Print edition old news
After 25 years the Anishinabek News is moving totally to electronic publication.
The March, 2014 issue will be the last print edition distributed to all Anishinabek Nation citizens.
The Anishinabek News is not disappearing. Since April, 2013 its articles and important political information have been available on the website www.anishinabeknews.ca. Everyone with high-speed Internet service can now access Anishinabek News content weeks earlier than was the case with the monthly print edition. Some important information is posted to the website on the same day it is produced.
Any of the 39 Anishinabek Nation member communities that does not have access to high-speed Internet service can contact the Communications Unit of the Union of Ontario Indians to obtain a monthly electronic file which they can use to print copies of a four-page issue of that month’s Anishinabek News highlights. First Nations might want to also survey community members to determine if any elders or other citizens want the band office to provide the highlights package of articles for their households.
Information of specific interest to 60,000 Anishinabek Nation citizens is also now available to a much wider audience. The most recent website analytics revealed that Anishinabek News content is being seen in 96 countries, creating an important network of allies, including Idle No More supporters.
Just ten months after the website launch, the number of unique monthly views of www.anishinabeknews.ca almost matches the 7,500 subscribers reached by the print newspaper after 25 years of publication.
Online articles are easier to read – type size can be increased as required and each article is accompanied by a colour photo or graphic.
From an environmental perspective, the switch to electronic publication eliminates the use of tons of newsprint each year. It is estimated that 15 trees are killed to produce one ton of newsprint.
These changes will also result in badly-needed cost savings for the Union of Ontario Indians, which has been absorbing all the expense related to producing The Anishinabek News, including the production and pagination of content, sale and design of advertisements, billing and collection for accounts, and monthly printing and mailing costs, which continue to grow much faster than advertising revenue for print publications.
Archived issues of the monthly print version of The Anishinabek News can be found at the newspaper’s website – www.anishinabeknews.ca.
The Anishinabek News has no full-time employees, and is produced by the Communications Unit of the Union of Ontario Indians at the central office in Nipissing First Nation.
Editor is Maurice Switzer, Assistant Editor, Marci Becking, and Communications Officer, and Co-ordinator, Priscilla Goulais.
Content is provided by UOI staff members, freelance writers, and contributors from Anishinabek Nation member communities. Readers are invited to submit letters, articles, and photos for publication. Writers interested in submitting articles should first contact the editor and refer to our freelancer’s guide before submitting.