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Stuck in a news filter bubble? There’s an app for that

New Twitter app Echology aims to diversify news sources on the social media site

Celie Deagle

Individual news organizations tweet upwards of 100 times per day—a content diet even the most obsessive tweeter can’t digest. Instead, we pick out small bites, our personal interest and bias helping us choose what tweets we see and which accounts aren’t worth a follow. With each retweet and mention, Twitter’s algorithm goes to work, shaping […] More »
January-February 2017

Twitter probably isn’t the best platform to debate grown-up, complex issues

Welcome to the internet, where much discussion devolves into name calling

Tyler Hellard@poploser

On the morning of the U.S. election last November, I logged onto Twitter and spent several hours arguing about privilege—mostly white, but also male—with someone who believed the entire concept was, itself, racist and sexist because he “judges people individually,” systemic issues be damned. As often happens, the discussion devolved to me calling him “willfully obtuse” […] More »
September-October 2016

Warriors, put down your keyboards

Our constitutional right is to be tried in a court of law, not by social media

Raziel Reid@razielreid

For our special 50th anniversary issue, Canada’s brightest, boldest, and most rebellious thinkers, doers, and creators share their best big ideas. Through ideas macro and micro, radical and everyday, we present 50 essays, think pieces, and calls to action. Picture: plans for sustainable food systems, radical legislation, revolutionary health care, a greener planet, Indigenous self-government, […] More »
March-April 2015

#Feminism

Stephanie Taylor

Critics of social media say it’s nothing but white noise—but it can also amplify women’s voices Antonia Zerbisias walks into the newsroom on what is her second last day before retirement. It’s early evening on October 30, 2014, and somewhere in between saying some of her last hellos and goodbyes to colleagues at One Yonge […] More »
November-December 2014

Terms of service

Tyler Hellard@poploser

Are we too apathetic when it comes to social media user experiments? A few months ago, Facebook got into trouble for experimenting with some of their users. In the name of “science,” the company decided to start tweaking people’s newsfeeds with an excess of either positive or negative status updates from friends. The study showed […] More »

Friday FTW: Feminist Taylor Swift and other great feminist tweets

Espe Currie

The “Hey girl…” feminist Ryan Gosling meme was huge—and the author, Danielle Henderson, even landed a book deal. We’ve been following some other feminist Tumblrs and Twitters. Here are some posts from our favourites: *Warning: working knowledge of Taylor Swift lyrics required* We are never ever ever ever / Asking for it — FeministTaylorSwift (@feministtswift) […] More »

WTF Wednesday: A round up American election WTFs

Sara Harowitz

American politics have always been of serious interest for Canadians. Not only does the American President affect Canadian politics and procedures, but American elections are also just a heck of a lot more interesting to watch than our own. There’s something incredibly exciting about sitting around with your friends and watching the votes come in, […] More »

Friday FTW: Special Olympian stands up to Ann Coulter

Sara Harowitz

“Every day I get closer to living a life like yours.” It was 2008 when John Franklin Stephens, who has Down syndrome, wrote those words, but their importance has not diminished in the four years that have passed. A Special Olympics athlete and global messenger, Stephens recently had to once again defend his humanity—and, it […] More »
September-October 2011

Interview: Nieman fellow David Skok on Canadian journalism’s digital future

Paul McLaughlinWebsite@paulmcl

David Skok, the managing editor of GlobalNews.ca, checked into Harvard University in September to begin a one-year Nieman Fellowship. The 33-year-old is the first Canadian digital journalist to receive the prestigious award. He’ll be studying “how to sustain Canadian journalism’s distinct presence in a world of stateless news organizations.” He spoke with This two weeks […] More »

After Vancouver’s riots, how to tame social media mob justice

Navneet AlangWebsite@navalang

After the sheer surprise of Vancouver’s Stanley Cup riots had dissipated, Canadian commentators tried to figure out what it all meant. Most beat their usual political drums—months later we’re blaming the pinko anarchists, capitalist pigs, and beer companies for making their products so darn tasty and portable. But this being 2011, many who broke windows […] More »

Canadian editors call This Magazine Small Magazine of the Year — again!

Graham F. Scott

The Canadian Society of Magazine Editors held their annual Editors’ Choice Awards last night in Toronto, and for the second year in a row, This was named “Magazine of the Year” in the small circulation category. Many, many people work very hard to make This happen, so it would be impossible to thank by name […] More »