Condition Critical

With the proliferation of culture-based websites and a trend toward bite-sized reviews, the professional arts critic may be an endangered species. But there is hope—Internet-based magazines like CBC Arts Online and Television Without Pity are providing a sanctuary for this increasingly scarce brand of journalism

When a big-budget film about the life of Johnny Cash was released in November, Eye Weekly film reviewer Jason Anderson was disappointed. “As a biopic, Walk the Line is riddled with familiar problems,” he wrote. “Director James Mangold’s movie is based largely on Cash’s own frank memoirs so the issue is not that Mangold whitewashes […]

Make That a Double Latté With Internet Topping

Wireless Toronto has helped several GTA restaurant proprietors set up free Internet access. It not only undercuts corporate gouging, but also creates an activist infrastructure. The lofty goal is strong local communities, but will people start to congregate?

“Have you used the Internet?” asks Michael Pereira. Of course I’ve used the Internet, but the question is not actually as odd as it seems. Pereira is a volunteer with Wireless Toronto, a non-profit group dedicated to bringing free wireless Internet access to the city. We’re sitting in the café at 401 Richmond, an arts […]

If You Build It, Will They Come?

The fledgling Canadian Freelancers Union asks independent writers to join together and improve their financial lot. It's a noble ideal, but whether it's achievable is an open question

Thank God for the union! These stalwart guardians of labour rights are often the only defense against The Man and his ruthless march towards higher profit and increased shareholder value. While it’s hard to imagine Canadian journalists as soot-stained workers streaming out of a coal mine or steel mill, they still have to deal with […]

The Mourning After

Saturday Night's latest death reinforces the notion that Canada cannot support general interest magazines—or does it?

An email went around the Saturday Night magazine offices on Tuesday, October 18, announcing that a meeting had been scheduled for Thursday. The email listed a time, but no agenda. There was a mood of suspicion in the windowless boardroom on the morning of the 20th, as a dozen editorial and art staff mulled over […]

A Constellation of Problems

Satellite radio may be the new frontier to programmers south of the border, but try telling that to the CRTC. Or Canadian content watchdogs. Or listeners, for that matter

I’m giggling to the Howard Stern Show on 92.9 JACK FM during my Tuesday morning drive to the School of Journalism at Ryerson University in downtown Toronto. It’s one of Stern’s last programs on the Buffalo station, just before he makes his much-publicized jump to Sirius Satellite Radio. That’s when Canadians living near the U.S. […]

The Ballad of Electronic Frank

Barely a month after its relaunch in September, Frank magazine was hit with its first libel suit. A “monstrous libel” suit, in fact, according to claimant Pamela Wallin. Many publishers might break into a cold sweat at such a thought, but not Frank publisher Michael Bate. “It’s just like the old days,” he says. “Now […]

Some Straight Talk on Vancouver’s Weekly Newspaper War

WestEnder publisher James Craig puts Georgia Straight publisher Dan McLeod on notice. We're the new alternative, says Craig. Nonsense, says McLeod. Our reporter keeps score

James Craig, a balding middle-aged man in a blue sweater and thick, black-framed glasses, peers furtively through venetian blinds. He motions for me to come closer. “See that yellowish building?” He’s pointing down busy West Broadway in the trendy South Granville district just outside downtown Vancouver. “Right next to that is going to be their […]

It’s Not News to Her

How Canadian correspondent Samantha Bee sinks her barbs into The Daily Show's satire

“Is there a Mrs. Anti-Gay Crusader in your life?” The reporter sitting across from Palm Beach congressional candidate Ed Heeney seems determined to get her question answered. Heeney, his tropical shirt drenched in sweat, raises his eyebrows. The slender reporter, dirty blonde hair neatly tucked behind her head, a light pink shirt peeking through a […]

Drawn In

It's often hard work for little pay, but David Collier combines his love of reporting and drawing in an increasingly popular genre—comics journalism

I recognize David Collier’s face immediately. The self-portrait illustrations in his comic books are remarkably accurate, although the three-dimensional version standing before me is taller and better built than I expected. After shaking hands, we head outside to the rainy streets of Hamilton. The short walk from the bus terminal to Collier’s home studio unfolds […]

Drawing the Line

CBC editorial staff discover the benefits of solidarity with other groups of workers, like technicians and marketing staff, during the lockout

On John Corcelli’s first day back in the CBC Broadcast Centre, the atmosphere was different from two months ago. Employees had begun the day with a victory parade around the building, complete with bagpipes, banjos and congratulations from union leaders. Corcelli missed the parade, but walked inside with a heavy feeling in his stomach. “I […]