State of the Pincher Creek Voice, June 26, 2012

Chris Davis,  Pincher Creek Voice

In less than a month the Pincher Creek Voice will be celebrating our first year of publication.

Some stats
According to Google Analytics, this website received 33, 169 pageviews in the last 30 days.  11,986 of those were "unique" visitors, as measured by ip address.  Even assuming each regular reader uses two devices, that number of uniques indicates we hit a market much larger than the immediate local area.

In the past eleven and a half months we've seen our work in other publications clear across Canada, and even in New York and California, sometimes credited, sometimes not, sometimes paid for, too often not.

Several weekly and monthly publications across western Canada will be featuring aspects of our work in the near future.  We'll brag about those in more detail when the time comes.

A new model
We have attempted to provide an unbiased source of news, too often a rarity in the screaming-headline-I'll-tellya-what-to-think world of the modern press.  We have attempted to redefine what a local news source does for a community like ours. We've embraced the present while doing our best to anticipate and in our own small way shape the future.  We've had our successes and we've had our failures, and we've learned from both.

We're sticking around
When we started, we said we'd give it a try for a year, full-on, and see how far we could take it.  We said we'd decide whether to continue after doing so.  We've decided.  The Pincher Creek Voice will continue into the foreseeable future.

Sustainability
Our first year was really all about creating enough value to sustain a significant readership.  I believe we've done that.  It's our intention to keep on doing that. Going into our second year we will be developing our financial sustainabilty while doing our best to maintain the high level of coverage Pincher Creek Voice readers have come to expect.

Always free to read
The Pincher Creek Voice will always be freely offered to the reading public.  We will never charge a subscription fee.  That doesn't work in the modern internet world. Therefore, much of the following doesn't apply to you, dear reader.

You get what you pay for
This is a business based upon the advertising model.  The only revenue we get is from the ads you see on this website and on the Pincher Creek Classifieds website.  In the past year we've given away the store too often. If you want to thank your sponsors, buy an ad.  If you'd rather buy an ad elsewhere to thank your sponsors, don't expect us to take the pictures and run the same advertorial material here for free.   If you want to use our services professionally, we'd be glad to arrange something with you, at a reasonable cost.  To expect it to be otherwise is unreasonable and unsustainable.  Our time is a finite resource. Our equipment costs us.  Our skills are hard-earned.  We're not a philanthropical organization.  We don't run on grants.  We're capitalists.   

Coverage
We're going out on a limb (again) and have added part-time staff.  Frank van Zandwijk and Josh Davis will be covering a lot of youth oriented events going forward, and I believe they bring a fresh perspective.  We're not expecting to cover more events than we already do, they've been employed to help us maintain our present level of coverage.


Closed on Sundays
For the immediate future, we will be closed on Sundays.  We will continue to publish emergency alerts and other critical information on Sundays as the situations arise.  If you have a Sunday event you'd like to see in these pages, you are encouraged to submit a story.  

Submitting stories
Please do.  We can't possibly get to every event.  We can't possibly cover every point of view.  If it's not an advertorial for a non-advertiser and it doesn't violate our basic standards we will publish it.  That's a promise.  


Invite us/press gets in free
If you want us to come to your event, an invitation is always nice.  Press gets in free. Yeah, we're cheap.   If you don't consider us press, feel free to invite us but don't expect us.   We don't make enough money to pay for all the events we attend,  it's just that simple.  


When are you going to print the Pincher Creek Voice?
A: When we have enough advertisers to support over 150 stories and several hundred photographs a month.  The several hours of video we publish in an average week will still present a conundrum...


Keep on reading
Wow, you made it this far, thanks!   Dear reader, you make this endeavor meaningful.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to our success
That's a very long list.  What goes around comes around, and I hope we can be as good to you as you've been to us.

Thanks Toni and Phil!
Toni Lucas, words fail.  You've been a rock.  There would be no Pincher Creek Voice without this little lady's incredible effort and support.
Phil Burpee, you've been our most constant contributor, and an inspiration.  Thank you.   


Thanks, advertisers!
I'm going to single out some long term advertisers here. They make this possible.

• Pincher Creek Co-op - there since day one, thank you.
• Collar Tire - we're very grateful for your early support
• Fox Theatre - Kim Jorgenson, you're awesome
• The Co-operators - Thank you for helping to ensure our growth.