Village Media, the local news company that operates this community website, likes to say it was “born digital.”
If anyone understands exactly what that means, it’s Richard Gingras — announced today as the new chair of Village Media’s board of directors.
A trailblazer in online journalism, Gingras brings nearly five decades of leadership and expertise to his new role. He most recently served as global Vice President for News at Google, where he oversaw the tech giant’s efforts to champion high-quality reporting around the world while exploring emerging models for sustainability.
As Gingras has jokingly pointed out, he’s worked in digital media “since the days of steam-powered modems.” Back in 1979, he created the first interactive online news magazine in partnership with CBS, NBC, and PBS using technology known as broadcast teletext.
Gingras has remained at the forefront of journalism’s online evolution ever since, including as founder and CEO of MediaWorks, an early developer of news-agenting technology; the lead designer and developer of Apple’s eWorld; and one of the driving forces behind salon.com, a pioneering Internet news outlet.
“Richard's extensive experience in digital media and his commitment to journalistic integrity align perfectly with our mission to innovate and strengthen local news,” says Jeff Elgie, CEO of Village Media. “I have worked with Richard for many years and he has become both a mentor of mine and a passionate supporter of the work we do. His leadership will be invaluable as we continue to grow and serve our communities.”
Headquartered in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Village Media owns and operates 26 local news outlets across the province — including the one you’re reading right now — as well as The Trillium at Queen’s Park and ParliamentToday in Ottawa. The company’s mission is to strengthen the cities and towns it serves through high-quality community journalism that is free, factual and focused on the stories that matter most: the ones closest to home.
“I am honoured to join Village Media as chair of the board,” Gingras says. “Village Media's dedication to local journalism and strengthening local communities is of critical value and importance. I look forward to working with Jeff and the talented Village team to further their mission and explore new avenues for innovation in local news delivery.”
Gingras currently serves on the boards of several other organizations, including the First Amendment Coalition, the International Center for Journalists, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the UC Berkeley School of Journalism, and PRX, the public media podcast network. He also helped create the Center for News, Technology & Innovation, a global “think-and-do” tank focusing on the role of journalism in open societies, and The Trust Project, which promotes transparency and trust in journalism.
While at Google, Gingras guided strategies related to the media ecosystem and on how the company presented news on Google Search, Google News and other products. A resident of California, he will remain a senior advisor at Google while serving as Village Media’s chair.
In a recent keynote address at Columbia University, Gingras spoke about the evolving role of credible, fact-based journalism in today’s increasingly polarized world.
“My preferred definition of journalism is to give people the tools and information they need to be good citizens,” he said. “It is not to tell people what to think, but to give them the information they need to draw their own conclusions. My ideal motto would be one that strives for objectivity: We inform. You decide.”
Gingras’ appointment comes at an exciting time for Village Media, as the company continues its network-wide rollout of SPACES — a new kind of social network that is 100 per cent local.
VIDEO: A social network that’s actually social? Here it is
At its core, SPACES is a community meeting place that unites local residents over shared interests, such as health and wellness, nightlife or a love for their pets. Each space is moderated by local champions (also known as hosts) who lead safe, civil and informative conversations.
“SPACES is our attempt to revive the lost art of meaningful local engagement,” Elgie says. “This new network isn’t just another project for us. We believe it will be transformational, a pivotal step toward mending the social fabric of our communities by fostering civil, respectful discussions.”