Category: Media Monday Edmonton

Media Monday Edmonton: Update #100

Today’s post is a milestone for me. I started my Media Monday Edmonton series almost exactly three years ago, with this introduction:

Like many others, I’m interested in the continual evolution of journalism and media. And given my passion for Edmonton, I’m particularly interested in that evolution at a local level. Where have we been, and where are we going? What’s next?

Today’s post is #120 in the series, and #100 of my weekly updates (the first few were called “Week in Review”). I had no idea how long my experiment would last, but here we are, still going strong. The media landscape in Edmonton continues to evolve, meaning there’s no shortage of new things to write about!

I know how disappointing it would be to read a milestone post and not see a word cloud (heh) so here you go – each of my weekly updates visualized:

media monday word cloud

I’m both surprised and happy to see that Media Monday has become so popular. Thanks for correcting my mistakes, sending in tips, and for reading week after week.

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

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.

Media Monday Edmonton: Editorials & Endorsements

Should news organizations write editorials? Should they endorse political candidates? I think the answer to both questions is yes. Perhaps they should do it differently than newspapers have historically written editorials and endorsements, but I think both are important activities for news organizations today, and even more so for news organizations of the future.

To understand my point-of-view, I think there are three key things to consider. First, I believe the view from nowhere is harmful. Second, I believe that technology is dramatically changing the opportunities we have to seek out varied opinions and perspectives for the better. Third, I believe that news organizations need to be part of the communities they wish to inform.

The View from Nowhere is harmful

I firmly believe that the view from nowhere does more harm than good. The idea that journalists are unbiased and impartial strikes me as wrong, and the idea that keeping their biases hidden because it earns them more authority is even worse. As Jay Rosen wrote:

“In journalism, real authority starts with reporting. Knowing your stuff, mastering your beat, being right on the facts, digging under the surface of things, calling around to find out what happened, verifying what you heard. “I’m there, you’re not, let me tell you about it.” Illuminating a murky situation because you understand it better than almost anyone. Doing the work! Having a track record, a reputation for reliability is part of it, too. But that comes from doing the work.”

If you’re going to do all of that work, you’re going to form an opinion. Why not share that work? Why not share the facts and an opinion? I do not think that facts and an opinion are mutually exclusive. I would much rather read an opinion from a journalist who has invested a great deal of time and effort into understanding and forming that opinion, than a so-called impartial piece that belies the journalist’s true feelings and knowledge of the story.

Increased access to varied perspectives is a good thing

The democratization of publishing ushered forth by the web has provided us with a lot of crap, but also with more intelligent, well-researched, and thoughtful perspectives than we’ve ever had access to before. Gone are the days when reading one newspaper article would provide you with everything you could possibly know about a story. These days, that article is just the tip of the iceberg. Venture below the surface, and you’ll find a myriad of voices, perspectives, facts, and other information. It can take a bit of work to avoid getting lost in the sea of sources, but in exchange for an ounce of effort you’re rewarded with a ton of insight.

Who wants to do all that work, you ask? Increasingly you don’t have to. Searching the web today is less like finding a needle in a haystack and more like asking a question and getting an answer, and search remains a focus of major investment for the key players. New software that aggregates sources together appears almost daily, and with every new tool the algorithms get better and better. Curators are blossoming alongside both search and aggregation, offering yet another way to cut through the clutter.

I reject the notion that the explosion of perspectives makes it too easy to get trapped into the so-called echo chamber. At the end of the day, I don’t think human beings are satisfied reading only things they agree with and ignoring everything else, if for no other reason than we crave connection. As strongly as you might feel about something, keeping it to yourself is nearly impossible. Nothing compares to the experience of telling another person.

News organizations need to be part of the community

I agree 100% with Edmonton Journal editor Margo Goodhand when she wrote, “I still believe editorials can inform and challenge a community.”

The Edmonton Journal’s mission remains unchanged from the early days: “to provide relevant and reliable news and information to the Edmonton community.” In order to do that, the Journal needs to be part of the community, otherwise what credibility would it have? You can talk about a community without being part of it, but you can’t talk with a community unless you’re a member.

But how can a company be a part of the community? I think the answer is through its people. Journalists are the Edmontonians that can talk with the Edmonton community, not the organization itself. It is those journalists that will have gained knowledge and insight into something that is important to the community, such as an election.

Ignore tradition

The one line in Margo’s piece that still troubles me is this: “I would hate to be the first in the Journal’s 110-year history to abandon a venerated newspaper tradition.” (How will she lead the organization into the future of media if she is unwilling to break with tradition?) Even though I think editorials and endorsements have a place in the news, I think news organizations need to be willing to make some changes.

I don’t think unsigned editorials have a place in the future of media. Margo identifies the Journal’s editorial board in her piece, so why not identify the writer of each editorial on a regular basis? Is it solely to maintain the artificial separation between the editorial board and columnists? I would like to see editorials with a byline. The journalists who wrote the editorial will of course have sought insight from others, done some research, and perhaps even consulted the archives, but that doesn’t change the fact that they wrote it.

