Sofia was a copy editor for the Spring 2015 issue of the Review. Game over
Writing about video games may sound like a dream job, but the Canadian video game journalism industry is in a dire state
Matt Demers knows one thing is true of freelance video game journalism in Canada: “It’s not glamorous.” The path the former freelancer chose wasn’t glam at all—from the low pay to the competitive nature of the industry. A few months ago, he was trying to get back on his feet after having one of his […]
For your (very, very specific) information
Browsing through Indigo or the World’s Biggest Bookstore (rest in peace, sweet angel), I’d always come across many industry or niche interest magazines. Perhaps a breed-specific dog rag, a newsletter all about ghouls or one geared specifically for fans of early 1920s black-and-white films. Who really reads these? Who makes this? Why? I’d flip the […]
Dear Worn: I will always love you
Worn Fashion Journal was my first and only proper internship. The day I found out I had an interview, I had been fired from my job at American Apparel and I was miserable. Not because of the job, but because I wanted to buy some more stuff with my employee discount. I showed up to […]
Snapshots of Reality
What I gained as an immersion journalist in Iran
At a smoke-filled bar in the Gulf city-state of Dubai, the Filipino cover band rocks out to Guns N’ Roses as Canadian sailors on leave from patrolling the Gulf of Oman decorate their table with empty long-necked Budweisers. One of the more gregarious sailors is describing the lessons he’s learned since arriving in the Middle […]
Death of a ”Gotcha” Journalist
How I lost my taste for blood
The first story I wrote for a national magazine got a successful man fired. He was an accidental casualty, because the sad irony is that this story was titled “How to Stay Hired.” Written for Report on Business magazine, it explored the roles of communication and office culture in determining how long a new executive […]
Ants Invade Picnic … Details at 6
Why did the newsroom at CityTV Edmonton take such a hard lite turn? An investigation into why major media mergers weaken the local little guy
Thomas showed up late but didn’t need a formal announcement to know why the Breakfast Television studio was filled with crying colleagues. He received a package: inside was severance information with a letter that read, “As of today, your services are no longer required….” Thomas surrendered his security card and was denied access back into […]
Dynamic Duel
Vancouver Sun editor Patricia Graham and Tyee editor David Beers are "oil and water." They fight, they feud and, through the heat of competition, they've improved the city's news culture
The floor-to-ceiling windows in the editor-in-chief’s office at The Vancouver Sun face northeast, beyond the white sails of the city’s convention centre to the North Shore Mountains. In early spring 2000, then editor-in-chief John Cruickshank stared out the windows while his two to p editors argued. A simmering power struggle between managing editor Patricia Graham […]
To You, I’m Fluff …
But is there more to Reader's Digest?
To you, I’m fluff. I kill time in doctors’ waiting rooms. I’m the magazine your grandmother subscribes to. No one can remember a time when I wasn’t here. You probably don’t know anything about me, but people trust me. Every month I show up in nearly a million mailboxes. I’m read by eight and a […]
The Numbers Game
So much work goes into the Maclean's university issue and other rankings, but what does the reader really learn? A look at our rank obsession
One September evening during my last year of high school, I went up to my room with a pack of stickies in one hand and Maclean’s Guide to Canadian Universities 2002 in the other. Like thousands of other 16-year-olds, I needed advice on my educational future. No one knew more about Canadian universities, it seemed, […]
Into the Wild
An incredible journey deep into the heart of Walrus country
In its premiere issue almost four years ago, The Walrus magazine introduced a front section called Field Notes. Its purpose: to offer Canadian readers a peek into indigenous cultures abroad. In scientific circles, the term refers to the notes taken by scientists during or after their observations of the phenomena they are studying. These types […]
