Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• Congratulations to all of the RTDNA Canada nominees for the Prairie Region! CBC Edmonton, Global Edmonton, and CTV Edmonton all received numerous nominations.
• Global Edmonton’s Gord Steinke will be honored by RTDNA Canada with a lifetime achievement award. “Steinke, who has worked at Global Edmonton for 24 years, will take home the Prairie Region Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s awards ceremony in Medicine Hat on April 23.” Global Edmonton earned a total of seven nominations.
• CBC Edmonton’s Mark Connolly will emcee the Canadian Association of Journalists banquet and awards gala on May 28. The CAJ conference will take place Friday, May 27 and Saturday, May 28 at the Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel.
• Here’s a feature on Edmonton Journal reporter Otiena Ellwand. “To cover holes left by cuts, young journalists must define their own roles in the newsroom.”
• Episode 127 of The Press Gallery includes a discussion about Heather Boyd’s report on media access at the Alberta Legislature.
• Pamela Kirby has joined 100.3 The Bear. She was most recently with 100.5 CRUZ FM in Fort McMurray.
• Brayden Haydamack has been hired by Virgin Edmonton for late night and weekends. He was most recently with Q99 in Grand Prairie.
• “The way in which pedestrian collisions are reported in the media negatively affects public perception, says a pedestrian safety advocate.” If they’re even reported, that is. This is definitely a problem.
• Lincoln Ho got a neat look at the quality control room for Telus TV. So many screens!
• More than 50 people have already registered for Meet the Media Tweetup 6 taking place on Friday, April 15.
• The Local Good has launched a podcast!
• The Edmonton Woman’s Show is coming up in mid-April and will feature reality TV stars Joe Anglim from Survivor and Nick Viall from The Bachelorette.
• Here is the latest local podcast and blog roundups from Seen and Heard in Edmonton.

Mayor Don Iveson speaks at the Province’s pre-budget consultation

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• Here are Linda’s latest social media notes. The big news today seemed to be the changes to Instagram, which resulted in “an endless sea of meaningless posts asking you to turn on post notifications.” For the rest of us, algorithmic feeds will probably turn out to be a good thing.
• Periscope is now a year old and has been used for more than 200 million broadcasts.
• Jian Ghomeshi was acquitted on all counts this week, a verdict that many called disappointing.
• The CRTC has approved the sale of Shaw Media to Corus Entertainment for $2.65 billion. The transaction is slated to close April 1.
• Facebook has started shipping Oculus Rift VR headsets so the search for a killer app is on. Sounds like it won’t be news.

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.

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• Heather Boyd’s report into accreditation of news media for the Province has been released. You can download the 122 page PDF here. The report recommends that the Province “avoid developing a specific government media policy” and that it should instead “be guided to various degrees by convention, common sense and a desire to keep access to legislative proceedings as open to as large a number of citizens as possible.” In the Executive Summary, the report states: “Most, but by no means all, of the people interviewed for this report felt that there are no circumstances whatsoever under which a government should decide who gets to ask it questions.” The government has accepted all of the report’s recommendations.
• Andrea Sands is leaving the Edmonton Journal to work as a communications consultant for the Edmonton Public School Board. She tweeted that it’s not all doom and gloom for local journalism though. “There are some great new reporters coming soon to the Journal so I look forward to reading.”
• The winners of the 67th National Newspaper Awards will be announced at a ceremony here in Edmonton on Friday, May 27. The bad news? There are no Edmonton-based nominees. The Globe and Mail led the way with 19 nominations.
• Marty Forbes is working on a new podcast with Jungle Jim Jerome. Called “Jungle Talk”, the project is set to debut “in the next month or so.”
• Marty also notes that Len Theusen is retiring after a long career in local media, at 630 CHED, K-LITE (Capital FM), and most recently as an account rep at The Bear. Here’s a photo from the recent celebration event at MKT.
• Lots of online news sites have started banning anonymous comments, but should they? Karen Unland and Linda Hoang spoke to CBC Edmonton about the issue this week.
• Episode 34 of the Seen and Heard in Edmonton podcast features Paul Matwychuk, “a writer, editor and film aficionado who compares and contrasts movies in the most erudite way on Trash, Art, and the Movies.”
• Twitter turned ten years old today! Lots of people revisited their first tweets to celebrate, including Global Edmonton.
• Danielle Paradis wrote about “the deluge of abuse against student journalist Kate McInnes” that came in response to a critique published in The Gateway of the 5 Days for the Homelessness campaign. “McInnes is determined not to be silenced. She’s written more than 50 pieces for the Gateway and plans to be an editor next year.”
• Here’s a guest post at the Meet the Media blog by Debra Kasowski asking if traditional media are worth it. “Media shapes our lives and influences how we think which in turn influences our behaviour and attitudes toward issues and events,” she wrote.
• Speaking of #MeetTheMedia, you can register for the event taking place on April 15 here. There are already 28 people signed up.
• Edmontonian Lindsey McNell is a filmmaker, writer, actress, and director and last year she was selected to represent Canada at the Cannes Film Festival. She says Edmonton needs an advocate, like a film commissioner, to bring more attention to the industry.
• Calgary journalist Andrew Ng, who worked in Edmonton from 2008 through 2013, kept a notebook of “just about every story…and every person” he worked on and talked to over a two-year period in our city. “It sits on my desk now as a journal of my career as a journalist.”
• The next Edmonton Podcasting Meetup takes place on April 9 at Variant Edition Comics & Culture and will explore making your podcast audience happy.

