Investing in Local News – Postmedia Launches 80+ Redesigned Community Newspaper Websites

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--From Airdrie to Woodstock, today Postmedia relaunched more than 80 community newspaper websites, bringing loyal readers a richer user experience and closer community connections.

“We know readers come to us for information that matters to them and news about their community and region is their top priority,” said Lucinda Chodan, Senior Vice President Editorial, Postmedia. “This investment in our community websites supports local journalism, and brings our readers, local businesses and communities closer together.”

News Nearby

The first section of the site is local – your local newspaper website’s top stories. The next section is News Nearby – prioritizing news feeds from nearby communities in your region. As you scroll down from your local news, you’ll find a collection of relevant stories from communities near you. If you’re visiting the High River Times, stories from the Cochrane Times, Bow Valley Crag & Canyon and Airdrie Echo are just a click away.

All of Postmedia’s community newspaper websites are getting the same performance makeover recently rolled out to Postmedia’s larger market daily newspaper websites over the past year. Designed and built with both audiences and advertisers in mind, key features include:

• Faster websites that work across desktop, tablet and mobile devices
• A streamlined user experience that makes it easier to consume content
• Improved search effectiveness to find what you’re looking for faster
• New ways to discover content in your region through News Nearby
• New ways to engage including single sign-on, a rich commenting platform that lets readers follow or block users, social sharing options and more
• Powerful editorial tools that enable our newsrooms to ensure you’re always getting the biggest, most relevant stories on the top of our homepage
• Inline advertising relevant to you without disrupting your story experience
• Accessibility improvements including the option of mouse-free navigation and other technical enhancements that will help you navigate our sites with accessibility devices

The initiative is being supported by an integrated advertising campaign produced in-house by Postmedia’s marketing team.

Community Newspaper Websites Launching Today

Chatham-Kent This Week, Clinton News Record, Cornwall Standard-Freeholder, Devon Dispatch, Edmonton Examiner, Exeter Lakeshore Times-Advance, Fairview Post, Fort McMurray Today, Goderich Signal Star, Grande Prairie Daily Herald Tribune, Grey-Bruce This Week, Hanna Herald, Kenora Miner & News, Kingston This Week, Kirkland Lake Northern News This Week, La Nouvelle Beaumont News, Londoner, Nipawin Journal, Norfolk & Tillsonburg News, North Bay Nugget, Peace Country Sun, Pembroke Observer & News, Record-Gazette, Sarnia & Lambton County This Week, Sault This Week, Seaforth Huron Expositor, Shoreline Beacon, Simcoe Reformer, St. Thomas Times-Journal, Strathroy Age Dispatch, The Airdrie Echo, The Belleville Intelligencer, The Bow Valley Crag & Canyon, The Brantford Expositor. The Chatham Daily News, The Cochrane Times, The Cochrane Times-Post, The Cold Lake Sun, The Community Press, The County Weekly News, The Courier Press, The Drayton Valley Western Review, The Fort Saskatchewan Record, The Gananoque Reporter, The Graphic Leader, The Grove Examiner, The High River Times, The Journal, The Kincardine News, The Kingston Whig-Standard, The Leduc Rep, The Leduc-Wetaskiwin County Market, The Lucknow Sentinel, The Mayerthorpe Freelancer, The Mid-North Monitor, The Mitchell Advocate, The Nanton News, The Napanee Guide, The Owen Sound Sun Times, The Paris Star, The Pincher Creek Echo, The Post, The Recorder & Times, The Sarnia Observer, The Sault Ste. Marie Sault Star, The Sherwood Park • Strathcona County News , The Standard, The Stony Plain Reporter, The Stratford Beacon Herald, The Sudbury Star, The Timmins Daily Press, The Trentonian, The Vulcan Advocate, The Wetaskiwin Times, The Whitecourt Star, The Wiarton Echo, Timmins Times, Today's Farmer, Vermilion Standard, West Elgin Chronicle, and Woodstock Sentinel-Review.

About Postmedia Network Inc.

Postmedia Network Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (TSX:PNC.A, PNC.B), is a Canadian newsmedia company representing more than 120 brands across multiple print, online, and mobile platforms. Award-winning journalists and innovative product development teams bring engaging content to millions of people every week whenever and wherever they want it. This exceptional content, reach and scope offers advertisers and marketers compelling solutions to effectively reach target audiences. For more information, visit www.postmedia.com or www.postmediasolutions.com.