What does it mean when we say the Free Press is an independent publication?

You may see the Free Press advertised as “the largest independent newspaper in Canada,” but what does that mean?

Most Canadian daily newspapers are owned by a parent company, such as Postmedia or Torstar, which have lots of titles under their respective umbrellas. For example, Postmedia owns the National Post and several dozen other publications including the Winnipeg Sun. Decisions made from Postmedia’s executives affect all of its titles across the country, whether that’s decisions about content, about political affiliations or about hiring and firing.

The Free Press and the Brandon Sun are owned by FP Canadian Newspapers Limited, a company founded by Rob Stern and Bob Silver, two businessmen with strong Winnipeg roots who bought the papers in December of 2001. The Free Press and Brandon Sun are the only two titles part of FP Canadian Newspapers Ltd.

So what we mean when we say we’re an independent publication is just that – the Free Press operates independently and is not part of a larger corporation, and because of that, its reporters and editors are free to be independent thinkers and publish content that aligns with the editorial values of the Free Press and no one else. Moreover, this is a newspaper truly rooted in Manitoba, unlike others who take their marching orders from head offices in Toronto.

As a publicly traded company, a board of directors is also in place, which is chaired by owner Bob Silver. These board members are experienced business leaders, most of whom are based in Winnipeg, who are elected. Employees who are part of the Free Press’s collective bargaining agreement also have an appointee serving on the board.

The board members help guide the newspaper’s executive team but are not involved with editorial decisions.