Right in the centre - Rural is different and maybe better

By Ken Waddell

Neepawa Banner & Press

A recent study done by Totum Research for News Media Canada confirms that a universally applied strategy will not result in universal access to a message. In smaller markets across the prairies, media habits are different, particularly when it comes to readership of newspapers. Printed community newspapers are read by almost 80 per cent of those who live in prairie communities under 100,000 residents. It appears that the transition from print to online has not happened in rural areas like it has in urban markets.

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Right in the centre - More to COVID-19 than meets the eye

By Ken Waddell

Neepawa Banner & Press

As Manitoba’s combination of good management, good fortune and good luck produces enviable COVID-19 results, there are some deeper lessons to be learned.

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Right in the centre - Rural people already knew this

By Ken Waddell

Neepawa Banner & Press

“We” have been told a lot of things that rural people instinctively knew were wrong. Here’s a partial list of wrong things we have been told.

•Rural life is not a good thing, city life should be our goal.

•Farming is not a good career.

•Bigger is better. Bigger cities, larger apartment blocks, bigger care homes, larger buses and commuter trains, bigger airplanes and  cruise ships.

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Right in the centre - Get it in writing!

By Ken Waddell

Neepawa Banner & Press

About the time we got started in the newspaper business in 1989, a man from Stonewall, named Merv Farmer, was building up some nice newspapers. He wisely told us, if you are going to have a newspaper, you have to spend money on news, on journalists. We have always taken that to heart. 

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Editorial - New gun law targets law abiding citizens

By Micah Waddell

Rivers Banner

For many gun owners, this past week’s announcement from our “great” leader was incredibly disappointing to hear. An unbelievably loose ban on “assault” firearms has effectively made it illegal to own any form of sporting and competition rifle. The Prime Minister was quoted, stating, “Why do you need an AR-15 to hunt deer?” A ludicrous statement, given that it has been illegal to hunt with such weapons for a long time.

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