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Swift Current Prairie Post

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Description

This rural, weekly publication was established in September of 1998 and its maintained steady growth since its inception.

Its average distribution is about 20,000 rural households in southeast Alberta and southwest Saskatchewan as well as serving the City of Swift Current.

A second sister publication, Prairie Post West, was started in 2002 to serve the southwest Alberta rural market from Lethbridge to the B.C. border.

There are two offices. One based in Swift Current and one in Medicine Hat. A reporter is based in Lethbridge and administration is handled in the Lethbridge Herald while lay-out and editorial is done in Medicine Hat. In total, between the two papers, there are 10 full-time employees as well as contract writers serving the rural communities.

The total distribution run for both publications is about 38,000 copies – no small feat with such a small group of people spread from the B.C/Alberta border all the way to Swift Current, Sask.

In its early days the paper averaged 10 to 16 pages, publishing twice a month. Today, the average is 36 to 44 pages, often running two sections each week.

In addition, we have national award winning columnist Darcie Hossack, as well as special interest columnists with Christie Dick, Christine Ciona, Dominique Liboiron and Alberta Health Services, we have a skilled editorial staff managed by Ryan Dahlman. The assistant managing editor is Rose Sanchez. Combined, the two have more than 40 years experience in the newspaper industry and have earned national as well as provincial awards in both Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Reporters/Photographers based in Swift Current include Matthew Liebenberg, while Demi Knight is the reporter/photographer for Prairie Post West in Lethbridge.

There are salespeople based in Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, and Swift Current. Advertising design is completed by both the creative department of the Medicine Hat News and outside ad building agency. Prairie Post East is printed in Medicine Hat on the News press and the West edition is printed in Lethbridge.

The focus of the Prairie Post is two-fold. The paper has special features on southern Alberta: “Prairie Life – Prairie People” with stories about people in the rural communities who share similar trials and tribulations. We also watch what’s happening in and around Swift Current: high school sports, college sports, WHL hockey, rodeos, country fairs, agriculture, environmental issues and politics are covered regularly in our pages.

On almost a weekly basis we publish special sections and editions such as our national award-winning Western Bull Breeder’s Report, Meet Our Prairie People Alberta, Get Growing seeding features, as well as a variety of special features during the course of the year and community profiles including Oyen and Brooks.

We also make a strong committment to our electronic media including our newly-redesigned website, two Twitter feeds and of course Facebook. We keep them up to date on a daily basis

We support a variety of worthwhile organizations in the communities to which we deliver such as the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede, Saskatchewan Abilities Council and the Juvenile Diabetes organizations in Swift Current, the Progress Edition for Southwest Saskatchewan amongst others.

Prairie Post East is an award winning member of the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association.

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