But is it local?

You might have noticed by now that we don’t publish a lot about national or international news or events. It’s not a hard and fast rule, but often when we’re looking at which stories to include in this week’s issue, we strive to include those with some kind of local tie. 

This comes through clearly in Arts and Culture, where we highlight mostly local events and creators. We still feature touring musicians and larger-scale events coming through Winnipeg, because while they’re here, they’re local. 

In the News section, we’re not trying to cover the biggest breaking stories. We’re opening a window into your neighbourhoods and communities, as well as those of your friends (especially the friends you haven’t met yet!) 

Focusing on local stories isn’t a marketing gimmick or comedic punchline. We’re not going to cover the local tire fire just because there’s nothing better going on. Even with a dedicated focus on covering local events and conversations, there are often more stories to tell than we can fit in our pages week by week. 

We’re keeping it local because in all honesty, Winnipeggers are doing a lot of really cool things right here, and we want to share them with you. 

This week, we’re talking about changing bylaws so that beekeepers can keep their hives and harvest honey right here, in downtown Winnipeg. We’re introducing you to the local ceramics community, who are holding a notably large exhibition to share their works – past and present, legendary and emerging – with you. 

Local doesn’t have to be myopic or limiting either. 

We had a Winnipegger on reality show Big Brother, so we checked out their local auditions to demystify the process for future hopeful TV stars. Mrs. Universe winner Ashley Callingbull-Burnham (who hails from a few provinces over) hit the big time in the pageant world, and then came through town to share her story and inspire others here to also stay strong and engaged. 

Don’t kid yourselves, Winnipeggers. There’s a lot to talk about here. We may just be your small-scale, local campus and community paper, but we’ve got big stories for you. 

-Anastasia Chipelski

Published in Volume 70, Number 5 of The Uniter (October 8, 2015)