When Ian McCallum, late of the Times-Journal, asks elementary and
high school students today where they get their news, they tell him
Facebook and Twitter. Social media, not newspapers. When he
asked people at today’s meeting if they read newspapers, many hands
shot up. Just a generational issue?
Ian spent twenty years at the T-J, rising to City Editor before his retirement
last month. In that time, he also assumed responsibility for the paper’s social
media presence, and, indeed, even after his retirement, he continues to
produce his popular online blog, Ian’s City Scope (https://iancityscope.com).
Buyouts, cutbacks, slimdowns, call it what you will, these are tough times for
newspapers everywhere, with declines in advertizing revenue and circulation.
What are the consequences? Financial constraints have led to newspapers
with fewer pages, fewer editions, and fewer skilled, experienced journalists.
In depth news analysis has given way to short-form journalism. Many
newspapers have created online editions, hoping to attract advertisers and
subscribers, though not with the success they would like. There is a
perception among most readers that what is on the Internet should be free.
For those who rely on social media, there’s the danger that its news sources
may not be reliable. There are no editors and no fact checkers as there are
with newspapers, which makes fake news a more real possibility.
Some newspapers of good quality continue to exist, for how long, who can
say? Some Internet sites of good quality exist at no cost, for how long, who
can say? Ian referred us to a site called The Sunday Long Read for a good
example of online longform journalism that you can currently subscribe to at
no cost (www.sundaylongread.com). And you can read newspapers from
around the world online and even get an app for your supermarket coupons.
But good quality news analysis and information is a business and it is not yet
certain how much they will come to be worth in the brave new cyber world.

 

MARCH OF TIME....On the first day of spring, President Nancy welcomed Kathy Willson, wife of Ed, and
Maggie Horn, wife of Bill, as guests today, and the return of the quondam Rotaserver editor, on the lam these
last few weeks .... Next week (March 27), our guest speaker will be Constable Halverson from the OPP K9
unit. On April 3, there will be a Club Assembly followed by a Club Board meeting.
President Nancy announced that the Club’s participation in the Reading Buddies program would get underway
this afternoon at the Northside Neighbourhood Hub and again on Thursday....The Rotary Music Festival
Keynotes Concert takes place Friday, April 7 at 7 p.m. at the Salvation Army. Admission is by donation.
Malcolm Rust stated that $6000 in Music Festival scholarships would be distributed this year....The H20 4
Every! Water event is set for Saturday, April 22 at the Timken Centre from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m....Next week,
Trudy Kanellis will be looking for volunteers to assist the Interact Club at the upcoming Home Show....The
Grand Bend Rotary Club is requesting help to load crates of educational materials for Sierra Leone and
Liberia on March 25. Contact President Nancy for more info and to sign up to help.
Total Team Training, conducted under the auspices of Rotary District 6330, is scheduled for the Holiday Inn
in Sarnia on Saturday, April 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. President Nancy will be attending. If you would like to
attend, please contact Nancy. The club will pay the $40 registration fee....The Rotary Leadership Institute
seminar Parts 1, II and III takes place Saturday, May 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at King’s College in London.
To pre-register, contact PDG Al Hardy at al@allanhardy.ca by April 28. The Club will pay the $75 registration
fee. Contact President Nancy to make this arrangement....The 2016-17 District Conference, hosted by the St.
Thomas Railway City Rotary Club, takes place from Friday, May 26 to Sunday, May 28, primarily at the St.
Anne’s Centre in St. Thomas. For more information and to register, check the District’s web page.
Brenda Merrifield was winner of the 50/50 draw. Sergeant-at-Arms Ed Willson imposed additional fines: one
on Bill Horn for winning the 50/50 too many times, and two on himself for dropping the tickets and for winning
the 50/50 at last week’s meeting. Malcolm Rust fined himself for not sending the Rotaserver out last week but
promised to have it completed and sent before today was done. Fine Master Stew Shouldice highlighted two
articles from the March 2017 edition of The Rotarian magazine: one advocating responsible business practices
(“Rotary Day at the UN”), and the other describing how the Association of Fundraising Professionals had
recognized The Rotary Foundation with its annual Outstanding Foundation Award. President Nancy noted that
Rotarians were among those instrumental in founding the United Nations....The Rotary International
Convention is in Toronto in 2018.
HAPPY FINS - Donations of $5 to The Rotary Foundation – Annual Programs Fund – credited to the donor in
celebration of something good in our lives. This practice was started in this club in 1985 to raise funds for polio
eradication at the suggestion of Darwen Lowe, a member of the club.
Stew Shouldice (2) – Recently had the grandkids for three days – and survived.
Malcolm Rust (1) – For playing with the grandchildren while being tended to by paramedics on Sunday.
Paul Blower (1) – Thanks to Malcolm for doing a great job with the Rotaserver while he was away.
Ron Somerville (1) – To thank Ian for his talk today.
Pat Martyn (3) – After entertaining grandchildren for several days, she was glad to see March Break end; for
successful eye surgery; thanks to Ian for validating her practice of holding paper while reading.
Ian McCallum (1) – For the enjoyable time he’s had here today.
Jennifer Babcock (2) – Would rather have communications on paper than through social media because people
actually read communications on paper; she is grateful to have had the opportunity to help with the VON and
other community agencies.
Brenda Merrifield (2) – For her youngest daughter and her new baby; her son-in-law in Texas has a new job.