Media Monday Edmonton: Update #325

Taproot Edmonton’s latest Media Roundup was published today. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday morning.

Local updates from the Media Roundup

Here are a few select updates from today’s Media Roundup:

• The political ads that have taken over radio and newspapers in Edmonton recently look and sound like news for a reason. Radio ads have run on 630 CHED, Sonic 102.9, 102.3 NOW!, and CISN Country. The front page of the Edmonton Journal has also been taken over with political ads, including one that took comments from former political columnist Graham Thomson out of context. “Thomson said a representative from Postmedia, which owns the Journal, personally apologized and told him his work would not be quoted in subsequent political ads.”
• “Vue going down is not the end of culture in Edmonton, but it sure doesn’t help,” wrote Fish Griwkowsky in the Journal. He joined 630 CHED’s Friday round table with Stephan Boissonneault and Ron Garth from VUE Weekly to discuss the paper’s demise.
• In his last column for VUE Weekly, Ricardo Acuña wrote about the federal government’s proposed funding for media. He says things will “only change when people realize the importance of independent media sources and actively support thoughtful and critical journalism with paid subscriptions and advertising.”
• City of Edmonton Communications branch manager Mary Sturgeon said of efforts to boost internal news production: “It can’t be a propaganda office.”
• 630 CHED celebrated its 25th anniversary as a news and talk station this weekend. “The station had been a successful rock station for years, but quickly suffered with the launch of FM radio.”

Premier Notley’s opening remarks at today’s cabinet meeting, photo by Premier of Alberta

Media-related updates from elsewhere

Something a little different this week! Last Wednesday and Thursday I was in Toronto for a gathering of digital independent news sites from across the country. These entrepreneurs are building what comes next in Canadian media and I left feeling very inspired. I plan to write more, but for now check out:

• The Discourse – Vancouver, Cowichan Valley, Scarborough
• The Logic – Innovation economy
• The Pointer – Brampton
• MEDIA INDIGENA – Indigenous insight
• The Public Record – Hamilton
• The Narwhal – Canada’s natural environment
• Queen’s Park Today – Ontario, BC, Alberta
• The Sprawl – Calgary
• The Deep Magazine – Atlantic Canada
• The Halifax Examiner – Halifax

Follow Edmonton media news using the hashtag #yegmedia and be sure to check out Mediagazer for the latest media news from elsewhere. You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here. If you have a tip or suggestion for future updates, let me know.

At Taproot Edmonton we’re working hard to ensure that local journalism has a future in our city. Join us to be part of the movement.