James called the newsroom with a complaint late last week, and I want to set the record straight.
James picked up his May 4 edition of the Alberni Valley News in the rural box closest to his home, and when he opened it up, discovered a copy of Druthers included with the flyers. He checked several other copies of the paper in the box, and they too were stuffed with copies of the alt-right publication.
James wasn’t too happy to see this publication stuffed into our papers. Neither are we.
Druthers was placed in some of our newspaper boxes last week without the knowledge or authorization of the Alberni Valley News or our parent company, Black Press Media.
We share James’s frustration: this isn’t the first time this independent publisher has snuck copies of its propaganda in with copies of our papers—and that of other Black Press community newspapers on Vancouver Island and the mainland.
Our company lawyer has asked them to cease this practice, and coincidentally there is a note at the bottom of the front page of the publication telling people not to leave it inside the newspaper boxes of other newspapers.
We do not share the views expressed by the publishers of Druthers, and are not impressed by their practices.
It’s ironic that Druthers proclaims “mainstream media sucks” on its online homepage, yet its supporters find it OK to piggyback on the circulation methods and integrity of community newspapers in order to spread their misguided words.
— Susie Quinn is the Alberni Valley News editor.