Likewise I don’t think political endorsements should carry the name of the news organization, but rather the name of the journalist(s) making the call. Maybe an editorial board as a whole can’t agree – why does there need to be only one endorsement, or lack thereof? ‘The decision is yours’ offered absolutely nothing of value. I would much rather have seen two or more strong, opposing opinions. That would have given me additional perspectives to consider.

To the future!

From my viewpoint in 2014, the future looks a lot more complicated and a lot more interesting than it is now. I’ll need to work harder to truly understand the world around me and my place in it, and I don’t and won’t rely on any single source of information. I’ll continue to consult sources with perspectives that match my own as well as sources that offer a different point-of-view. I’ll make up my own mind.

I think editorials and endorsements, created by journalists who know enough to have formed an opinion and who are clearly identified, are a healthy and important part of that future.

Media Monday Edmonton: Update #99

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

Press Gallery
Press Gallery at McKay Avenue School

No local interest in Pinterest

There’s a lot of talk about Facebook making a splash in the news world with an upcoming app, but they’re not the only social network with an interest in the media. Pinterest too has made an effort to court media organizations, and they said in September that “a growing number of journalists and media sites use Pinterest.” Back in March, they launched an analytics dashboard to help media orgs and others see how their content is being pinned on Pinterest. Unsurprisingly, Mashable has a lot of great stuff on Pinterest if you’d like to learn more about what they have been up to.

Some of the local media are using Pinterest, but not many (let me know if I have missed any):

As you can see, only the Edmonton Journal is really active on Pinterest. They’ve created 85 boards, featuring everything from “Cars”, “Food”, and “Weddings” to “Mint Green Fashions” and “Chalkboard Paint Inspiration”. One of the most interesting boards (from a news point-of-view) is “This Day in Journal History”, which is described as “a daily look at the past through the eyes of the Edmonton Journal.”

I guess Pinterest hasn’t caught on with local media orgs. If you’re looking to jump into Pinterest, here are five ways journalists can use the service and here are five ways journalists are using Pinterest.

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.

Media Monday Edmonton: Update #98

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

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.

Media Monday Edmonton: Update #97

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

yeggies 2013

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.

Media Monday Edmonton: Update #96

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

  • Harvard Broadcasting announced a new format and brand for CKEA-FM, switching from Lite 95.7 to 95.7 CRUZ FM. Their gimmick is that they guarantee no repeat songs all day long, and they’ll pay $10,000 if you catch them breaking the rule. Here’s how the press release introduced the new format:

“95.7 CRUZ FM is playing Great Music, ALL the time! Whether it’s Classic Rock, Classic Hits, Mainstream Rock, Pop, Pop/ Rock or New Wave from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s……music that was popular when you were!”


Here’s Kevin speaking at Pecha Kucha in 2011

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.

Media Monday Edmonton: Update #95

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

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.

Media Monday Edmonton: Gastropost Alberta & the Future of Newspapers

In the summer of 2012, Postmedia launched two experiments to explore the future of newspapers. One launched here in Edmonton, and their task was as ambitious as they come: to transform the way the Edmonton Journal does business.

They’ll operate much like a tech start-up, with no pre-determined outcomes. They’ll be testing some theories about the growth of the news business, and working to identify, customize and build new products to serve our community.

The Edmonton Experiment, as it was affectionately known in the early days, eventually launched as Capital Ideas Edmonton. Focused on helping local entrepreneurs share what they know, it has grown into a vibrant and active community with events that regularly attract nearly 200 people. The project has also started to figure out its business model, landing a partnership with ATB Business recently. They haven’t yet transformed the Journal, but the initiative has been successful enough to grow beyond the experiment phase.

The other experiment that Postmedia launched was at the National Post. Rather than unlock the expertise of the community or focus on an under-served niche, they decided to share pictures of food with Gastropost. No, really!

Last week, We asked a group of food lovers in Toronto to eat something delicious every day and tell us about it. Some dined out, others stayed in — all made our mouths water. Interested? Get involved!

Chris Tindal, a member of the National Post Labs team that launched Gastropost, described it as much more than just sharing food pictures:

We’re not sure exactly what this is yet, but there are a few things we know (or hope) it’s not. First, this isn’t regular user-generated content. The closest analogy we’ve come up with is to say we’re looking for expert-generated content from the voices within a community. Second, in the example of food, this isn’t designed to replace or compete with what food bloggers, restaurant reviewers and Yelp and Foursquare users are already doing, but should instead surface new value that will ultimately strengthen those existing communities and improve the food experience of the whole city.

As great as that bit of marketing-speak sounds, when you get right down to it Gastropost is all about user-generated content finding its way into the newspaper. This reality has been cemented by the way Gastropost finds its photos (and by extension, its members): via social media services like Twitter and Instagram, services which have helped to define user-generated content.

What is true is that Gastropost does not compete with food bloggers or restaurant review sites. It simply can’t – there’s only room for photos to be shared. Though the weekly missions add a game-like dynamic to Gastropost, it would seem that it’s the chance to see their photo and name in the newspaper that drives people to share and become members.

