Isabelle Padula and La Gazette de la Mauricie – et des environs: Promoting the Public Interest!

Isabelle Padula

Over the years, there has been a major shift in how people stay informed. Today, available news sources are more diverse than ever. We tend to consume digital information at a frantic pace, jumping between different social networks, subscribing to an endless array of newsletters, watching video after video, receiving non-stop notifications… It’s enough to make your head spin!

Article by Isabelle Padula on the occasion of International Women’s Rights Day

At a time when many people closely monitor what foods they put in their body, they tend to be much less selective when it comes to consuming digital media.

And yet, just like choosing the right farmer or grocer, it’s vital to find the right news sources that foster curiosity.

Promoting the Public Interest for the Last 40 Years!

Few media outlets adopt a slogan focused on the public interest. I’m proud to be the general manager of La Gazette de la Mauricie – et des environs, an independent regional new source whose priorities are in the right place. When covering current events and social issues, we always focus on the public interest.

Promoting the public interest means ensuring everyone has access to housing, healthcare, water, food, education, employment, culture and—last but certainly not least—information.

Initially launched in 1984 as La Gazette populaire, La Gazette de la Mauricie – et des environs is a non-profit, independent community newspaper. It aims to give voice to a wide range of perspectives. Owned and managed by the community, the newspaper takes a collaborative approach to producing content for a curious and demanding local readership.

Through its print edition, website, podcasts and video reports, La Gazette seeks to do more than just keep people informed. It also aims to serve as a forum for discussion, one capable of improving attitudes and behaviours.

This provides opportunities for engagement that extend far beyond consuming the content produced by the organization’s forty-or-so volunteers. Moreover, to ensure everyone has access, both the print and online versions of La Gazette remain free. After all, staying informed is a fundamental right in a democratic society!