Edmonton Journal on the Gibson-Block

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• Here are Linda’s latest social media notes. She links with some dismay to the news that Instagram is moving to an algorithmic feed. Personally I’m ok with the change.
• Leslie Merklinger, CBC’s director of new programs and talent development, speaks positively about podcasting and says “the podcast space is something we are committed to.”
• Medium is expanding its mobile efforts to cover curation. “We believe that in order to create a great reading experience for humans, other humans should be part of that process.” Elsewhere, Medium is spinning off Matter into a new company.
• The Global Investigative Journalism Network has found that despite an incredible return on investment, “investigative journalism groups must scramble for funds to survive year after year.”
• For more on the decade of Twitter, here’s an in-depth conversation with Jack Dorsey.
• From Slate: what it’s like to write about a candidate who hates you. Yes, this one is about Donald Trump.
• With appeals and other legal battles sure to take years, the Hulk Hogan win over Gawker is far from the certain end for the site that many are proclaiming. And besides as the Times argues, “the Gawker that posted the video…has already passed into memory.”

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.

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• The 2016 Alberta Magazine Awards were handed out at a gala event on March 3. The University of Alberta Alumni’s New Trail was named Magazine of the Year. Editor of the Year went to Curtis Gillespie of Eighteen Bridges. Avenue Edmonton picked up six awards while Alberta Venture picked up three. Omar Mouallem did quite well, winning for his own writing and as part of The Yards. Congrats to all!
• Here’s a “behind the news” feature from Global Edmonton with Gord Steinke, Carole Anne Devaney, and Jesse Beyer. It’s an extended version of the advertising feature included in the March 2016 edition of Avenue Edmonton.
• I had the opportunity a couple of weeks ago to help some Grade 5/6 students from Coronation School become journalists for a week at Edmonton Journal school. I spoke to them about what I do and answered their excellent questions about entrepreneurship. I wasn’t surprised to hear how much they know about Minecraft (the game itself as well as the business and everything around it) but I was pleasantly surprised to hear how interested they were in programming and how much they knew already. Very exciting!
• Episode 32 of the Seen and Heard in Edmonton podcast features Steven Schapansky of Radio Free Skaro, “one of the most successful podcasts to be produced in Edmonton.”
• The Edmonton Broadcasters Club Spring Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, April 13 at the Moose Factory on Calgary Trail. The event will serve as a 60th anniversary and reunion for CFCW.
• Karen reports that thirteen local podcasters have signaled their interest in joining the Seen and Heard Podcast Network. If you’re a local podcaster (or potential sponsor) you should check it out.
• In his latest column, Marty Forbes tackles the increasingly complex number of options we are now faced with for watching TV.
• Here is a trailer for Todd Babiak‘s new novel Son of France, which goes on sale tomorrow. Also check out how a murder changed the way novelist Todd Babiak writes about violence.
• The Globe and Mail is currently looking for a Reporter here in Edmonton. “The Globe and Mail is seeking a dynamic reporter to expand our journalistic reach in Alberta, a province that has been transformed in recent years by the West’s evolving political and economic clout.”
• CKUA is looking for a Manager of Marketing and Communications. The deadline to apply is March 15.
• Metro Edmonton is looking for a Reporter/Photographer. They’re also looking for a Junior Account Manager and an Advertising Sales Account Manager.
• Nominations are now open for the Canadian Music Week Alan Waters Young Broadcast Award. The deadline to nominate someone under the age of 30 is March 21.
• On March 24, IABC Edmonton is hosting a lunchtime session on how to successfully pitch to media in Edmonton’s changing landscape, featuring Karen Unland.

