Two to run Briarpatch magazine as Dave Oswald Mitchell departs after five years

Under new management

Briarpatch, the Regina-based contemporary issues magazine, marks the departure of  Dave Oswald Mitchell, its editor for the past 5 years, by having the editor and publisher roles shared by two key staffers. A release from the magazine said Mitchell played a key role in engineering the shift, then headed for the door to pursue other opportunities.

In Mitchell’s absence, former Briarpatch publisher Shayna Stock and former Briarpatch associate editor and long-time activist Valerie Zink will serve as joint Editor/Publishers in a workplace arrangement known as balanced job complexes, in which empowering and creative tasks are shared equally among employees, along with those that are more mundane and less fulfilling. Stock and Zink will alternate editing issues of the bi-monthly publication, fulfilling administrative duties in between and supporting one another as needed.

"I'm delighted to be leading Briarpatch through this exciting transition,” said Stock. “We’ve always worked very collaboratively at Briarpatch, and shifting to balanced job complexes allows us to further put our ideals of workplace equity and cooperation into practice."

Stock has been a writer and social justice activist for over 10 years. She has been working with Briarpatch since 2007 as publisher and as editor of the non-profit's provincial newspaper, The Sasquatch. She has an Honours B.A. in International Development from the University of Guelph and has written for Verge Magazine, Briarpatch Magazine and This Magazine.

Valerie Zink is a long-time activist and community organizer in movements for migrant and refugee rights, indigenous sovereignty, and Palestine solidarity. She has been actively involved in grassroots and independent media for many years, including as an associate editor with Briarpatch Magazine and an advisory board member with Upping the Anti. Zink has a Bachelor's degree in History from Dalhousie University, and also holds a Certificate of Professional Editing from New York University.

"I have tremendous respect for Briarpatch's long tradition as a truly independent voice, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue to build on the many years of hard work and dedication that have been invested in this magazine," says Zink.