Lexpert ME jumps to flack at big law firm

A major national law firm has scooped the managing editor of Thomson Reuters's Lexpert magazine to manage its media relations. Jennifer Allen becomes a national media relations specialist at Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP, which has 700 professionals across Canada and offices in London and Moscow.According to a story in PR Week, Allen will oversee the development of the firm's national and

Journalist, contributor to L'actualité, Michel Vastel dead at 68

After a long battle with cancer, Montreal journalist Michel Vastel, a frequent contributor to L'actualité has died at the age of 68.He was best known for his writing in various Montreal dailies including Le Devoir, La Presse and Le Journal de Montreal as well as Quebec City's Le Soleil and Ottawa's Le Droit. He also worked for CKAC radio in Montreal and Radio-Canada and wrote biographies of such

The wayback machine

From time to time, we look back to see what was happening in the Canadian magazine business around this time a year or two ago.A year ago...Chocolat magazine to melt away; Rogers announces closureCanadian Living and House & Home best newsstand performersSpacing magazine expands its reach, launches Montreal blogModern Dog answers the question "Do I look like my dog?"Two years ago...Chocolat

Traitor Q&A

Senior Editor Jeff Goldsmith interviews screenwriter Jeffrey Nachmanoff about making his directorial debut with Traitor

Copyright Unlikely Films, Inc. 2008. All Rights Reserved.

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Stephen Susco - Red Q&A

Senior Editor Jeff Goldsmith interviews screenwriter Stephen Susco about Red

Copyright Unlikely Films, Inc. 2009. All Rights Reserved.

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Local magazine websites highly effective, says U.S. study

Ads on local magazine sites work well for advertisers and the magazines that court them, according to research from the (U.S.) Online Publishers Association. Such local magazine sites hold a distinct advantage when it comes to readers taking action after viewing the ads.Local magazine, newspaper and TV sites attract significant percentages (48%, 40% and 39%, respectively) of consumers who spent

Opposition launches hearings on arts funding cuts; demands moratorium

Opposition parties in the House of Commons are starting a review of nearly $45 million in cuts to arts funding suggesting they reflect government censorship and abuse of power. According to a report on CBC.ca, New Democrat MP Peggy Nash told a meeting of the Commons heritage committee:"They were done in secret, with no consultation, with no public review."(The move came on the same day that Prime

Transcon deal with Globe heralds another redesign, smaller paper, full-colour

The announcement of a major 18-year, $1.7 billion printing deal, effective 2010 between Transcontinental Inc. and the Globe and Mail is interesting in several aspects:the paper will be redesigned yet again in 2010 (the last one was only launched in 2007)the redesign will be on a smaller paper (essentially lopping 1¾" off the top) the new look will take advantage of full colour on every pagethe

How one unusual newspaper copes with new realities

An interesting column in the Boston Globe points to an unlikely model for beleaguered newspapers as they struggle with the bleeding away of core circulation and advertising revenue. Alex Beam writes that the Christian Science Monitor was forced, by similar circumstances to reinvent itself and it may well represent what the newspaper of the future will look like. He quotes the Monitor's managing

Canadian Heritage releases confirming list of cuts to the arts

The Department of Canadian Heritage belatedly confirmed to the Canadian Press yesterday the details of the various cuts that have been made over the past couple of weeks. The list released yesterday is no surprise to the arts community. Or to the various magazine industry organizations that saw a 20% cut to the industry development component of the Canada Magazine Fund.

Key faculty appointments made to Ryerson magazine publishing program

Ryerson University’s continuing education program in Magazine Publishing has built a reputation for using experienced professionals with mentorship skills to guarantee students the best, most current training in the field. Three, experienced faculty have signed on to offer three of the magazine publishing program's 7-week professional development courses this fall: Gwen Dunant, whose 7-week

Halifax Magazine solicits readers' story ideas

The editors of Halifax Magazine are asking their readers to help them shape their lineup for forthcoming issues. Editor Trevor Adams wrote: Ever looked at a magazine and thought "Why the heck are they writing about that?" Know about something cool and interesting that should be in Halifax Magazine? Well, today's your big chance. We're working on our lineups for the next few issues of the magazine

