Prairie Dog to cease publication at the end of September

Local news outlet The Prairie Dog is officially calling it quits at the end of September.

After 32 years of offering local news coverage in Regina, the Prairie Dog is ceasing operations at the end of the month.

In an email to its readers, the news outlet shared the announcement, saying the closure is due to a lack of ad revenue. The closure will go into effect at the end of the month.

“A voice that never stopped challenging society to step up is gone,” said Stephen Witworth, the editor of Prairie Dog.

In June, Prairie Dog made one last attempt to stay in business. They made a callout for 25 advertisement contracts. Of those 25, only two were picked up.

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Nelson Bird is a lecturer at the Indigenous Communication Arts program through the First Nations University of Canada. He emphasized the need for local news coverage in Regina.

“Stories still need to be told. Our stories are so important to the local and wider community. We need to keep local media alive,” Bird said.

Bird spent a career in media, spending much of it at CTV News Regina. Early in his career, he was published by the Prairie Dog.

“They did a great job over the years. They let people shine, voice their opinions. They were controversial at times, but that never stopped them,” Bird concluded.

The newspaper was once printed twice a month and was available for free. Prairie Dog prided itself for helping balance readers “media diet.”

The Prairie Dog monthly calendar of local events helped advertise for artists and events.

Witworth estimates the calendar helped bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy over the years.

“Providing event information and covering arts and culture. Now that it’s gone, I think it will be missed,” he said.

There are four Prairie Dog Insider newsletters planned to be published for September.