Echo writer branches out regionally  

OntarioNewsNorth.com Editor/Publisher, Karina Hunter

The Echo readers may have taken note of late that articles from one of our regular contributors have been dwindling. 

 About a year ago, Karina Hunter kicked up the number of submissions she was providing The Echo regularly submitting between 4 and 6 articles per week for most of 2009 and into 2010.  Though it might seem that chasing stories back and forth across town would be a challenge, it was actually a much slower pace than what Hunter had been accustomed to as a motorsport journalist for national and international snowmobile and ATV magazines which had been her bread and butter for nearly a decade. 

Hunter made the switch to covering local news and events for The Echo after her health declined following a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis in 2006; she found it difficult to keep up with the physical demands of covering snowmobile and ATV tours full time and the opportunity presented by Bunny and Scott Scherman, owner and editor of The Echo, to cover local news, helped provide a source of income while maintaining the ability to be a stay at home Mom to her children, 15 year old Lloyd and 4 year old Emeraude. “Bunny and Scott were incredibly accommodating, especially when I was spending a lot of time at the hospital for treatments; they provided many opportunities to cover events without any pressure regarding how many articles I would submit and I appreciated this very much” said Hunter of being employed while dealing with being newly diagnosed with a chronic illness. Freelance journalism however has its limits, and though Hunter added the Chronicle Journal to her list of papers she was regularly submitting to while continuing to provide a few editorials per year to Michigan Snowmobiler, ATV World Magazine and Ontario Snowmobiler magazine it just wasn’t enough to make ends meet.

 Through her freelance work writing for regional publications Hunter often received feedback from Northshore residents who were feeling frustrated with not seeing what they believed, was enough of their ‘small town news’ covered in the ‘big city paper’.  Enter www.OntarioNewsNorth.com, Hunter’s new website dedicated to providing the communities of the Northshore, from Dorion to Dubreuilville, with regional news and events coverage.  It is still in the soft launch process as Hunter is challenged with the task of finding
regular contributors from each of the communities and getting the word out to those whom the site serves, residents, service groups, businesses, organizations and non-profits from Dubreuilville, White River, Pic Mobert, Manitouwadge, Pic River, Heron Bay, Marathon, Terrace Bay, Pays Plat, Schreiber, Rossport, Red Rock Township, Red Rock Indian Band, Nipigon and Dorion but has been well received and is quickly growing.

Hunter has welcomed regular contributors from Dubreuilville, White River, Terrace Bay, Schreiber, and Dorion, but there is much work yet to be done establishing a readership, advertisers and more contributors.  “I’ve had the opportunity over the past year writing with The Echo to make many local connections, it’s the regional connection that I’m working on” said Hunter who has been traveling approximately 2000km a week covering news and meeting potential advertisers for OntarioNewsNorth.com adding “I have learned so much while freelancing for The Echo and am so appreciative of their support,” said Hunter adding “There were many perks that went along with writing for The Echo”. She intends to continue submitting a few articles per month to her local paper though Hunter explained that the bulk of her coverage will be for OntarioNewsNorth.com.