J-source site hacked

J-source, the website for the Canadian Journalism Project, has been hacked and a message went out today to subscribers that at least one intruder gained access to username, e-mail and password information. Ivor Shapiro, the editor-in-chief of J-source (and a Ryerson University journalism professor) said:If you are using similar or identical usernames and/or passwords to gain access to any vital

Hallmark magazine sends "business cards" to media buyers

Hallmark Magazine, the eponymous publication from the greeting card company, has launched a promotion that involves sending cards to media buyers, according to a story in the New York Times. The clever ploy, which will probably cause some talk, involves tipping cards onto ads in trade publications Adweek and Mediaweek. The outside of the insert describes increases in ad pages and the rate base

A truth universally acknowledged: Jane Austen magazine needed a white knight

With the blizzard of gloomy news about magazines and the death of print, here's a heartening story. A sub-editor for the London Times, who is also an obituary writer for the Daily Telegraph, has saved Jane Austen's Regency World, a magazine all about the life and times of the author of Pride and Prejudice.According to a story in UK Press Gazette, Tim Bullamore heard that the Jane Austen Centre in

Patrick Walsh named president of Magawards

Patrick Walsh, the editor of Outdoor Canada magazine, is now president of the National Magazine Awards Foundation. Other members of the executive are:Vice-president: Joe Chidley, editor, Canadian BusinessSecretary: Lisa Walker, Art Director, 2 MagazineTreasurer: Margaret Albanese, Corporate Controller, St. Joseph CommunicationsPast-President: Kim Pittaway, writer and editor Directors for the

Magazine world view

[U.S.] Trade magazine circulation remains steady in first half (FOLIO:)Paper manufacturer announces price increases (FOLIO:)[Reed Business Information ]RBI takers dozen (Periodical Publishers Association, UK)Moderation a virtue? How 10 top sites handle online comments (Editor & Publisher)Avon Lady goes digital with her first podcast (Marketing (U.K.))

Wine Spectator magazine hoaxed; gives award to non-existent restaurant

Ratings, rankings and awards are everywhere in magazines. But not one in a thousand readers has any idea how rankings or food and wine awards and endorsements are decided (or, perhaps, care).But that was just the point for wine critic and author Robin Goldstein who confected a non-existent restaurant and hoaxed the Wine Spectator magazine into giving its award of excellence. The

Quote, unquote: the inverse relation between babes and sales

"I don't think they [men's magazines] now have the confidence to have that variety, they think that only babes will sell. The irony is that, the more babes, the less they sell."-- James Brown, the founder of the iconic British "lad's magazine"Loaded, quoted in The Guardian

Editor captures lives of extraordinary "little old ladies"

Rachel Brighton, the editor of the Nova Scotia Policy Review, has authored a "community book" about 21 senior women living in Kings, Annapolis and Digby counties in an effort to preserve their stories. According to a story on NovaNewsNow.com, Brighton talked to war brides and teachers; homemakers and a secret cipher operator; a wartime gunner; businesswomen and farmers. They told stories about

First issue of bicycle magazine Dandyhorse wheels out in Toronto

Dandyhorse, a new Toronto magazine serving bicycle culture, is set to launch on Thursday, August 28. The launch is at 7:30 p.m. at Cinecycle, in the coach house, down the lane behind 129 Spadina Avenue (just south of Richmond Street). It's $5 at the door The magazine will be distributed free, three issues a year, through bike stores and other outlets. A full page ad in the magazine costs $$1,650.

Licensing wine writers

I keep warning people that satire is on life support and lampoons can sometimes be taken seriously. But I guess there's not much risk of that with Dean Tudor's posting on his blog about the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) licensing wine writers. Tudor, an emeritus professor of journalism from Ryerson University and a frequent writer about wine (he is treasurer of the Wine Writer's Circle

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Fuse magazine rallies the troops to oppose federal arts funding cuts

The publisher and editor of Fuse magazine are organizing a town hall meeting to discuss recent federal arts funding cuts (including $500,000 cut from the Canada Magazine Fund).In a letter, Izida Zorde, the editor and Heather Haynes, the publisher (who is also Director of the Toronto Free Gallery) said:For those of you in Toronto, we encourage you to come out to strategize and show solidarity. It

Vice goes (temporarily) letter-less; pleads for "real letters from real people"

Vice magazine, which says its readers aren't taking the trouble to write them good letters anymore, suspended its letter-to-the-editor page for a month."You know what? No letters page this month. You know why? Because we aren’t receiving enough real letters. We mainly get emails now, and people don’t think when they write emails." The magazine, which got its start in Montreal (now based in

Maclean's take on George Bush's "liberalism" catches some attention

It's one way to get attention south of the border, we suppose. United Press International has noticed that this week's Maclean's describes U.S. President George Bush as a "shockingly liberal" Republican.[UPDATE: It has caught the interest of the Los Angeles Times, too.]

