This is the first thing I see when I open up my email one Wednesday morning in January: “Hey, you might want to write in and double our chances!” My boyfriend has caught Conan O’Brien fever, a highly contagious affliction that has swept across the GTA. Symptoms include compulsive email checking, fingers permanently crossed for… Continue reading The Great Canadian Conan Craze

The trailer for Veronica Guerin is jam-packed with action. Bullets fly and cars speed through the streets against a backdrop of chilling music. At one point, Cate Blanchett as reporter Veronica Guerin says of risking her life, “I don’t want to do it, I have to do it.” The ominous tagline flashes across the screen:… Continue reading Journalism Goes Hollywood

Like any self-respecting journalist, Tony Walsh has a ritual for soaking up the day’s news. Every morning, Walsh (at www.clickableculture.com) pours himself out of bed, pours a cup of coffee and pores over 24 of his favourite blogs. As a blogger and freelance writer for Shift’s online magazine and Exclaim! magazine, it’s his job to… Continue reading The Journalism Bloggingspiel

In all likelihood, writing and editing hip-hop magazines won’t instantly unlock the door to the “bling bling .” It’s harder than it seems, as it presupposes different skills. According to Kristen Asklund, who contributes toUnderground Sound Magazine, an online urban magazine, in order to be successful a writer needs “a good handle on hip-hop terminology,… Continue reading Hip-Hop Blues