Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:
- The Athletic, a subscription-based paywalled sports site, has launched in Edmonton. Jonathan Willis will be writing frequent columns and says “Allan Mitchell, perhaps better known as Lowetide, will be a weekly columnist” and that “Sunil Agnihotri, Minnia Feng and (Black Dog) Pat McLean” will also be “featured contributors”. You can check out the site here.
- Congratulations to CISN 103.9 FM’s Chris Scheetz, Jacqueline Sweeney, and Matt DeBeurs on winning “On-Air Personalities of the Year” at the 2017 Canadian Country Music Association Awards.
- Terry Jones is the guest speaker at the Edmonton Broadcasters Club’s Fall Luncheon which takes place on October 11.
- Marty Forbes has advice for local media folks who want to get known: “Get involved in our community. Check that, get ‘sincerely involved in our community.'”
- Sonic 102.9 FM’s Lauren Hunter painted a picture of Connor McDavid that has come to be known as the McPortrait, and last week actually got McDavid to autograph it! Prints are going to be sold on Saturday, September 23 at Denizen Hall with 100% of the proceeds going to YESS.
- Former Edmonton Journal editor-in-chief Margo Goodhand has written a new book called Runaway Wives and Rogue Feminists: The Origin of the Women’s Shelter Movement in Canada. She is launching it at Audrey’s on Tuesday, September 19.
- Karen Unland is speaking about podcasting and the future of traditional media on The Ryan Holtz Show on Tuesday afternoon. Catch it on Facebook Live starting at 1pm.
- Metro Edmonton’s Kevin Maimann took Edmonton’s first Aquamermaid class. “My flopping and flailing was less than majestic,” he says. Brave!
- CBC Edmonton’s Portia Clark is hosting CBC’s Night at the Needle on Monday, October 2 at The Needle Vinyl Tavern. It’s “an engaging conversation with CBC reporters, special guests and you!”
- The Edmonton Comedy Festival presents the Media Challenge on Thursday, October 12 at the ATB Financial Arts Barns. “Hosted by Kevin Stobo, starring Tim Nutt, and depending on how many chicken out, featuring 16 local media personalities attempting stand-up comedy for the first or second time.”
Members of the media covering Nomination Day at City Hall today
And here is some slightly less local media stuff:
- Congratulations to Jeremy Klaszus on the launch of The Sprawl down in Calgary. The “pop-up journalism” project focused on Calgary is active now on Patreon.
- Detroit has appointed an official “chief storyteller” to remodel the city’s narrative. Aaron Foley, “a popular African-American journalist”, will be the first to hold the position, “believed to be the first of its kind in the US.”
- David Carr influenced dozens of writers throughout his career, including the many that shared stories about his guidance in the latest installment of The Atlantic’s series on mentorship.
- The Conversation looks at the rapid decline of local news and suggests social media can be part of the solution but only if we demand that it be used responsibly.
- BuzzFeed is launching a live morning news show show called AM to DM on Twitter, and has shared some of the lessons learned about doing video and reporting.
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!
Want to read great stories about Edmonton? Or maybe you’d like to write them? Join Taproot Edmonton and help us ensure that local journalism has a future in our city.
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