Pride News Canada's Leader In African Canadian & Caribbean News, Views & Lifestyle
The illustration above, is of the top section of the cover of the last printed edition of Pride News Magazine, dated Wednesday, February 10, 2016. The venerable newspaper is now a daily online publication.
By Michael Van Cooten
PRIDE Publisher/Editor
After 33 years of challenging existence as a printed publication, Pride News Magazine is moving in a new, upward direction, which offers the promise of future growth, and the hope of increased profits and longevity.
This week’s printed edition of Pride — Wednesday, February 10, 2016 — is our last. Starting from next Tuesday, February 16, Pride News Magazine will become a daily, online publication.
Why?
As with all of the newspaper industry, Pride has experienced rising printing costs — exacerbated by the falling value of the Canadian, relative to the US dollar, in which many of our printer’s suppliers deal; distribution expenses have also risen significantly; and our advertising sales and our cash flow have plummeted.
By publishing 100 percent online, we can now slash both of these crippling costs — printing and distribution.
We will also be able to increase sales by targeting and marketing to a younger demographic, in addition to our regular readers, many of whom will now be able to access Pride’s news and information more conveniently, from their desktop and laptop computers, notebooks and mobile phones.
I am excited by now being able to update our website daily, thereby giving our readers access to “back home” news when they need it, right at their fingertips, literally.
How often did you have the frustrating experience of having news break back home, and you couldn’t get it immediately from your community newspapers, having to wait until the one day of the week when they (including Pride) published.
For example On Thursday, February 25, Jamaica goes to the polls, in the past, we’d all have to wait until the next Wednesday or Thursday (or access the Gleaner or Observer online) to find out the outcome.
Now, our readers won’t have to wait; they will be able to access the results as soon as we get them, the next day, on Thursday, February 26, the same as the Jamaican newspapers.
So, before you ask: Pride is NOT going out OF business; it’s going out FOR business, increased reader convenience, more profitability and a much, much longer life — without the stifling, deadening costs.
