Media Monday Edmonton: Update #239

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• Stuart Thomson wrote about how an increasing number of press secretaries at the Legislature used to be journalists. “The path from journalism to politics is a well-worn one,” he notes. His colleague Graham Thomson argues that the real issue isn’t that they are switching sides, it’s “that the number of journalists is shrinking” and that is a problem for “the health of democracy.”
• “After three years and 167 missions, Gastropost is saying goodbye.” The Journal’s experiment in creating a food community shared it’s final mission today, appropriately called The Last Bite.
• Meanwhile, Capital Ideas announced a couple weeks ago that Karen Unland is back as host and “she is looking forward to shining a light on insights from Edmonton’s entrepreneurs again.”
• A FOIP request by Postmedia has led to a change at city hall: “Starting this spring, city officials said they will start publicly posting all email memorandums sent between city administration and council members.” The first release is expected March 3.
• Mark Iype, Paula Simons, Marion Warnica, Jason Markusoff, and Josh Greschner are speaking next week at Words Matter: Journalism’s Role in the 21st Century, put on by the Peter Lougheed Leadership College at the University of Alberta.
• The next CPRS event features Sharon MacLean talking about “ideas to Navigate the Media Aftershock.” The event takes place on February 24 at The Westin.
• Jason Gregor wrote a birthday profile of John Short, a “long-time Edmonton radio personality and all-around sports guru.”
• Cam Tait wishes long-time Corus account executive Brian Wilkes a happy retirement. “Brian’s start in radio began in the late 1980s when he joined the sales staff of 930 CJCA and K-97.”
• Episode 59 of the Seen and Heard in Edmonton podcast features Tyler Butler, “the always-learning digital marketing strategist and musician who explores social media on the new podcast Don’t Call Me A Guru.”
• If you can believe it, Postmedia is looking for a Reporter to join the Edmonton newsroom. The deadline to apply is February 17.
• From Honey & Betts, here are the top local bloggers, social media influencers, and photographers you need to follow on Instagram.

Amazon Echo, photo by Adam Bowie

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• Amazon’s Alexa (the personal assistant inside the Echo) was a big hit at CES this year. Flash Briefing is an interesting start, but what else can news organizations do with Alexa? I’m still waiting for the Echo to launch in Canada.
• Google is making changes to AMP pages to make the publishers’ URLs more visible and actionable by readers. I’m still not a fan of how everything appears behind a google.com domain name.
• From CJR: Is “fake news” a fake problem?
• You may have heard that Norway plans to drop FM radio in favor of a modern equivalent known as digital audio broadcasting. It’s a bold but risky move as people have tried and failed to replace FM before.
• Guelph, Ontario lost its daily newspaper about a year ago. NiemanLab takes a look at the impact.

You can follow Edmonton media news on Twitter using the hashtag #yegmedia. For a great overview of the global media landscape, check out Mediagazer.

So, what have I missed? What’s new and interesting in the world of Edmonton media? Let me know!

You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here.