In a new partnership that marks a significant change to the Canadian media landscape, Black Press Media has partnered with Village Media, an industry-leading digital media company specializing in local news websites and technology development, to enhance the delivery of local news in over 120 communities.
Under the new partnership, Black Press Media will license Village Media’s custom content management system, Villager, empowering them to better serve their local communities with new site capabilities and provide state-of-the-art digital publishing and community-based marketing programs to their readers.
Villager is an industry-leading content management system designed in-house and is licensed to a collaborative partner network across North America. In addition to their partner network, Village Media owns and operates 29 sites in Canada and the US.
Randy Blair, co-Chief Operating Officer of Black Press Media, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership.
“Joining forces with Village Media and leveraging their innovative Villager platform will greatly enhance our digital capabilities, allowing us to better serve our communities and uphold our commitment to local news excellence.”
The collaboration significantly increases the scale of the entire Canadian network, which is now able to execute national advertising campaigns, sponsored content and conduct market research, while paving the way for new models of sustainable local news operations - across 145 Canadian communities.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Black Press Media, a publishing company with a strong presence in both Canada and the United States. This collaboration will not only strengthen our commitment to delivering exceptional local news experiences but also enhance Black Press Media’s ability to provide comprehensive, timely and engaging content to their diverse communities,” said Village Media’s CEO Jeff Elgie.
Black Press Media is a leading local news champion with operations across British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Washington State, Alaska, and Hawaii. More than 1,500 talented employees deliver unique community news and information across a full suite of traditional media channels and digital platforms.
Black Press Media now offers a wide range of marketing solutions including; print, online and social media. Innovation continues to be the important driver at the company ensuring digital transformation extends throughout all aspects of the business. Relevant local news and information remains at the core of how Black Press Media continues to thrive.