City Glow, photo by Dave Sutherland

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• Here are Linda’s latest social media notes. She is running a Snapchat for Beginners workshop at iMEDIA on the weekend!
• From Columbia Journalism Review: Facebook is eating the world. The world of media, at least.
• I’m really intrigued by what devices like Amazon’s new Echo Dot can do for media. Already you can get an overview of the latest headlines. I’d love to buy one to test it out, but currently you can only order it through Alexa!
• Here’s a promo video from Edmonton’s own Beverly Theresa for Social Media Camp, coming up in May in Victoria. You can learn more and register here.
• From the National Post: Why TV production is exploding across Canada.
• Shaw officially closed its $1.6 billion acquisition of Wind Mobile this week.

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.

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• Mel Priestley wrote about the future of journalism in Vue Weekly last week and concludes “the onus is on the journalists themselves to diversify their skill sets as much as possible,” given the rapidly changing media landscape.
• Former Edmonton Journal editor Margo Goodhand was a guest on CBC’s The Current recently. She spoke about the importance of a local newsroom being local, saying “it has to support the community, it has to reflect the community, it has to inspire the community.”
• Marty Forbes wrote about his father’s legacy now that “the Jerry Forbes Centre for Community Spirit is about to become a reality.” They’ve purchased a building in northeast Edmonton.
• Linda is back with another list of local Instagram users to follow. I absolutely second her recommendation to follow John Robertson, his photos are great!
• Episode 31 of the Seen and Heard in Edmonton podcast features Sarah Hoyles, the storyteller behind Pet Sounds.
• Josh and Tracey have announced that #YEGMUSIC Magazine is shutting down. “It was a great run, and we will miss it. Keep on rockin’ and supporting your local music scene!”
• Global Edmonton’s Wardrobe Sale took place on the weekend and raised $9,100 for breast cancer research in Alberta.
• You may have seen this Reddit thread on Edmonton media personalities. Be warned: some of it is pretty mean.
• As mentioned yesterday, Paula has the scoop on OEG’s entertainment ambitions. Does that include a foray into the world of media?
• Season 4 of Big Brother Canada premieres this week and features four Albertans, including one Edmontonian.
• 93.1 The One in Leduc is looking for an On-Air Announcer / Promotions Assistant.
• If you’re a fan of The Expats, be sure to fill out their audience survey.
• Save the date: The Gateway’s 106 year print era will be celebrated on April 6 at an event hosted by “notable Gateway alumni, Adam Rozenhart, Todd Babiak and Sarah Chan.”

Moe Banga doing his first media scrum as Ward 12 Councillor

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• In her latest social media notes, Linda highlights that selfie deaths are now more common than death by shark attack.
• The CRTC announced on Tuesday that it has “received 12 applications to operate radio stations serving urban Indigenous Canadians in major markets.” Three of those applications are for Edmonton.
• Sharon and I watched Spotlight on Saturday night and were happy to see it win Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay on Sunday at the Oscars. Definitely one to see!
• So-called “Skinny” TV packages are here. We’re on Shaw, so I priced out their “Limited TV” plan plus some of the additional packages we’d be interested in. The total came out to be quite a bit less than what we pay currently (and I confirmed with support that for each of the channels in the add-on packages you get both the SD and HD variants, assuming they both exist via Shaw). So it looks like there will be a cost savings for us!
• “For the first time in more than 40 years, the Stanley Cup playoffs may lack a Canadian team this season.” And that means Rogers Media could be forced to take a hit on advertising revenue.
• Bloomberg TV Canada has announced the launch of Bloomberg North, a new weekday show featuring Amanda Lang, Pat Kiernan and Rudyard Griffiths.
• The folks behind FiveThirtyEight say they are here to stay, and won’t end up like ESPN’s Grantland.

