying goodbye as after 18 years it can no longer compete in the media world.

The Similkameen News Leader has announced it will cease publication following its nearly two-decade run as an independent newspaper. The final newspaper will be dated July 26, 2016, according to publisher George Elliott. Citing a number of factors, Elliott points to a sagging local economy, changes in the print media industry and the impact of social media as contributing factors.

"It's time for us to look at doing something different with our lives while we still can," Elliott said. "We are not bitter or angry about this at all. We need a break and along with it, a change or transition into something new in our lives."

Elliott and Brenda Engel were the lifeblood of the community paper and also had side projects to help support themselves over the years. Engel has a home based canning business called JamBusters and sells her products online at local markets including the Hedley Farmers’ Market. Elliott is a freelance writer and contributes content for a handful of clients, mainly based in Australia. He intends to pursue this full time now.

Elliott is offering free advertising for the very last issue and encourages locals and readers to send in good luck/best wishes messages and they will be published for free. All ads need to be submitted by July 20 to george@thenewsleader.ca with the sender’s name, the name of their business and location.

Elliott owned the paper for 12.5 years and has worked in media all his life. In a blog post, he said the newspaper took a hit three years ago when advertising sales dipped. He and his wife went months without a single pay cheque and their hard work was quickly slipping away as bills continued to grow.

“Fortunately for me that the year our business had its first hit I started looking online for ways to earn extra cash for my wife. I decided she could somehow work a freelance job or two on the side to earn some cash. We knew someone in our community who was earning living wages with medical transcription work so that’s where I started,” explained Elliott in the post.

“I ended up developing a network of clients who had enough work for me that even just writing part-time I was able to cover several of the household bills. I saw this as a way to take some pressure off of my newspaper business until it regained strength.”

But it never did.

Elliott will now transition into a new role and will pursue writing, in a different way. As for the longtime newspaper, it will quietly cease publication but it’s not the end for the couple who gave so much to their community.