Lordy's life, in which truth is stranger than as strange as fiction

Back on April Fool's day, Terri Poulton, the managing editor at Media in Canada wrote a spoof about a reality TV series that was being planned, based on Conrad Black's life in prison. (He was thinly disguised as "Lord Fish").At first appalled only by ill-tailored jumpsuits, punitive puce décor, 10-thread-count bedding and substandard foie gras, he soon recognizes something even worse: the abysmal

O without O?

The ubiquitous Oprah Winfrey has told the editors of her namesake magazine that she's sick of being on every cover of her magazine; a source told the New York Post:"It takes a lot of time and energy and she's sick of it. She's given them six months to figure out what to do without her." The story noted that the magazine's newsstand sales are down 17 percent from last year and circulation is down

Hachette shutters shelter title Home

A major casualty from one of the major U.S. publishers as Hachette Filipacchi has announced that it is suspending the publication of Home magazine after its October issue. The shelter sector has been hit hard by the over all weakness of the magazine business and by the downturn in the U.S. housing market, said MediaDaily News, adding this may not be the last of the big shelter books to go under

Folio: publisher named fastest growing company 2nd year in a row

Red7 Media, publishers of the U.S. magazine industry trade magazines Folio: (often quoted here) and Circulation Management as well as the associated trade shows, has been named the fastest-growing company in the Information/Periodicals category of the Inc.magazine 5,000 list. It's the second year. The company reported three-year growth of 209 percent between 2004 and 2007. The company ranked 24th

Ken Whyte to publish biography of press baron Hearst

[This post has been updated] Maclean's publisher and editor Ken Whyte is apparently hoping going to publish a biography of press baron (no, not that one) William Randolph Hearst. As a comment to this item pointed out, Quill & Quire's fall preview says the book is coming out from Random House Canada this September (see below). According to Patricia Best in the Globe and Mail, Whyte has been

Source Interlink tells independent stores in northwest U.S. that they're too far away

Here's a careful, passionate, thorough, partisan and altogether depressing story about independent newsstands in the Pacific Northwest who have essentially been fired by by their distributor, the giant Source Interlink. The story comes from the site crosscut.com. And it details how the decision threatens the existence of independents.The Newsstand in Bellingham, Bulldog News and Broadway News in

New BBC science title comes out of the gate with 60,000 subs

The just-launched bimonthly British Broadcasting Corporation magazine, BBC Knowledge, starts off with 60,000 subscribers following a 1.3 million direct mail campaign, and expects to have 80,000 by the second issue, according to a story in Folio:. That's a healthy 4.6% response, which Andy Benham, the BBC’s publishing director attributes to its "British-ness" and "BBC-ness".Related post:New

U.S. magazine website traffic up 8.5% in second quarter

Traffic is up 8.5% for the most recent quarter on the 314 consumer magazine websites tracked by the Magazine Publishers of America (MPA). The total was an average 69.7 million unique monthly visitors over 64.2 million during the same period last year, according to the most recent figures from the MPA.Magazine Web site users accounted for an average of 462.8 million "sessions" per month during the

Mr. Magazine has a simple solution: cut cover prices

Not that I turn to Fox Business for in-depth understanding, I was lured there by an interview with Samir Husni, "Mr. Magazine", who told the rather ditzy interviewer Alexis Glick that magazines could solve their single copy sales problems by aligning cover prices more closely with subscription prices.We are one of the few countries left in which we have that dependency on advertisers to support

