The Discourse

Overview

The Discourse is a community-focused digital news outlet covering Cowichan Valley, Nanaimo, and Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It was founded in 2014 by Erin Millar as Discourse Media — one of the early Canadian experiments in solutions-oriented, engagement-driven independent digital journalism — and is now part of Discourse Community Publishing (DCP), a network of independent local news outlets operating under CEO Brandi Schier. The Discourse's current coverage focuses on civic affairs, housing, the overdose crisis, environmental issues, and Indigenous stories across its three Vancouver Island communities. Several of its journalists hold Local Journalism Initiative reporter designations, with their work made available to other Canadian outlets under Creative Commons licence.

History and Institutional Context

Millar launched Discourse Media in 2014 with the intent of developing a new model for local journalism in communities underserved by existing outlets. In 2020 it co-founded IndigiNews as a joint venture with APTN, incubating it under what became Discourse Community Publishing until IndigiNews was acquired by Eden Fineday's tâpwêwin media in January 2025. DCP continues to operate The Discourse alongside several other outlets including Sun Peaks Independent News, The Wren, and Revelstoke Mountaineer. The Discourse is built on Indiegraf, the publishing platform co-founded by Millar and her sister Caitlin Havlak; the footer of thediscourse.ca credits "Powered by Indiegraf Media." Millar herself departed an active leadership role at the organization as she shifted her focus to Indiegraf and the Canadian Journalism Collective.

Current Coverage

The Discourse's ongoing deep-dive investigations include a multi-part series on shipbreaking operations at Union Bay in the Comox Valley — tracking environmental violations, regulatory action, and legal proceedings against Deep Water Recovery — and sustained coverage of Vancouver Island's overdose crisis across ten years in Nanaimo. It publishes community newsletters for each of its three coverage areas, maintains an events calendar, and carries Quw'utsun Stories, a series of traditional stories from the Cowichan region. Its 10 Principles document, published on the site, sets out its editorial and business commitments including a solutions journalism orientation, community engagement practices, and an AI policy.

The Discourse

Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Website: thediscourse.ca
Parent: Discourse Community Publishing · Meet the team

Founded 2014 by Erin Millar (originally as Discourse Media)

Parent organization Discourse Community Publishing (DCP) · CEO: Brandi Schier

Coverage areas Cowichan Valley · Nanaimo · Comox Valley

Island Editor Shalu Mehta (Cowichan)

Managing Editor Lauren Kaljur

Platform Powered by Indiegraf Media (thediscourse.ca)