Press Freedom is not Negotiable – A Rewrite under Protest

(This letter was submitted to the Alberni Valley News on October 16, 2025) Dear Editor, I am a little stunned. This week, a vice president of Carpenter Media, the new American owner of the Alberni Valley News and other former Black Press papers, contacted me about a letter submitted a week earlier but not published. …

Updated Oct 14 — Small town Canadian newspapers at risk from anti-democratic Carpenter Media ownership group

(The Letter was sent to the Alberni Valley News on October 8 2025) Update: October 14th – Carpenter Media Editor Refuses to Run my Letter. Today I was phoned (I believe… it all happened a little quickly) by Senior Vice President & Group Publisher Canadian Division, Mary Kemmis. She said she is in charge of …

How many bullets do we dodge before we take away the fossil fuelled gun?

(This letter was sent to the AVNews on August 18. It was published in the August 27 2025 print edition and online on the AVNews website on August 30) The first picture I have of the Underwood Fire. I took it at 6:53PM August 11 opposite the Barclay hotel in Port Alberni. Dear Editor, Port …