We talk with journalist Corey LeBlanc to get the lowdown on Antigonish This Week, a new supplement filled with Antigonish news from the Guysborough Journal. Episode key points:

* Corey LeBlanc, a veteran journalist with 23 years experience (18 with The Casket), is now writing for "Antigonish This Week," a new supplement in the Guysborough Journal newspaper, bringing local print journalism back to Antigonish.

* The new publication features news, sports, and features about Antigonish with contributors including Emilie Chiasson, Katie Edwards, and photographer Brian Kennedy, focusing on celebrating community events and covering local government issues.

* LeBlanc believes local journalism plays a vital role in community building, noting how the absence of a local newspaper during recent political events created an information void that affected public understanding.

* After working for years in Antigonish, LeBlanc views his role as working "for the community" rather than just for a newspaper, emphasizing the importance of documenting both major news, sports, and community events.

You can email Corey directly with news story ideas at: [email protected]

Read and subscribe to the Guysborough Journal at this link: guysboroughjournal.ca

If you’d rather read as opposed to listen, here’s an overview of this week’s episode in the style of a newspaper article:

Local Print Journalism Returns to Antigonish with Veteran Reporter Leading Coverage

ANTIGONISH, Nova Scotia — After a five-year absence of dedicated local print news coverage, journalism is making a comeback in Antigonish with the launch of "Antigonish This Week," a new supplement in the Guysborough Journal newspaper spearheaded by veteran reporter Corey LeBlanc.

LeBlanc, who spent 18 years at The Casket newspaper before becoming a casualty of media consolidation in 2020, views the new publication as filling a critical void in community information.

"There's a thirst for local news that needs to be quenched," LeBlanc said in a recent interview on the "Let's Talk Antigonish" podcast. "We're not trying to be Casket 2.0 or 'Casket Light,' but we're trying to help get the message out about what's happening in Antigonish."

The supplement, now in its second week of publication, features news coverage, sports reporting, and human interest stories focused exclusively on Antigonish. With accomplished journalist Alec Bruce in the editor’s chair, LeBlanc leads the news coverage with support from a team including feature writers Katie Edwards, Emilie Chiasson, who recently ran for mayor, and photographer Brian Kennedy.

The timing may be particularly opportune. LeBlanc pointed to the recent proposed consolidation process of the town and county as an example of how the community suffered without dedicated local reporting during a contentious period.

"I think one of the challenges, even with all the social media, was that it really affected the process not having a community newspaper," LeBlanc said. "I would have been at every open session, every meeting, asking questions about why they're doing this. There was a void."

Helen and Allan Murphy, owners of the Guysborough Journal since 1994, decided to expand their coverage into Antigonish after recognizing this information gap. Allan Murphy has deep roots in the Ohio area of Antigonish County, making the expansion a natural fit for their community-focused publication.

For LeBlanc, the return to covering Antigonish represents more than just a job. "I always said I work for the community," he reflected, describing how he would often drive to far flung parts of the county to cover community events after long workdays. "Once I got there and saw how people appreciated that we were showing interest in their event, it was more than a job to me."

The veteran journalist, who now lives in Cape Breton, sees community newspapers as vital for celebrating local accomplishments, documenting change, and making people feel connected. He recalled how families would cut out photos of their children from the newspaper and display them on refrigerators — a tradition that persisted even in the digital age.

The new publication is available at local newsstands throughout Antigonish and through subscription to the Guysborough Journal. While the venture begins modestly, LeBlanc and the Murphys hope it might spark a renaissance in local journalism in the area.

"This may serve as a springboard for who knows what," LeBlanc suggested. "Maybe it'll further inspire young people that are doing so many great things in the community."

As small newspapers across North America continue to struggle against economic headwinds and digital disruption, "Antigonish This Week" represents a rare counter-narrative — an expansion of print journalism into an underserved community at a time when most news organizations are contracting.

"It's really a credit to them to do their little part," LeBlanc said of the Murphys. "In an industry where you don't hear much about adding on or expanding, they really get it in terms of community newspaper."

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