Retiring community newspaper publisher Peter Winkler says print industry not doomed

Peter Winkler says he is retiring from the newspaper industry because it's time for a personal change and not because of the perception traditional newspapers are in their death throes.

The former publisher of the Fairway Group of Newspapers, which includes weekly papers such as the Cambridge Times, Waterloo Chronicle, Kitchener Post, Guelph Tribune and the New Hamburg Independent is retiring after 36 years in the business. 

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"There are people that imply that, 'Oh, well, you're getting out because it's a sinking ship and all these papers are going to be closing,'" Winkler said. "I honestly don't believe that's the case."

Winkler said that while there will be challenges, he believes newspapers are going to do well for many years to come.

'Essential' local service

"We provide essential information to the community that you can't get anywhere else," he said. "We cover municipal politics, we cover local sports. You can't find that on the internet. And a lot of people I speak to go, 'Well, newspapers are all just dying and aren't going to be needed because everything is on the internet.'"

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But, he added, newspapers also provide an essential service for advertisers.

"A lot of the major retailers put out flyers and we accommodate them by distributing their flyers. And a lot of the advertising dollars that used to go into the papers, go into the flyers," he said.

Winkler acknowledged that digital has become a bigger part of the print business, and more people are reading online. But he said the industry is doing the best it can to adapt. 

He said he looks back with fondness over his career and remembers the interesting people and experiences he encountered.

"[There are] many highlights, starting five years ago [when] we began the Kitchener Post. We started a paper from scratch. That was a highlight for sure during more recent years," Winkler said.

"Years ago, though, when I first came to the Cambridge Times, a highlight was really just seeing it grow. It was in the 80s, it was kind of a boom time, we were competing against the local daily, which was not owned by the same company. So we were true full-fledged competitors and it was really fun."