Photo by Rob Moses
Print is dead? Nope. Not in Calgary.
After publishing for a year and a half as a digital journalism startup, The Sprawl has made its first foray into newsprint. And now we'd like to put the paper into your hands.
This limited-run newspaper is the culmination of our pop up newsroom at the Central Library, where we asked Calgarians: what do you want for your city over the next 25 years?
Calgarians posted their answers in droves. Meanwhile, we brought together a diverse group of local journalists to dig into some of the possibilities. This project was a true community effort.
Here's what you'll find inside the paper:
- Mirjam Guesgen and Sarah Lawrynuik on climate change
- Grace Heavy Runner on reconciliation
- Christina Frangou on building a welcoming city
- Peter Hemminger on Calgary's cowboy déjà vu
- Hadeel Abdel-Nabi on the new arts underground
- Onai Petra Abote on the changing face and place of worship
- Doug Horner on why heritage buildings matter
- Willem Klumpenhouwer on regional rail
- Jeremy Klaszus on income segregation
PLUS!
- Comics page by Sam Hester
- Calgary-themed crossword by Len Dueck
- Poster designed by Chris Pecora
- Illustrations by Kyle Simmers, Nicole Wolf and Tom Bagley
This is truly a newspaper like no other: there are no ads. That's because The Sprawl is directly crowdfunded by members—Calgarians like you—instead of being stuck trying to sell to advertisers.
We're member-driven, not ad-driven.
All of our members get a copy of the newspaper. We'd love to have you on board and send you one, too! If you like what you see, sign up as a Sprawler.
Most members kick in just $5 to $10 a month—more or less the price of a coffee or lunch.
Take a look at what people are saying:
I wrote the cover story for @sprawlcalgary's 2044 edition. The message: Every person who lives here can make YYC a more welcoming place. We offer a spectrum of welcomes—or rejections—to newcomers, ranging from outright racism to indifference to genuine kindness. pic.twitter.com/26sXFmpFNx
— Christina Frangou (@cfrangou) March 15, 2019
I love this so much. @sprawlcalgary is the first paper (community newsletters included) I can remember reading (in my whole life) with no ads. NO ADS! Be still, my heart. Thanks to everyone who Patreoned to make this possible. pic.twitter.com/GUkugwuUrS
— Alison Van Rosendaal (@boyd_alison) March 15, 2019
And they say print journalism is dead... this is my #Calgary. So proud of what @sprawlcalgary has accomplished. pic.twitter.com/9KMPTVmj9C
— Gena Rotstein (@KarmaAndCents) March 15, 2019
Already can't wait for the next edition. Hint hint @klaszus. Now there has to be another print wdition🤔😉 #yyc @sprawlcalgary pic.twitter.com/oZ62tp95A2
— Nonos (@onaipetra) March 15, 2019
Finally got my hands on the limited-run, print edition of the @sprawlcalgary. Hard-hitting awesomeness. Congrats to @klaszus, @beatriceaucoin, and all of the other contributors. pic.twitter.com/6IkyLI3D6S
— brett bergie (@brettbergie) March 14, 2019
When you become a Sprawler, you're not just supporting local journalism. You're joining a community of people who care deeply about Calgary and its future.
Thanks for considering it.
Jeremy Klaszus is editor-in-chief of The Sprawl.
Support in-depth Calgary journalism.
Sign Me Up!We connect Calgarians with their city through in-depth, curiosity-driven journalism—but we need your help! We rely on our readers and listeners to fund our work by pitching in a few dollars a month. Join us by becoming a Sprawl member today!