How lobbyist spent her summer vacation dangling over Beijing

Nicole Rycroft's day job is as executive director of Markets Initiative, the environmental organization aimed at ending use of old-growth timber for paper products, including magazines. In her spare time, she apparently enjoys ticking off autocratic governments halfway round the world.The Tyee publishes a story about how Rycroft spent her summer vacation, unfurling a Free Tibet banner in

MPA offers midwestern shoppers cut rates on magazines

The Magazine Publishers of America has partnered with supercenter chain Meijer to offer $2 off for shoppers in several midwestern states who include two or more magazines in their shopping carts. The offer applies in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, or Ohio. For buying two magazines, that represents a 20% discount.Related storiesMPA tests discount for midwestern magazine buyers (Folio:)

Coda, Canada's longest running jazz magazine, celebrates golden anniversary

Coda, Canada's jazz magazine, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The (now) six-time-a-year magazine, was started in 1958 by John Norris is one of Canada's longest-running continuous music publications, and certainly its longest-lasting jazz publication. (A series of events were held in May to mark the anniversary.)Norris started out in Canada running the jazz department at Sam the Record

Industry CMF support program cut by 20%; what else is in play? Who knows?

[This post has been updated] Like buses and streetcars, budget cuts seem to come in clusters and that was certainly the case in the last couple of weeks where the minister of Canadian Heritage has confirmed total cuts to arts funding of more than $40 million. Included in that amount were: Trade Routes ($9 million); Culture.ca ($3.8 million); Culture Online ($5.6 million); book publishing ($1

Rogers mag content on mobiles running 10,000 dowloads a month

Downloadable magazine content that is sent out to web-enabled mobile phones tends to be read as soon as it arrives, according to recent experience of Rogers Publishing (according to a post in Mobile Marketer). As a result, says Gaurav Jain, vice president of business development at Polar Mobile in Toronto, information is pushed out more often, but in smaller chunks. .Jain said that the experience

2008 Comic-Con: Stan Lee, Iron Man & The Hulk

Senior Editor Jeff Goldsmith interviews legendary comic creator-writer-editor Stan Lee, Iron Man co-writer Mark Fergus and The Incredible Hulk screenwriter Zak Penn at 2008's Comic-Con

Copyright Unlikely Films, Inc. 2009. All Rights Reserved.

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Remnants and deals being sold by Sports Illustrated on E-bay

Sports Illustrated is going to use E-bay to auction off last minute unsold print and online advertising space, special issues and selected geographic and demographic offerings. SI Media Marketplace will offer new selections every week to registered buyers .

RD Canadian Best Health launch encourages launch of U.S. version, Best You

After a successful "out of town tryout", Reader's Digest intends to launch Best You, a health title in the U.S. in January, according to an item in MediaDaily News. It's modelled on Best Health, launched in March by Reader's Digest Magazine Canada with 100,000 circulation.On February 24, RD also plans to launch Fresh Home, a do-it-yourself title targetted at young, married adults.Both will

The wayback machine

Every once in a while, we'll look back to see what was going on in Canadian magazines around this time a year or two ago.A year ago... Magazines Canada asks feds to support PAP and rein in Canada PostTranscon joint venture goes after blue chip custom publications British city to be research laboratory as "Magazine Town"Josée Verner named Minister of Canadian HeritageMarco Ursi is new editor of

CB columnist picks Corporate Knights as a top 10 site for ethical investors

Columnist Larry MacDonald at Canadian Business ranks another magazine -- Corporate Knights -- as number 6 in his list of the 10 best websites for ethical investors in Canada. And he doesn't include Canadian Business.6. Corporate Knights is a Canadian magazine devoted exclusively to corporate responsibility and it publishes interesting surveys such as the annual Best 50 Corporate Citizens in

Rolling Stone to shrink to standard size

“All you’re getting from that large size is nostalgia.”With that, Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner (above) confirmed in an interview with the New York Times that the rumoured downsizing of the iconic music magazine will indeed take place effective with the October 30 issue. Readers had been polled about the idea, but it is clear that Wenner's mind's made up.The magazine will shrink from its

Magazine world view

How to juggle clients in different countries [Freelance Switch]Radical reorganization at Source Media [Folio:]Kindle e-book reader: paper of the future [Media Guardian]Mags poised to avoid paper-like cuts [PR Week]Yellow Pages bleeding red ink [B to B mag]Magazine ABCs: High-brow titles surge ahead [UK Press Gazette]Magazine ABCs: Maxim in 60-per cent crash [UK Press Gazette]Sour note for music