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.

Congratulations to Moe Banga on winning the Ward 12 by-election this evening! You can see the full unofficial results here. The official results should be released later this week, with the swearing-in ceremony taking place Friday afternoon.

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• The big story of the week was Rebel Media’s fight with the Government of Alberta.
  • Dave posted a summary of what happened.
  • The Canadian Association of Journalism took the government to task for its decision. “Albertans should be choosing what coverage of their government they want to read, not seeing government try to choose what coverage is suitable for Albertans,” said CAJ President Nick Taylor-Vaisey.
  • Ryan Jespersen spoke to Sheila Gunn Reid and Dave Cournoyer about the issue on Tuesday last week.
  • Ultimately the NDP government acknowledged it “made a mistake” and reversed the decision to ban Rebel Media. But as Graham Thomson argues, it’s not over yet. “At play here are bigger issues including, how do we define who is a journalist in the digital age? And, just as important, who gets to make the definition?”
• After 16 years with the Journal, Jodie Sinnema has decided to move on. Her last day is Wednesday, and she starts a new job in public relations on March 1.
• Matt Dykstra has announced he is leaving the Sun and Journal to take on a new role as a press secretary with the Provincial government. “I love journalism and I know I will miss it,” he wrote.
• Bill Mah is back at the Journal on general assignment. “It’s been a roller-coaster month but I’m happy to be a journalist again,” he wrote.
• One other change to note at the Journal/Sun: Elise Stolte is now the city hall reporter. “It’s not a huge change from the more loosely-defined urban affairs beat I held before, but it’s an opportunity to lead our coverage of how this city is run,” she wrote.
• Oh, and oddly enough: “The Edmonton newsroom of Postmedia Network Inc., which publishes the Edmonton Journal and Edmonton Sun, has an immediate opening for two reporters who will help drive coverage of issues and events in Edmonton and northern Alberta.” I assume they’re looking for cheaper people than the ones that were let go.
• As mentioned last week, Tom Braid is leaving the Edmonton Sun. Now he has been immortalized in cartoon form.
• On Friday, former Journal reporter Jana Pruden and former Journal managing editor Stephanie Coombs joined Ryan Jespersen for the weekly roundtable.
• Janis Galloway has decided to wind down Dress Me Dearly. She has been sharing memories on Instagram, like the first “outfit post” she ever did. “Next week I’ll be posting the final blog post on DMD after seven years reporting on Edmonton’s fashion scene,” she wrote on Friday.
• In his latest column, Marty Forbes interviews Stacey Brotzel about her trip to Nicaragua during which she and her husband donated and built playgrounds for children as part of the Castle Downs Recreational Society. And as he notes, congrats to CTV Edmonton’s Breanna Karstens Smith on winning the November Project’s Positivity Award.
• Are you a podcaster here in Edmonton? Be sure to check out the Seen and Heard Podcast Network. The aim is to increase audiences and generate revenue for local podcasts.
• Episode 30 of the Seen and Heard in Edmonton podcast features David Dodge, the man behind Green Energy Futures.
• Venture Publishing is looking for an Assistant Editor. The deadline to apply is March 15.
• The Yards will launch its first edition of 2016 on March 10 at DECL. “We’ll be chatting about the virtues of small retail spaces, why they are good for business, good for community and good for urban form/vibrancy.”
• Save the date: the next #MeetTheMedia is set for April 15 at The Pint.

Protection measures in place early to prepare for wildfire season, photo by Premier of Alberta

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• In her latest social media notes, Linda highlights the iMEDIA Conference which is coming up on March 11 and 12.
• I really like Longform for recommendations on in-depth articles to read. This week while browse I came upon one by Omar Mouallem at Hazlitt. It’s actually the second time he was featured on the site – here’s the first.
• In a speech in Toronto last week, CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais slammed news executives on their local news efforts. “Local television news is failing us. But it need not. The system sits at a position of strength,” he said.
• Here is the new Limited TV package from Shaw, the first “skinny” package as mandated by the CRTC.
• Margaret Sullivan, the public editor of the New York Times, will be joining the Washington Post as a media columnist later this year.

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.