Hi there,

I love December. It’s busy and dark, of course, but shorter days translate to more time to reflect on the year as we bring it to a close. 

As our team has been gathering to reflect on our wins, I wanted to share with you a few highlights made possible by readers who financially support The Discourse’s reporting with whatever they can afford.

At The Discourse, we don’t just measure impact by number of clicks. We want to know if our reporting led to any tangible change in the community. While it’s impossible to know exactly how our reporting makes a difference, here are a few:

• We created a new council coverage section of our newsletters so community members can stay up-to-date on what’s happening. “Im unable to follow our council meetings closely, so greatly appreciate you reporting on these matters,” one community member said.

• We provided a comprehensive voter’s guide for the federal election in the spring, including information on how and where to vote, local candidates, fact-checking and the issue of vote splitting, which was a topic of concern for many residents. 

• After a Nanaimo RCMP spokesperson claimed, without evidence, that 85 per cent of all crimes in the city are drug related, we asked: Is crime really drug related? And responded with research that says otherwise.

• When council proposed a new procedure and respectful spaces bylaw, with an amendment to ban audio and video recording and photography, The Discourse reported on the potential impacts to journalism. Since the bylaw was amended, local reporters can request permission to record council meetings.

• The Discourse’s reporting on an initial motion related to drug use led to additional presentations to council on the topic.

• Vancouver Island University graduate Rowan Flood’s story about the complicated decision to open the gates to access backcountry logging roads was nominated for a prestigious Webster journalism award.

• The Discourse participated in the Spotlight: Child Welfare collaborative, a multi-year journalism project hosted by the Tyee. The story we reported on Trish Dowling’s photo exhibit of former youth-in-care at Vancouver Island University was republished in The Tyee as well as APTN, prompting the CBC to interview her for its national radio show, As it Happens.

These are just some of the ways our reporting is helping people engage with major community decisions that affect our lives and livelihoods and make a tangible difference in the community.

This news service can’t exist without reader support. Will you be the next supporter to make stories like these possible?

Big thank you to Teri, one of our newest Nanaimo supporters!

Why do you support The Discourse?

“Local focus, local issues.”

In our view, there’s no better way to make a local impact this end-of-year giving season.

Thank you for reading and for being here,

Shalu Mehta, 

Island Editor