Wisely or not, I framed last year as a battle. But this year is about appreciating something I’ve taken for granted: Sustainability.

How do you make a business out of journalism? I’m still figuring it out but thanks to you, I can do it without depending on things that are sinking even online, independent outlets (let alone newspapers). For local news to survive, it can’t look to past models. It needs to provide an actual service, not continually ask for handouts.

Federal government funding through the Local Journalism Initiative can pay a reporter for awhile, but it’s not regular income and does nothing to solve the steep operational challenges of the old way of doing things: Affording printing, transportation, office space and non-editorial staff. Relying on advertising sales to pay for all that + investing in editorial content – AKA the supposed reason people pick up the publication – isn’t sustainable. Even if you have wealthy friends and donors willing to make you a newspaper.

Even Indiegraf – a leading journalism advocacy org – has recognized relying on outside sources like government funding is only propping up a model that no longer works. They’re shifting how they operate and the March 26 announcement from CEO Erin Millar nailed it: Clinging to traditional revenue models isn’t solving the fundamental issue because it no longer supports journalism.

“We launched digital startups and transitioned print newspapers to digital outlets in dozens of local news deserts—and pulled out all the stops to make this happen. We partnered with platforms to access audiences. We advocated to Big Tech to pay its fair share. We chased the next philanthropic cycle. We lobbied governments to subsidize our work. Meantime, we didn’t expend enough energy building independent revenue streams.

 The result is a fragile local media ecosystem that is over reliant on external forces with interests that often clash with our own.”

So what’s the answer? For The Phoenix, it’s always been simple: Provide local news worthy of a paid subscription. Your $6 / month is THE reason I’ve kept on the past six years. From Day 1 of the pandemic. Through an attack on my site (2021). Through Facebook / Meta’s ban on local news (2023). Ever since a group of volunteers decided to start their own paper.

Which brings me to why 2025 was a battle. It didn’t need to be, but I approached it that way. Because it’s so difficult starting something new, especially in a small town where the Old Man’s club really is a thing.

I’m playing the long game. Subscribers come and go, and the loss in advertising to the volunteer newspaper is predictable for the reasons mentioned above. It’s led The Phoenix to work with select businesses who understand what I do, as well as sponsors like the Peachland Fall Fair and subscribers, who choose to contribute a little extra.

Local journalism lives in Peachland because of you. Six years is proof!