One of my more crazy ideas, that is, sitting somewhere between doodling and dawdling, is that of either a Alberta-based magazine or a province-wide newspaper. If you are familiar with The British Columbia Magazine (formerly known as the Beautiful British Columbia Magazine), you will get a bit of a drift of what I would love to do: Snippets and features from each part of the province, with a a little dash from the past, plus plenty of well-deserved advertising.
The newspaper idea would be a little different: Whereas the magazine would be quarterly, the newspaper would be weekly, maybe even monthly. On a monthly basis, of course, the news would be stale and stagnant, thus negating the current events angle. It would be a newspaper given over to future events (not current events), happenings, announcements, and things relative as to what makes Alberta so great. News about rural life and family life, angles on Alberta's role in the greater Canadian mosaic and global landscape, would be part of the copy.
One of the key thrusts would be good news. Not embellished reporting, either, glossing over all the crummy information. Newspapers can't really sell much—especially the big players in the market—unless there are guts and gore, sex and sin, sensationalism and sensuality, in their copy. Small town players, like the one you're reading today, don't have to stoop to that to gain and maintain readership.
I know, I know, we have the Internet and other conduits of cyber ways to get news out. But I still believe there is a place for good, old-fashioned copy that we can read over our coffee in the morning, or late at night as we wind down for the day.
In addition to wholesome, positive and important information, my magazine or newspaper ideas—while a little different from each other—would also contain good news. There are great things happening throughout Alberta that we really need a chance to read about: Families that are making a go of it, despite financial setbacks; businesses that are growing and impacting their local communities; and young people who are making a positive change in their world. These are just for starters.
You see, it's not all about violence, sex, and greed. There are a lot of great things happening out there throughout our wild rose province, but we're not hearing about it.
Like the recent event that I'm aware of in Foremost, for example. Twice a year, for the past five years, hundreds of young people and some of their parents (that is, anywhere from 95 to 155 at a time) have converged on Foremost, for a time of life-skills teaching, food, fun, chilling, and more food. These are Christian young people, and their textbook is the Bible. There are all billeted by area people, buy gas and food at the local retailers, and play volleyball and soccer in the local community park They come Friday evening and are gone by Sunday evening—back to Coaldale, Calgary, Airdrie, Stony Plain, Edson, plus points west in BC.
I am aware of what they do and how they do it. To date, I have never picked up a beer bottle, heard an f-bomb, and seen a fistfight. This sort of event is news, but there is no real opportunity to get this sort of news out. It is important they we present our fellow-Albertans with good news-- again, not embellished, not partial, just the facts.
I don't know about you, but I really need to hear it. When I read or hear of weekend like this, it gives me hope, real hope.
I lose hope when I hear of knifings in Calgary, of murders on First nations reserves, of economic catastrophes, and such. There is a place for this sort of reporting, to be sure, but surely we have other good things happening that we need to write about and hear about.
Whether my crazy idea of a magazine or newspaper ever gets anywhere, I cannot say. But reporting good things is not a crazy idea, no matter the medium. Any message of hope is good, not bad—right?
In more ways than you can imagine, that is indeed good news.
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