March? That happened.

It’s a couple days late, but this post is itself a recap of old news so no biggie.

Anyways, in case you missed it the first time, here are some recaps from March with a little bit of new information thrown in here and there to keep you on your toes.

The Vancouver Courier’s Cheryl Rossi was applauded for her coverage of the Olympic Village fiasco.

Prince George Citizen sports editor Jim Swanson was reportedly turfed because the paper had too much hockey coverage. Which seems weird. Jim’s now helping organize Prince George’s World Baseball Challenge.

The husband of slain Salmon Arm Observer office manager Louise Phillips was charged with her murder.

I like the Kamloops Daily News’s reader’s reporter feature.

Black Press made $17.9 million last year. Mo’ money, mo’ problems for David Black?

In the space of a week, this blog gained two friends on the Googles. Kamloops Daily News associate editor Catherine Litt started the B.C. Newspapers Blog on Tumblr. So far she posts a lot about social media while conducting an ongoing search for the perfect design. Sheesh, designers…

The Northern Reporter, meanwhile, is a blog started by an anonymous, um…, northern reporter. It offers cheeky tales from the newsroom and frequent proclamations that he/she won’t be able to post anytime soon (while following up with posts not too long after).

Both blogs are highly recommended.

Langley Advance reporter Roxanne Hooper blasted “media specialists.”

Finalists for the 2011 BCYCNA Ma Murray Awards were released. The Yukon News led the pack. I analyzed the nominees by company and found Black Press #winning in the General Excellence category but under-represented (given the number of papers) in writing categories.

I batted around the contentious issue of dailies competing with non-dailies in newspaper competitions.

I explained why race is important before, but not after, a suspect is arrested.

An American newspaper reporter is nearing a profit on a community newspaper he started from scratch. I still find this story interesting.

The nominees for the 2011 Canadian Community Newspaper Awards were announced. Again I broke down  the B.C. nominees by company.

I chuckled at a pair of ambiguous headlines, including “Crook family history revealed in new book”.

The Province stole, whole hog, a story by Black Press reporter Jeff Nagel. It gave credit to him and the Victoria Times-Colonist. It was, all in all, hilarious, but Black Press bosses weren’t impressed. The next day I explained what the inadvertent theft said about our industry. Bonus factoid: The day The Province feat. Jeff Nagel was released, March 22, this blog experienced its heaviest traffic in its still-brief history. The above-average numbers continued for two more days, in case you were wondering.

I considered whether newspapers should use RCMP-supplied images and video after receiving an email from someone with major qualms about the practice.

I played around with a new strategy when applying, or soliciting applications, for a job opening.

The Powell River Peak launched the first B.C. community newspaper app for iPhones etc. I wondered, why’s it free? (I now think that’s probably a good idea, something I may elaborate on later).

I exposed Coast Reporter associate publisher Cathie Roy as a publisher who actually writes news stories and covers committees of the whole.

And, finally, I liked the Glacier Media refocus on email subscriptions.

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This blog had more visitors in March than any previous months. It’s still a one-person show, though, so any help would be great. It’s easy, quick and the pay is shite. E-mail bclocalreporter (at) gmail (dot) com.

Have I made an error? It wouldn’t be the first time. Leave a comment and I’ll shamefully update the post.

We’re making inroads into our census of B.C. community newspapers, but there are still a lot of blanks in the Journo-lust Spreadsheet. How many journalists work at your paper? How often do you come out? Who’s your publisher? Participation is free! The benefits unlimited! The exclamation points boundless!

February? That happened.

Keeee-rye-st, 28 days can drag on.

For those editors — because, let’s face it, it’s always the editors — who can’t find the “Older Entries” link at the bottom of the page, here’s all the juicy stuff from February.

With award season coming, I list the best medium and large community papers in the province, as determined by past Ma Murray and Canadian Community Newspaper Association awards.

The Vernon Morning Star sports guys went to a local western store to weigh in on the upcoming Super Bowl and get fitted for cowboy hats. Hilarity ensues.

My inner Karl Marx and Adam Smith war over the closing of the Nelson Express and the “aggressive competition” cited by its publisher.

Nelson Star reporter Andrea Klassen suggests the changing media scene in that town would be a great subject for an ambitious journalism student to write about.

I found the Canadian Association of Journalists undeserving of my $75.

Ladysmith Chronicle reporter Erin DeCoste survives murderball in one piece. Which is always good when you’re playing a game that includes the word “murder.”

I wrote about the glory that comes from penning a regular column.

Two words: Swarmjam. Ick.

I wrote that hick towns can be a great place to work as a journalist, a sentiment shared by Burnaby Now arts editor Jule MacLellan and In the Koots editor Chris Shepherd. That whole thing was sparked by a great Ottawa Citizen column by a journalism professor named Joe Banks.