Gastropost Edmonton

Maybe that’s enough. Gastropost has since expanded to Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary, and now has more than 10,000 members across the country. Still, I have a hard time visualizing the future of newspapers looking through Gastropost-tinted lenses.

Gastropost Alberta

Gastropost started its expansion into Alberta in October when Gastropost Edmonton launched. It was a small blow to Capital Ideas, as Brittney Le Blanc shifted experiments to become the Community Manager for Gastropost in Alberta. I can’t think of anyone at the Journal better suited to the role than Brittney, and in just the first month she had already attracted more than 1000 members. Clearly a wise decision by the powers-that-be.

I visited Brittney at her office at the Edmonton Journal recently to learn more about Gastropost Edmonton. Here’s what she had to say:

For more on Gastropost Edmonton and how it works, check out Linda’s excellent post.

Last month, Gastropost expanded to Calgary, with Brittney once again leading the charge. I’m fairly certain that Gastropost will find success here in Alberta just as it has out east. Sharing pictures of your food has become so accepted (and even encouraged) that restaurants that ban the practice seem unusual.

But will Gastropost change the way Postmedia does business? Of that, I’m much less certain.

The future of newspapers?

Maybe it’s unfair to paint Gastropost with the future-of-newspapers brush. The initiative did grow out of Postmedia’s desire to figure out the newspaper’s role in the future of media, however. The initial objective was very clear: “to transform our cities by inspiring everyone to share their expertise, something we think newspapers are uniquely positioned to do.” So, what can we learn from Gastropost about the future of the newspaper? 1

Basing the success of Gastropost on a reader’s desire to appear in the newspaper seems fraught with risk. The first time your photo is selected, of course you’ll get the warm fuzzies. But that experience is fleeting, and the next time it happens it’s much less exciting. With two full pages of tiny food photos, it won’t take long until yours is featured. Then what? Surely Gastropost can offer more than a whimsical “look ma, I’m in the paper!” moment.

It is often said that newspapers should reflect the communities they serve. Others go further and suggest that newspapers should actively be a part of the communities they serve. I think that’s where Gastropost fits in.

Gastropost Edmonton

Here’s what Brittney wrote in the blog post introducing Gastropost Calgary:

Food is a connector. It’s a common ground that you can share with nearly everyone. We have family dinners, cookie exchanges around the holidays. We share new dining experiences with friends and trade recipes and ideas at potlucks. Food helps us connect through the good times and bad, sharing communal memories and bonding over allergies and sensitivities. Strangers bend over from the next table, wondering what you’re eating and whether they should order it.

Viewed as a way to connect with the community, selecting food for the National Post experiment was a no-brainer. In decades past, a shared food experience might have come from recipes, restaurant reviews, or other food news printed in the newspaper. Today, it happens all the time, on Twitter, food blogs, and other services. Gastropost is a way for Postmedia to remain relevant in that world, to be a part of the food community in which its readers are active.

It won’t be long until the thrill of getting your food photo in the newspaper wears off. The trick will be for Postmedia to figure out how to make money from participating in the food community before that happens. If they can do that, perhaps Gastropost can tell us something about the future of newspapers after all.

Thanks to Brittney for being a good sport and doing the video! The music is “Chords for David” by Pitx.

  1. Note I’m using the phrase “future of newspapers” instead of “future of journalism” on purpose. Despite the worldview of Gastropost’s creators, I look to Clay Shirky’s seminal post from 2009 on the matter. ↩

Media Monday Edmonton: Update #94

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

  • Though I generally get annoyed at how early the Christmas stuff comes out, I am thrilled with the return of the Shaw Fire Log! Watch it on channels 222 (HD) and 165 (SD).

shaw fire log

UPDATE: I also wanted to link to this editorial from the Edmonton Journal. It’s about as “rah rah, look at us doing important work” as you can get. Not that the work isn’t important – certainly we should have the right to know about the child welfare system and its flaws, and I’m happy that the Journal and Calgary Herald have pursued it.

UPDATE 2: Let me expand on that previous thought! As I said, I am glad the Journal and Herald have been pursuing the story. I wanted to link to the editorial because I found it interesting in the context of the future of media:

  1. The editorial positions the Journal as being part of the story. That’s a somewhat unusual position for a “traditional” media organization to be in (though it has been more common lately). I’m interested in how the Journal navigates that territory, and so far it seems they want people to know that the Journal worked hard on this.

  2. It is often said that if newspapers die, so will important investigative journalism. Here is a local example of what people mean when they say that. The Journal and Herald have exposed facts that would otherwise have likely remained hidden. Perhaps we’ll see more of this from the Journal? Or perhaps it is too costly?

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.

Media Monday Edmonton: Update #93

Veterans Affairs Canada adopted Twitter to help commemorate Remembrance Day this year, encouraging Canadians to use the hashtag #ShowYouRemember. That and #LestWeForget were popular on Twitter today.

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

UPDATE: Shawna Randolph let me know that she is co-hosting on Alberta Primetime for the next three weeks or so, but it’s a temporary gig. She’s still the spokesperson for the Edmonton Humane Society and is running her communications company full-time. I’m sure fans will be happy to see her back on the tube for at least a few weeks!

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.