INSIDE THE VILLAGE: A social network that’s actually social? Here it is

Welcome back to Inside the Village, a one-of-a-kind podcast where all news is local — and no topic is off-limits.

On this week's episode: A brand new SPACE especially for you.

If you haven't already heard, our local news organization has been busy behind the scenes working on an exciting project: we are building our very own social network, one that is designed to be safe, civil and 100 per cent community-powered. 

Simply put, SPACES is our attempt to bring back genuine local engagement, helping residents connect even deeper with the people, places, events and traditions that make your hometown so wonderful.

Whatever your passion — gardening, junior hockey, downtown restaurants — there will be a SPACE for that. The best part? Each one will be curated by local experts and facilitated by a source you already know and trust: the community news site you’re reading right now.

Here to tell us all about the soon-to-be-launched network is Jeff Elgie, the CEO of Village Media. Full disclosure: we’ve been asking the boss to come on our podcast for more than a year. He finally said yes.

Although we spend a lot of the conversation talking about SPACES — and why you should sign up for the waitlist — our interview explores a lot more, including the state of the news industry in Canada, why the Village model seems to work, and why our primary mission will always be to strengthen the communities we serve.

Bottom line: We go really Inside the Village on this episode of Inside the Village. Thanks for watching.

Hosted by Scott Sexsmith and Michael Friscolanti, the Editor-in-Chief of Village Media, Inside the Village is a news and current affairs podcast that provides a weekly window into some of the best local journalism from across our chain of Ontario newsrooms. Produced by Derek Turner, the program also explores bigger-picture issues that impact people across the province.

Every episode is can be found HERE. If you prefer the audio version, it is available wherever you find your favourite podcasts.

Have something to say? You can reach us at itv@villagemedia.ca.