Print Media and the Arts: Kim Alarie’s Career

Starting out at college, I was considering a career in theatre, cinema or television. Then, a course on art criticism changed my mind. I was going to become a cultural reporter!

I refocused my academic efforts on earning a degree in communication from the Université de Montréal. I joined Le Nouvelliste in the early 2000s, and over the course of the last two decades I’ve held several different positions. Being appointed Arts Editor was truly a dream come true.

Kim Alarie

Early in my career, most reporters were men. Even so, there were a few women journalists blazing a trail for the next generation to follow. They fostered my professional development and remain a source of inspiration.

I made history myself when I became the first woman to be given responsibility for the sports statistics page at a regional daily.

At the time, some staff members found it unsettling to have a woman in charge. Now, it’s seen as perfectly normal. This shows just how much attitudes have changed in general and especially within our cooperative. The same could be said for journalism as a profession.

Kim Alarie’s first article in Le Nouvelliste

The decline of printed newspapers and the rise of digital formats has significantly changed how information is shared. Rigour and objectivity remain cornerstones of the profession, but the surrounding ecosystem has been completely transformed.

The unprecedented crisis faced by the media industry makes it all the more difficult to navigate these changes. We’ve managed to weather the storm so far, but there are certainly new challenges on the horizon.

Chief among them is convincing people to pay for quality local journalism. The transition to digital platforms has added to the perception that news should be free. We’ve launched a series of initiatives to increase subscriptions. The importance of our mission is what keeps us motivated as we move forward!

Launch of the Le Nouvelliste Cooperative