First, the numbers tanking isn’t a reason not to publish, in fact it’s a reason to publish. As local papers cut staff and deliveries, we find ourselves missing out on basic facts about the region, especially our village in particular. Where’s the news source covering council and the Comox Valley Regional District? Clearly Facebook groups are great for sharing, but more often what gets shared ends up resembling a game of Broken Telephone, with little basis in reported and vetted stories. And when it is, it’s opinion, or a one-sided press release.

Second, in a word, objectivity. The Cumberlander will not have opinion seeping into reporting. We know news cannot be totally objective, even selecting which stories, and who gets interviewed, is an act of selection to some degree. Not every perspective and scenario can fit in any story, ever. But the goal of objectivity is valuable. It may not be fashionable, it’s certainly rare in our polarized media landscape. A clear line between reporting and editorial is our promise. Opinions will only exist where they belong, the Op/Ed section in the back of the paper. It’s worked for a century, classics never die.

Finally, reporting will be the bulk of the paper. We will not tell you what or how to think, we will dish the facts as best we can, and you can form your own opinions from them. We think there will always be an audience for the straight goods like taxes, how much and where it goes; electeds, what they voted for and prioritize; businesses, what they do to survive and prosper; as well as the local institutions that are entrusted to take care of our families and way of life, and …wait, honey! Grab the scissors, is that a picture of our kid holding up a trophy?

A bit about us… we are both refugees from the pre digital world, a few times over in fact, as film and graphic design went digital and mostly online, so did we. Pivoting to web design and then development, we have been part of the Canadian digital industry for decades, originally at large agencies and corporations, and then building sites for Canadian and US publishers, organizations, and businesses.

So settle in to your favourite porch chair, crack a cold one or grab your favourite mug and snap open The Cumberlander and enjoy!.