This blog got a name change.

Former North Island Gazette editer Peter Paterson died in his sleep at the age of 80.

I implore community newspaper editors and publishers to give reporters regular mental health checkups and the resources to deal with any underlying issues.

I give the thumbs up to a tweak of the Black Press community websites. Now if only Postmedia would follow suit (I’m not holding my breath).

Tragedy struck the Salmon Arm Observer when office manager Louise Phillips died under “suspicious circumstances.” The newspaper staff covered their co-worker’s death with great fortitude and some immensely touching pieces (Only read the stories if you have a tissue handy).

The Kamloops Daily News closed its printing press and mail room as Glacier cut back. The paper will now be printed in Vernon, at the same press that prints its competitor, Kamloops This Week.

Black Press shuffled the deck at the North Shore Outlook, the WestEnder and the Bowen Island Outlook after WE editor Michael White moved on.

Kamloops This Week’s Marty The Reporter Hastings takes on a team of NHL Oldtimers. He doesn’t do well, but the video is hilarious.

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This blog had more visitors in February than any previous months. It’s still a one man show, though, so any help would be great. It’s easy, quick and the pay is shite. E-mail bclocalreporter (at) gmail (dot) com.

Have I made an error? It wouldn’t be the first time. Leave a comment and I’ll shamefully update the post.

We’re making inroads into our census of B.C. community newspapers, but there are still a lot of blanks in the Journo-lust Spreadsheet. How many journalists work at your paper? How often do you come out? Who’s your publisher? Participation is free! The benefits unlimited! The exclamation points boundless!

January? That happened.

Is this a new feature? Maybe, if the blog survives another month.

Here’s what you may have missed in January if you haven’t been following the J-lust religiously:

Nelson Star editor Bob Hall penned a must-read column on what it was like to be the final editor of the Nelson Daily News when Black Press made the decision to send the newspaper to a farm in the country, and then to be hired by Black Press to edit the Star.

Kamloops Daily News sports editor Gregg Drinnan was banned from speaking to members of the Kamloops Blazers after team management took offence to his reporter. Outrage ensued. The WHL were taken to task for being out to lunch on the issue. The Blazers were ridiculed as the ban blew up in their faces. It became clear that the WHL didn’t know what the fuck was going on. The Blazers met with the paper and the league. The ban was lifted, the Daily News promised to not change a thing, and the Blazers have continued to suck.

The aforementioned Nelson Star drove another Nelson paper out of business as the Express closed up shop, blaming aggressive competition from the Star. Meanwhile the Nelson Daily, an online newsite, took a swipe at Black Press but needlessly ignored the Post.

Former Prince George Free Press Reporter Michelle Lang, who died while reporting for the Calgary Herald in Afghanistan, was remembered a year after her death.

A Trail Daily Times reporter had the means to retire at the age of 54. I expressed disbelief and envy.

I criticized Black Press for sponsoring the lamest award ever: the CCNA award for best holiday edition.

A video of a cop kicking a man under arrest that was shot by Castanet reporter Kelly Hayes on his iPhone sparked an investigation and nationwide news coverage. He later shot an exclusive interview with the man, Buddy Tavares.

Mounties began an investigation into whether the Nanaimo Daily News and reporters Danielle Bell and Derek Spalding breached a publication ban with a recent article. But the Daily News pushed back, saying the cops were just bitter because the story left them with “egg on their face.”

Penticton Herald editor James Miller wrote about his brave turn as a transvestite on stage. In a strange sort of synergy, the aforementioned aforementioned Bob Hall also confessed to growing muttonchops and a moustache for a pantomime role as a snake oil salesman.

I asked “Why is there so much bullshit in community newspapers?” in an expletive-filled column.

Derek Bouchard, a long-time radio news guy with CHBQ 1280 (about which I can find little information) in Powell River, is running for city council. Derek no longer works in radio, according to the bio on his “Derek Bouchard for City Council” Facebook page. Instead, he’s now working for a company that maintains Canada Post mailboxes.

Good news for any Postmedia editor who, for whatever reason, would want to be publisher as Marlyn Graziano was named publisher of the Surrey Now. Marlyn was the editor of the paper until 2000, when she took over as editorial director of Canwest Community Publishing. She’ll keep those duties too.

Alaska Highway News reporter Ryan Lux fought off “a drug-addled delinquent” who burst into his Fort St. John apartment uninvited and threatened to kill him. Then he wrote about it in a gripping first-hand account you’ve got to read.

And Burnaby Now editor Pat Tracy gave all aspiring journalists a cheat-sheet for finding work in a newsroom with a terrific post on her blog. I added my two cents.

To recap the recap:

Shame on you award: Kamloops Blazers.