What Women Want
Women's service magazines traditionally bring in top ad dollars. But as Barbara Jobber found out, old standby Homemakers was falling behind upstarts such as More
In an empty downtown Toronto furniture design store in early March, 200 people meet to see, listen and eat the new Homemakers magazine. “It is an experience of the brand,” explains editor-in-chief Kathy Ullyott. At one booth, a life coach teaches time-saving strategies. Beside it is the energizing smoothie stand and five-minute pilates demonstrations-all part of the […]
Agent Derek Finkle
The man behind the Canadian Writer's Group would like freelancers to get what they deserve
Derek Finkle doesn’t think Canadian freelancers are getting what they deserve. The former editor of Toro will be officially launching the Canadian Writers Group on May 11. The group has 50 freelancers signed on now, and the plan is to at least double that number by the end of the summer. It’s not a union. […]
No Logo
These days, journalists have to be brand managers too
I have heard the clichés that newspapers and magazines are dying for the last four years. The comment usually stems from someone I see as a non-believer-who doesn’t understand the power of reporting or great writing. I put my faith in journalism, but have still faced unexpected and unpleasant complications. Shortly after interviewing Marco Ursi, […]
Bailing Out
Though it may come as a shock to many in the business, not all journalism school graduates want to practice our honourable craft. Greg Harris contemplates life on the dark side
I never actually wanted to be a journalist. When I was in Grade 11, my parents sat me down and asked what I wanted to do with my life. I said, “I wanna rock.” Much to my dismay, Dee Snider didn’t appear and throw my dad out the window the way he did in Twisted […]
If You Don’t Have Something Nice to Say…
...then you can just say it in online comments sections. Laura Janecka and Eve Tobolka look at the benefits and challenges of letting readers and listeners speak their minds
After a nine-year-old girl died in a house fire on Sandy Bay reserve north of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, cbc.ca was one of the first to report the tragedy. As soon as the story went up, user comments began popping up on the site: “Native people do not have the knowledge to look after a house” and […]
Community Disservice
Almost 14 years after Dudley George’s death, reporters still have a lot to learn about reporting on First Nations. Laura Janecka asked Peter Edwards, who covered Ipperwash, why the media got it wrong, and what reporters need to do to get it right.
Peter Edwards had two choices on September 6, 1995, he could either cover a story about a line-up for swimming lessons at Mel Lastman Square or he could drive to Ipperwash Provincial Park to investigate the shoot-out between police and First Nation protestors. Edwards chose the park. If it turned out to be nothing, he […]
Size Matters
In the current economic climate, bigger isn’t always better. Jenelle DaSilva-Rupchand investigates several small publications—and the secret to their survival.
Matt Blackett is sweating. Dressed in a sports jacket, dress pants and running shoes, he examines a speaker to plug in his iPhone. Time is running out. Soon people will arrive at the reception showcasing thinkTORONTO, Spacingmagazine’s urban design ideas competition. Tonight, most of the posterboards on the exposed brick walls of the gallery space are […]
The Price is Right
Nothing says scientific research like polling a group of magazine insiders during happy hour. This past week, at the Ryerson Review of Journalism’s Friends of the Review fundraising gala, Morgan Passi asked, “What magazine would you pay for online?”
Paul McLaughlin, freelance journalist Vanity Fair and Maclean’s I’m a huge Vanity Fair fan. Maclean’s, despite its political leanings, has improved incredibly since [editor] Ken Whyte took over. So I like it very much. I think it used to be a pretty boring magazine. Even though I don’t have the same political leanings as Whyte, I think it’s […]
Staying Alive
It's not dead, but it's no longer a print magazine. Marco Ursi tells the RRJ Online about Masthead's move to an online-only format
In late October, Masthead magazine, the self-titled “Magazine About Magazines,” announced its demise. Then in December, after receiving a number of requests to keep the magazine’s internet counterpart, MastheadOnline, alive, North Island Publishing Ltd. said it would do just that. The RRJ asks editor Marco Ursi about the switch to digital-only, how magazine layouts can survive online and what happens […]
Burnout Blues
Smaller publications swim outside the mainstream, and connect with communities that don't always have a voice. But all that swimming can tire a magazine out
The March 2009 issue of This Magazine will premier a redesigned look that accommodates the vision of the latest editor, Graham F. Scott. The position of editor at This Magazine offers a great opportunity to put your own mark on a magazine that already has an established readership. This may be great for Scott, but […]
