Media Highlights: November 1 - 15, 2021

A roundup of VIU students and employees in the news.

Top 10 News Stories:

1. CTV News National website story: Indigenous-led literacy program in BC helps residential school survivors learn to read and write. Inspired by VIU News Release. Reach: 17.1 million. 
2. CTV News Vancouver Island website story: Island Health relocating COVID-19 testing, vaccine clinics in Nanaimo. The testing site at VIU is now closed and has been moved to Nanaimo North Town Centre. Reach: 17.1 million.
3. Vancouver Sun: TheraPsil launches psilocybin-therapy study alongside researchers from McGill, Imperial College London. VIU Nursing Professor Dr. Shannon Dames is one of the researchers involved in this study. Reach: 1.53 million.
4. Castanet.com: Student competition focuses on a better future. TRU hosted the 2021 MBA Games, which VIU participated in. Reach: 1.07 million.
5. Nanaimo Bulletin: VIU Mariners men take silver at soccer provincials. Reach: 174,000.
6. Nanaimo Bulletin: Ceramic artist unveils ‘mural’ of 276 tiles celebrating diversity at VIU. Also see the VIU Media Release. Reach: 174,000.
7. Nanaimo Bulletin: New strategic plan to guide VIU for next five years. Reach: 174,000.
8. Nanaimo News Now: Three VIU Mariners earn monthly honours from BCIHL. Reach: 173,000.
9. Nanaimo News Now: VIU Mariners primed for new season and long overdue championship celebration. Reach: 173,000.
10. Retail Insider: 9 colleges & universities in Canada to study retail. VIU is on this list. Reach: 169,000.

VIU News:

1. VIU News Release: VIU Indigenous speaker talks about journalism’s role in Reconciliation. Story picked up by Oceanside News and Nation Talk, The Discourse will cover the event, and CBC and Shaw TV will rebroadcast the talk at a later date.
2. VIU News Release: Speaker series highlights innovative research in the history of gender and health. Story picked up by Targeted News Service (behind a paywall).
3. VIU News Release: VIU launches 5-year strategic plan. Story picked up by Nanaimo Bulletin and Education News Canada. 
4. VIU News Release: VIU Education student investigates how women experienced trauma during the First World War. Story picked up by Nanaimo Bulletin, CHLY (no clip), Education News Canada and Ken Steel’s Eduvation blog.
5. VIU News Release: Giving Tuesday at VIU raises funds for students in need. Story picked up by Education News Canada.
6. VIU News Release: Two VIU Mariners alumni take on new roles as apprentice coaches. Story picked up by Education News Canada. 
7. VIU News Release: VIU and community partners remember local fallen soldiers through video memorial. Story picked up by CTV (no clip), Nation Talk, CBC (no clip), Ken Steele’s Eduvation newsletter and Shaw TV rebroadcast the video in the hour leading up to the ceremony at the cenotaph on November 11.

Top-performing Broadcast Story:

• A new course for Indigenous Elders and Residential, Day School and Sixties Scoop Survivors who want to learn basic language skills such as reading and writing was featured on CTV National. Reach: more than 19 million. Here is the VIU News story it is based on.

Videos:

• The video about VIU’s new Strategic Plan had 504 views

VIU Student Pulse:

• November 3 Edition: Open rate: 49.8%
  • Most-clicked link: West Coast Fresh Coast bus tour

Social Media:

• Top Tweet: A post about VIU’s latest Indigenous Speakers Series, taking place November 22 and featuring investigative journalist Connie Walker, reached more than 12,400 people.
• Top Facebook post: Our story about Bachelor of Education student Danielle Cossey-Sutton’s research into women’s experience of trauma during the First World War reached more than 6,500 people. 

• Top Instagram post: Our story about the latest edition of the Student Pulse enewsletter reached 1,967 people.