See cover, click here, get issue: fledgling site delivers magazines on demand

A new venture in the U.S. called CoverAwards.com meets and seems to overcome one of the recurrent complaints about magazine fulfillment: you order a sub and get your first magazine six weeks later. According to a column in Ad Age by Nat Ives, the new site news site -- obsessed with the latest magazine covers -- has started linking to a magazine retailer that delivers current issues as quickly as

Government arts funding cuts baloney, no matter how you slice it

Never letting the facts get in the way of a good story, the Conservative cabinet has shut down two funding programs of Foreign Affairs, making astonishingly shoddy assertions about whether the people taking advantage of the programs represented "Canadian values" properly. We daresay that not one in 1,000 citizens actually looked at what was being funded, what small, but important amounts were

Walrus (re)hires new art director

Brian Morgan is returning to The Walrus as art director. He worked under former art director Antonio De Luca from 2004 to 2006 before moving to Maclean's as deputy art director. He had previously worked for the Globe and Mail, CanWest and several design firms.“I am looking forward to working with John Macfarlane and returning to the Walrus," says Morgan in a release from the magazine. “From an

ABC results serve you right, say Globe commenters

[The post has been updated] Masthead magazine editor Marco Ursi has gone to the trouble (and the pain) of trolling through and reporting on the comments received by the Globe and Mail in response to James Adams's article about the recent, apparently lamentable, Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) results for the first six months of 2008. Noting that the story received 27 comments, Ursi said:While

Doubtless scrounged from under the couch cushions...

From freelance writer Ryan Bigge, via his blog and a posting in MyHogtown, word comes that he received a $30$40 payment for a short story from one literary journal in the form of an envelope containing- a twenty dollar bill- a ten dollar bill- a five dollar bill- two toonies- and a loonie

Magazine world view

US mags taking a beating on the eve of UK ABCs ((UK Press Gazette))Study: 57 Percent of All Magazine Reading Done Outside the Home (Folio:)Patrick McMullan to Launch iPhone ‘Magazine’ (Folio:)The Rise and Fall of Men's Mags (Radar)Revolving Door Newsletter: Mags Cope With Sinking Sales, Stagnant Subscriptions (mediabistro.com)Is There Trouble Ahead for Google's Ad Business? (Mobile Content Today)

Online reading favoured by print media execs

It's not exactly a scientific poll, but interesting. Folio: editor Tony Silber reports that, at a conference on e-media on Monday, 29 post-conference dinner guests were asked about their media consumption habits.The guests were senior and executive managers from Advanstar Communications, Access Intelligence and Red 7 Media (FOLIO:’s parent company) all of which are traditional media companies

Alberta discrimination case dismissed against former Western Standard publisher

A drawn-out hearing of the Alberta Human Rights Commission has resulted in the dismissal of a complaint against Ezra Levant, the former publisher of the Western Standard. The complaint was filed by the Edmonton Council of Muslim Communities, accusing Levant of discrimination for republishing the "Danish" cartoons which lampooned the prophet Muhammad.Levant wrote an op-ed piece in the National

Shameless plug

This year, as in several years past, I will be teaching in the Magazine Publishing program at the Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University in Toronto.The Business of Magazine Publishing (CDJN112) provides an overview of the issues, challenges, and opportunities that confront consumer and trade magazine publishers in the Canadian marketplace. The various aspects of managing

Public place distribution in U.S. up by 15.8%

The distribution of "public place" copies of magazines increased by almost 16% in the first half of 2008, it was pointed out in a column by Jeff Bercovici in Portfolio. He noted that in the ABC Fas-Fax data, even though 532 titles reporting selling about 3 million fewer copies this year than last and subscription sales were basically flat,public-place copies, or those given away by a third-party

Single copy tumble affects wide range of ABC-monitored titles in first 6 months

Just 18 titles out of the 61 Canadian titles monitored by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) saw their single copy sales increase during the first 6 months of 2008 versus the same period last year. According to a report in Masthead, 27 titles saw double-digit declines.Among the magazines that saw single copy sales increases were Western Sportsman (49.2%), Canadian Home Workshop (44.2%),

