Membership
Benefits of Membership
The BCYCNA exists to serve our member newspapers and to promote the community newspaper industry. Some of the benefits members enjoy are:
- Participation in the annual Ma Murray Community Newspaper Awards. This event recognizes the achievements of our members in all aspects of newspaper production.
- Revenue opportunities through our community classifieds and BCY’D Display ad programs.
- Automatic membership in News Media Canada (NMC), a federation of 7 regional associations, and a network of over 600 newspapers across Canada.
- Automatic membership in the National News Media Council, giving members the advantage of having an arbitrator between the public and themselves in the event of a legal situation involving defamation and libel.
- Credibility to the public and advertisers through access to the NMC’s Canadian Media Circulation Audit (CMCA)
- Industry advancement. We help our members to continue publishing quality newspapers by hosting seminars on topics such as ad sales and newspaper design.
- Free membership to newspapertraining.ca
- Government relations. The BCYCNA liaises with government representatives to improve the profile of our industry, and to address our interests with organizations like the Workers Compensation Board and Canada Post.
- The BCYCNA is committed to keeping our members in-the-know on issues related to the community newspaper industry. For example, we recently compiled two practical handbooks for our members: the Employer’s Guide to Newspaper Carriers and other Contract Employees, and the Elections Advertising Booklet. Our blog keeps our membership on top of policies and events relating to the community newspaper industry in B.C. and the Yukon.
The BCYCNA constantly strives to come up with new initiatives and to change our focus according to member needs.
Membership Criteria
To qualify for full membership in the BCYCNA, applicant newspapers must meet the following requirements:
- Published in British Columbia or the Yukon.
- Published at least 50 weeks per year.
- Have been issued for at least one year.
- Apply for and receive an audited circulation, or submit a Publisher’s Sworn Statement, within one year of being accepted as a member.
- Give general newspaper service to a particular community, without being representative of a class or trade (except where it serves a distinct language group).
- Conform to accepted newspaper practice in general appearance and production.
- Publish the weekly BCYCNA Community Classifieds in full.
- Sixty-five (65) per cent of a newspaper’s circulation/distribution shall be restricted to not more than three (3) BC and Yukon school districts.
The term “Newspaper” includes publications:
- That have for their principal purpose the dissemination of local and/or telegraphic news and intelligence of a general character.
- Whose front page must not be dominated by advertising.
- That are produced as folded sheets with consecutive page numbers.
- That have photographic illustrations that are reproduced with clarity.
- That have a minimum of 30% editorial content. Editorial content includes local news and photographs as well as the following:
- Public service (unpaid) listings of an event, activity, or attraction;
- Business market quotations;
- Comics, crosswords, and puzzles;
- Horoscopes and television listings;
- Letters to the editor;
- Movie, theatre, and other reviews;
- Sports scores; and
- Weather forecasts.
The BCYCNA will not accept membership of publications with more than 45,000 paid circulation.
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To qualify for associate membership in the BCYCNA, applicant newspapers, magazines, and periodicals must meet the following requirements:
- Published in British Columbia or the Yukon.
- Publish in print at least 4 times per year.
- Have been published for at least one year.
- Within one year of being accepted as a member, must either apply for and receive an audited circulation OR submit a Publisher’s Sworn Statement (with backup documentation) for approval.
- Give general content service to a particular community, class or trade.
This category of membership includes publications:
- That have for their principal purpose the dissemination of local and/or syndicated news and intelligence of a general character, which includes newspapers, magazines and periodicals.
- Whose front page must not be dominated by advertising.
- That are produced as folded or stapled sheets with consecutive page numbers.
- That have photographic illustrations that are reproduced with clarity.
- That have a minimum of 30% editorial content. Editorial content includes local content and photographs as well as the following:
- Public service (unpaid) listings of an event, activity, or attraction;
- Comics, crosswords, and puzzles where applicable;
- Horoscopes where applicable;
- Letters to the editor where applicable;
- Movie, theatre, and other reviews where applicable.
Associate Members are not eligible to sit on board, cannot vote at AGM, and are only eligible for certain Ma Murray categories.
The BCYCNA will not accept membership of publications with more than 45,000 paid circulation.
How to apply for membership
For full membership: click here to download a pdf of the BCYCNA membership application form, and complete it in full. Forward the form to the BCYCNA office with three copies of three recent editions of your newspaper.
For associate membership: click here to download a pdf of the BCYCNA associate membership application form, and complete it in full. Forward the form to the BCYCNA office with three copies of two recent editions of your publication.
Our mailing address is:
9 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC
V5Y 1P1
Your application will be reviewed by the General Manager and the membership committee of the Board of Directors. Please allow a turnaround time of one to two months. In the meantime, if you have any questions, contact us at either
(604) 669-9222, 1-866-669-9222 (toll-free), or via email at info@bccommunitynews.com.
Full Member Publications
100 Mile House Free Press
Abbotsford News
Agassiz-Harrison Observer
Alaska Highway News
Alberni Valley News
Aldergrove Star
Ashcroft-Cache Creek Journal
Boundary Creek Times
Bowen Island Undercurrent
Bridge River / Lillooet News
Burnaby Now
Burns Lake / Lakes District News
Campbell River Mirror
Castlegar News
Chemainus Valley Courier
Cloverdale Reporter
Columbia Valley Pioneer
Coquitlam, Tri-City News
Courtenay / Comox Valley Record
Cranbrook Townsman
Creston Valley Advance
Dawson Creek Mirror
Delta Optimist
Duncan Cowichan Valley Citizen
Fernie Free Press
Fort Nelson News
Fort St. James Caledonia Courier
Gabriola Sounder
Golden Star
Goldstream News Gazette
Grand Forks Gazette
Haida Gwaii Observer
Hope Standard
Houston Today
Kamloops This Week
Kelowna Capital News
Keremeos, The Review
Kimberley Bulletin
Kitimat, Northern Sentinel
Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle
Lake Cowichan Gazette
Langley Advance Times
Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News
Merritt Herald
Mission City Record
Nakusp, Arrow Lakes News
Nanaimo News Bulletin
Nelson Star
New Westminster Record
North Delta Reporter
North Shore News
North Thompson Star/Journal
North Thompson Times
Oak Bay News
Oliver/Osoyoos Times-Chronicle
Parksville/Qualicum Beach News
Peace Arch News, White Rock/South Surrey
Peachland View
Penticton Western News
Pique Newsmagazine
Port Hardy, North Island Gazette
Powell River Peak
Prince Rupert, The Northern View
Princeton, The Similkameen Spotlight
Quesnel, Cariboo Observer
Revelstoke Review
Richmond News
Rocky Mountain Goat
Rossland News
Saanich News
Salmon Arm Observer
Salmon Arm, Shuswap Market News
Salt Spring Island, Gulf Islands Driftwood
Sechelt / Gibsons Coast Reporter
Sicamous, Eagle Valley News
Sidney, Peninsula News Review
Smithers, Interior News
Sooke News Mirror
Squamish Chief
Summerland Review
Surrey Now-Leader
Terrace Standard
The Chilliwack Progress
The Prince George Citizen
Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News
Trail Times
Vancouver is Awesome
Vanderhoof, Omineca Express
Vernon, Morning Star
Victoria News
West K News
Whitehorse, Yukon News
Williams Lake Tribune
Winfield, Lake Country Calendar
Associate Member Publications
3:21 – Canada’s Down Syndrome Magazine
BIV
Boulevard Magazine
Monday Magazine