If you are reading these lines, you have already noticed the change in your newspaper: Beginning with this edition, we will be coming out in a tabloid size and we are hoping that the new format will be more practical and easy to carry to allow you to read your newspaper in a multitude of environments in a more comfortable manner.
We are aware that newspaper readers have stuck with their habit of receiving their information from the paper product rather than online, because it is, as stated, a habit. And the habit includes the familiarity of what one is holding in his hands, the familiarity of what to find on which page, where to go to look for a certain community column and where to find some information on a local hockey or soccer game.
This new format will undoubtedly bring some changes in those patterns readers have got accustomed to, but we are hoping that the adjustment will be swift and the changes introduced will be more than worthy of the effort.
The production team has put many hours of work into building the new shape of your paper and we are hoping that you will find pleasant and enjoyable the new visual enrichments in terms of colors and new fonts used in bringing you our content.
Speaking of the content, the new format is only part of our efforts to upgrade the standards of The Independent in every possible way we can.
It is interesting to note that despite national and big city newspapers losing ground to online information sources, community newspapers continue to remain at the focus of residents of smaller communities throughout Canada, and in a larger context, in North America.
Media analysts say this is because of the unique nature o the information provided by the community newspapers: It is only these small editorial teams of one or two reporters or editors that bring the news of the community to the community, continuing a tradition that has its roots way back in late 1800s when homesteaders started to build communities in the vast, pristine lands of North America.
Community newspapers were born as result of the need of these early settlers and homesteaders for local information from the neighbouring farms and surrounding communities, both to establish bonds of neighbourly cooperation and to lend a hand of support if and when it is needed.
In continuing to uphold the main tenets of this valuable tradition, the staff of The Independent will remain faithful to the professional and ethical standards of journalism.
We will continue to focus our reporting on what has been happening in the community and reflect the events in complete objectivity and with utmost attention to accuracy and timeliness.
In performing our tasks, we will remain guided by the ethical standards accepted by the professional organizations in the province and in the country.
To be able to serve the community with better and more enriched content, we, as always, will be open and willing to receiving your feedback and engagement in any way you see fit.
We hope you will enjoy your paper in this new format at least as much as you did previously.