Energeticcity.ca Annual Report

Learn more about our finances and behind-the-scenes information in the Energeticcity.ca 2025 Annual Report

Welcome to Energeticcity.ca’s 2025 Annual Report

This is our second annual report and part of our ongoing commitment to transparency with our readers and Supporters. Energeticcity.ca has been serving Northeast B.C. since 2008, and as our newsroom continues to grow, we believe it is important to share how we operate, how we are funded, and how our journalism serves the community.

In this report, we’ll give you a behind-the-scenes look at the health of our newsroom and our priorities for the year ahead. If you have any questions or feedback, you can reach me at areaburn@moosemediafsj.ca.

The Finances

Energeticcity.ca began in 2008 as an expansion of Moose FM. Since Moose FM was already providing daily local news on the radio, launching a dedicated digital newsroom was a natural next step. As the media industry has changed, so too has the way local journalism is funded.

Today, Energeticcity.ca operates the largest newsroom in Northeast B.C., with five full-time journalists dedicated to covering this region. While one reporter is currently working remotely as we recruit locally, the newsroom is based in Fort St. John and focused entirely on serving Northeast B.C. This allows us to deliver consistent, professional coverage of city halls, courts, Indigenous communities, elections, public safety, and the issues that matter most to the people who live here.

For 2025, we have budgeted more than $330,000 in newsroom wages alone, not including rent, utilities, technology, website infrastructure, editing, and administrative support. Local journalism at this scale is expensive, but it is essential to a healthy, informed community. Many people assume website advertising pays for this work. In reality, Energeticcity.ca’s website ads account for only about 10 percent of our total revenue. A five-reporter newsroom is possible because it is supported by multiple revenue sources working together, including:

• Digital marketing services we provide to local and regional businesses
• Federal journalism tax credits and support programs
• Funding from Google under the Online News Act
• Journalism grants
• Donations from local readers and Supporters

Local businesses in Fort St. John and the North Peace provide more than 70 percent of our overall revenue through advertising and marketing services. Those dollars stay in the community and help fund the newsroom. The remaining funding comes from programs designed to support Canadian journalism, as well as from readers who believe local news matters.

Our long-term focus is on increasing revenue from business services, advertising, and reader support so that Energeticcity.ca becomes less reliant on grant funding from any level of government. This approach strengthens our independence and ensures that this newsroom remains sustainable for the long term.

One of the most frequently asked questions is how we maintain our independence while receiving this funding. The answer is simple. No grant, tax credit, or program influences what we report. Editorial decisions are made inside our newsroom, not by governments, platforms, or advertisers. Our credibility is our most important asset, and it is never for sale.

Inside the Newsroom

As of 2025, Energeticcity.ca continues to operate with five full-time journalists dedicated to covering Northeast B.C.

Following leadership changes in 2024, we welcomed Franki Berry as News Director in January 2025. Franki oversees newsroom operations, prioritizes stories, and ensures editorial standards are met.

Our newsroom team includes:

• Franki Berry – News Director
• Caitlin Coombes – Assistant News Director/Civic Reporter
• Ed Hitchins – Indigenous Voices Reporter
• Ruth Prarthana Stephen Albert – General Assignment Reporter
• Jacob Gendron – General Assignment Reporter

Together, this team produces original local journalism every day for this region.

The Impact of Our Journalism

Energeticcity.ca exists to cover the issues that shape daily life in Northeast B.C. This includes local governments, housing, health care, Indigenous communities, the justice system, and elections. These are not abstract topics. They directly affect whether people can find housing, access medical care, feel safe in their communities, and understand the decisions being made on their behalf.

Every day, our reporters attend council meetings, speak with residents, review court documents, and follow up on concerns that would otherwise go unheard. That steady, ongoing coverage is what creates transparency and accountability in a region that would otherwise have very limited independent reporting.

Sometimes, however, a single story can create immediate and visible change.

In October 2025, Energeticcity.ca published a story about residents at the Southridge mobile home park who were facing new rules and fees imposed by a new owner. After residents shared their concerns publicly through our reporting, the landlord reversed the changes and eased the restrictions. That story demonstrated how providing people with a platform can directly improve their living conditions.

We also reported on the Klassen family and their daughter Bentley, who was suffering from Lyme disease and receiving treatment outside Canada. The story brought attention to the challenges faced by families dealing with rare and complex illnesses, and it helped raise awareness and community support around Bentley’s recovery.

During the federal election, Energeticcity.ca provided extensive coverage of local candidates, debates, and issues facing voters in Northeast B.C. With support from a grant from the Public Policy Forum (PPF), the Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF), and the Michener Awards Foundation, we were able to send a reporter to every all-candidates forum across the region. That meant residents in smaller communities had the same level of coverage as larger centres, ensuring that rural and northern voices were part of the national conversation.

These stories are just a few examples of what local journalism can do when it is properly resourced. Whether it is a tenant facing unfair rules, a family struggling with a serious illness, or voters trying to understand their choices, Energeticcity.ca exists to ensure those stories are told and taken seriously.

Local journalism does not just document what happens in Northeast B.C. It helps shape what happens next.

Corrections, Accountability & Article Removal

We are committed to accuracy, fairness, and accountability.

If a factual error appears in a story, it is corrected as soon as it is brought to our attention. Readers can report errors directly through our website, and all corrections are reviewed by our editorial team.

In 2024, we also implemented a formal Retraction and Removal Requests Policy to address a growing challenge in modern journalism: online stories last forever, even when a person’s legal circumstances change.

Energeticcity.ca regularly reports on court cases because justice must be seen to be done. However, Canadian law also recognizes that individuals who have served their sentence and demonstrated their law-abiding nature may later qualify for a record suspension under the Criminal Records Act.

Our policy allows individuals to request that an article be amended, retracted, or removed if it highlights a criminal record that is eligible for suspension or expungement. Each request is reviewed individually using factors such as:

• The seriousness of the offence
• The time since the conviction
• Legal status and supporting documentation

We do not automatically remove stories, and we retain the right to keep articles online when they remain in the public interest. This policy ensures we balance the public’s right to know with fairness and rehabilitation.

Plans for 2026

We will conduct our annual survey later this month, and I encourage you to take a few minutes to complete this survey. This survey will help us set our priorities for the year ahead.

Our major focuses for 2026 include

• Creation of Our AI Policy – AI is transforming our world, and we want to be transparent with you about how we utilize AI. 
• Reader Advisory Board – We will share more about this later in the year
• The return of the People’s Choice Awards this spring
• Continued expansion of Indigenous and civic reporting
• Coverage of the 2026 municipal elections all across Northeast B.C.
• Improvements to our website, newsletters, and mobile app

We will also continue refining Moose Media,the business side that helps fund this newsroom, so local businesses can reach local customers while supporting independent journalism.

Thank You

Energeticcity.ca exists because people in Northeast B.C. believe local news matters. Whether you read, share, advertise, or support us financially, you are helping ensure this community continues to have a strong, independent newsroom.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach me at areaburn@moosemediafsj.ca or any member of our team.