Everyone has a sad story. This is ours. Cue the violins.
After over 16 years of producing the Seeker, which has changed format several times over that period, we are faced with unprecedented challenges that only you, the community, can help fix.
The Seeker has always been free to the community, but the rising costs of printing and distribution—-take the price of gas for example—have made it necessary for us to rethink the model to ensure the publication can continue in a sustainable way.
Moving forward, you will still be able to read the online PDF version in its entirity for free, but we will make the following changes to our print: a smaller free monthly “Seeker Teaser” edition will be widely available throughout the community and will contain parts of what normally would be included, but the full extended edition will be available to subscribers and supporters willing to invest in local journalism.
- Single issues will be available for sale online and at our office, as well as at select locations in the area.
- You can also enjoy a full year of issues delivered by mail.
Each FREE copy of The Seeker costs us roughly $6 to produce by the time printing, shipping, and distribution are factored in. Your $95/year contribution would help offset those costs and take some of the pressure off our advertisers, who are currently funding this venture almost entirely on their own. Like many small businesses right now, our advertisers are also facing difficult economic times. Rather than continuing to raise advertising rates, which we’ve had to do in the past, we feel moving toward a subscription-supported model is the more sustainable and community-minded approach.
This change would help us continue producing local journalism, stories, opinions, and community features while reducing waste and managing the growing costs of large-scale printing. We firmly believe independent local media matters. We just need a model that allows us to survive. We know many readers value The Seeker, and we hope those who want to support truly independent local media will consider subscribing to the full edition. Your support directly helps keep local voices, local stories, and independent publishing alive in our region. Don’t forget! We now have almost 30 contributors!
After nearly two decades, we’re proud of what The Seeker has contributed to this community, and we’re hopeful this new approach will help us continue for years to come.
If you have ever said that you love this publication, now is time to show it. Click here to Get your Copy or Subscribe or call 613-908-9448 ext 2 to get the Seeker delivered to your door every month …
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