Jeremy Klaszus

Jeremy Klaszus is editor-in-chief of The Sprawl, a local independent online news outlet in Calgary that connects Calgarians with their city—and each other—through in-depth, curiosity-driven journalism. The Sprawl is crowdfunded by its readers and listeners, and is regarded as a trailblazer of local independent online journalism in Canada. In 2023, it was named Alberta Magazine of the Year by the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association.

Klaszus also hosts Sprawlcast, a podcast for curious Calgarians. In addition to being available as a podcast, it also airs on CJSW 90.9 FM. Before launching The Sprawl, Klaszus was a staff writer for Fast Forward Weekly, a columnist for the Calgary Herald and Metro, a radio reporter for CBC and a Calgary correspondent for Monocle magazine. A two-time winner of National Magazine Awards, he also worked as a freelance writer for Swerve, Alberta Views and Reader’s Digest.

The Hollowing of the Calgary Herald

An oral history of the slow, sad decline of a once-mighty daily newspaper, in book form for the first time.

For more than a century, the Calgary Herald was the heartbeat of Alberta’s largest city, reflecting—and reinforcing—the mores and values of Calgary itself. Other news outlets have come and gone, but no local publication had the power, influence, and longevity of the Herald. As the 21st century arrived, however, so did a number of threats: increasingly aggressive owners, awkward consolidations and mergers, and, of course, the internet. As the transition to digital brought the entire Canadian news industry to its knees, the Herald came right down with it.

Jeremy Klaszus’s The Hollowing of the Calgary Herald is a thoughtful and clear-eyed account of what happens when a big-city newspaper of record slowly crumbles. It is also, unfortunately, a story that is being repeated all across North America. Calgary could be your city, too, if it isn’t already.

The Hollowing of the Calgary Herald is part of H&O’s Permanent Record longform series, which is dedicated to standalone non-fiction features that combine inventive storytelling, careful reportage, and characters and ideas that are worth preserving. Learn more about the series here.

BE CURIOUSER

Why we need independent journalism in Calgary. –Jeremy Klaszus, The Sprawl

Jeremy Klaszus | The Case for Quiet Journalism. –TEDxYYC

Jeremy Klaszus

FESTIVAL SHOWS

The Slow Show

The Hollowing of the Calgary Herald