T.N.M.’s FAQs

The high attendance and ebullient mood at the recent Cambridge House investment conference in Vancouver, took a lot of exhibitors, including this newspaper, by surprise.

Crowds of enthusiastic retail investors lined up at the registration desks at 7 a.m. on both days of the show to take in early morning talks by newsletter writers and other penny-stock gurus, and it was standing-room only at these seminars all day long.

In the exhibition halls, traffic never really let up, with more than a few of the 280 exhibitors running out of investor’s packages on the first afternoon. Also, encouragingly, the demographics of the attendees was broader than before, including more women investors and many more young people.

It wasn’t too many years ago that these events were primarily a gathering spot for those already deeply involved in the industry. But this latest show drew hundreds of people who were entirely new to the mining industry and keen to learn as much as possible, as quickly as possible.

There’s new blood joining the juniors, too. Companies that amounted to little more than a stressed-out man and a phone a few years ago are now cashed-up enough to be able to bring in fresh-faced investor and corporate relations personnel to share the workload.

In short, with this entrance of a brand new wave of retail investors, it sure feels like we’re hitting a new level in the current, three-year-old commodities bull market.

At our booth, we fielded all kinds of basic questions about what we offer our readers and advertisers.

For those people, whom we’re happily connecting with for the first time, let us answer some of the most frequently asked questions directed our way:

What’s your paper all about? We used to be called the bible of the mining industry, but we suppose that’s politically incorrect now. The Northern Miner’s been around as a weekly newspaper since 1915, with our beat being the Canadian mining scene. Our writers have a special fondness for the swashbuckling, high-stakes adventures of mineral explorers, where there is the greatest opportunity for large capital gains for our readers. The Miner’s coverage and readership has globalized in recent decades in step with the Canadian mining industry, so that today we’re focused on the worldwide activities of mining companies that are listed on North American stock exchanges. Each week we publish our classic newsprint version as well as various daily and weekly online products. Our group also puts out books such as Mining Explained and the Canadian & American Mines Handbook.

Where are you based? Our head office is in the Toronto suburb of Don Mills, where we have the publisher, six editorial staff, our salesmen and circulation department. We have a bureau with two writers in downtown Vancouver and a third writer in New Brunswick. (We used to have a Denver office, but, regrettably, had to shut it during the last industry slump.) To spice things up, we periodically use material from freelance writers stationed around the world.

Who covers what? Generally, the editorial staff in our Toronto office covers the activities of companies based in eastern Canada while our Vancouver bureau covers those based in western Canada. Rob Robertson in New Brunswick is our go-to guy when it comes to Canadian diamonds, and coverage of U.S. and other foreign companies is split evenly between the bureaus. The editor writes most of the editorials. The editorial staff is not allowed to report on companies in which they own stock or have some other vested interest.

Who owns you? We’re owned by Chicago-based Hollinger International — yes, Conrad Black’s old company — but we’re being sold to Vancouver-based Glacier Ventures International. Economic and political power does seem to be shifting westwards in Canada these days …

How can I get in the paper? The answer is always: do something newsworthy! Unlike many other mining-related newspapers, newsletters and magazines, companies do not pay to appear in our editorial pages, and there is no relationship between taking out an ad and appearing in the editorial pages of the Miner. The staff writers work on salaries and usually don’t even know who’s advertising until after the paper has been printed. Anyone with a story to tell is always welcome to call us to arrange a time to drop in to our offices and give us the low-down on their latest project. Check the “Contact Us” section of the website for individual e-mail addresses and phone numbers.

What is your publishing schedule like? We put the paper to bed each Tuesday evening, and it’s sent to the printers later the next day. Our NewsStand digital online product (which is like a PDF version of the paper) is available on the Thursday morning, while the newspaper can be bought on the streets of Toronto on Friday morning. The text of the weekly newspaper is available on our paid website at the same time. The farther you are from Toronto, the more time it takes for the physical newspaper to reach you.

How do you decide where to visit, and who pays? We get a kick out of visiting mining projects but, because site visits are time-consuming, we only travel somewhere if we think the experience will provide material for an interesting story. Sometimes we approach a company and sometimes they invite us. Sometimes we cover all the costs, sometimes we share the costs, and sometimes the companies cover all the costs. Whatever the case, we don’t promise the company we’ll write a positive story or even write a story at all.

What are your advertising rates? You can request a media kit from our sales staff that has a full listing of options and prices. The media kit is also available on our website by clicking the “Advertise” link on the main banner of our homepage.

Can I get a reprint of a particular article? Yes. It costs $300, with unlimited reproduction rights. Contact our Toronto office for further details. Our material is copyrighted, so please do not reproduce it without our permission.

With my online subscription, you’re saving money on printing and postage, so why isn’t it cheaper? Any money we save on printing and postage is spent on computer programmers’ salaries, computer hardware and software, and related administration. Sorry!

Where do I get those great maps? If you’ve missed some of Intierra’s handy area-play claims maps that are included free every month or two in the Miner, they’re available for purchase from www.intierra.com, starting at around $25 apiece.