Opportunity cost makes mag publishers cool to 3rd party online ad sellers

[This post has been updated] Traditional magazine publishers are rethinking their strategies for selling surplus online ad space, according to a story in Mediaweek. For instance, Rodale Publishing, which produces front-rank titles such as Men's Health, Prevention and Runner's World, has discontinued its sale of online ad space through so-called "third party networks" after only six weeks.Digital

Barbara Amiel recycles her angst

Barbara Amiel is no slouch when it comes to selling second rights. The self-pitying column she recently wrote for Maclean's magazine has been reprinted unchanged (save for a new headline: Conrad and I were betrayed) in the Sunday Times in Great Britain. Apparently readers were unimpressed. One, quoted by the Evening Standard, said:"Could she perhaps give to charity, seeing as her entire life has

NYT mag sells cover wrap for first time

The New York Times Magazine has for the first time sold a cover wrap. Its August 10 issue comes with a half over-cover purchased by U.S. Trust, the Bank of America private wealth management arm. The decision is evidence of the increasing pressure on magazines generally to entertain arrangements with advertisers that might not have been considered before. A story in Folio: said: The New York

Automotive ad drought hitting magazines, and particularly newspapers, hard

Magazine and newspaper publishers are suffering from the flight of advertising from the automotive industry, according to a story in the New York Times.For all the discussion of new media’s role in hurting profits and revenues at traditional media outlets — newspapers, magazines, broadcast television and radio — the sharp downturn in the auto industry is another big culprit, and is taking an

Glacier Media revenue and earnings up in 2nd quarter

Glacier Media (which was formerly known as Glacier Ventures International Corp.) has released second quarter results that show for the three months ended June 20, the magazine and community newspaper company earned $13.1 million in net income on revenues of $68.9 million, compared with $10.million on $56.3 million in revenues in the same period a year ago. The significant growth was at least in

Adam McKay - Step Brothers Q&A

Senior Editor Jeff Goldsmith interviews co-writer/director Adam McKay about Step Brothers

Copyright Unlikely Films, Inc. 2009. All Rights Reserved.

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U.S. magazines may face 5% mailing increase

U.S. magazines face a likely 5% increase in delivery costs from the US Postal Service, the maximum allowed under U.S. law, according to a story in Folio:“The next rate increase will most likely be the maximum under the law,” ABM [American Business Media]Washington Counsel David Straus tells Folio:. “The way the CPI [Consumer Price Index] is going, you could be looking at periodicals rates going

Editor of Globe's Domino magazine, Ray Mason, dies at 57

In the late '80s and early '90s, the Globe and Mail launched a whole slew of magazines, including a fashion magazine called Domino. It was piloted by a salty-tongued bundle of energy called Ray Mason, who died this week of cancer at the age of 57. The Globe obituary writer Sandra Martin does a fine job of eulogizing Ms Mason, who in recent years has worked in public relations, following the

Real Canadian m(ad) men featured in Sharp shoot

Keying off the successful television series Mad Men, Sharp magazine is publishing a fall fashion feature in its September issue called "The Real Canadian Mad Men.", according to a story in Media in Canada. It features five top Canadian advertising advertising executives posed against a period office background.Included in the shoot were (pictured here in a composite shot, from left to right) Zak

Canadian House & Home is to be published en français

Canadian House & Home magazine, one of Canada's most profitable magazines and the largest shelter magazine, is expanding into the Quebec marketplace with a French language counterpart, Maison & Demeure, according to a story in masthead.“We really want to be national,” says House & Home Media president Lynda Reeves. “And you really can’t be national in Canada if you don’t have a French edition.

Type shop provides print buyers with tools to measure ecological footprint

A Toronto type shop called Colour Innovations has launched a new feature on its website that allows print buyers to measure their ecological footprint, reports Design Edge Canada.Under the Eco Tools button on the site are definitions of numerous environmental terms, links and an FAQ section with important questions to address to your print and premedia suppliers.“We’ve put the information for

Time Inc. buys QSP school plan sub sales operation from Reader's Digest

It's always been peculiar that part of the sale of magazine subscriptions relies -- as newspaper routes used to -- on the labour of children. Although it's not quite as important as it once was, the "school plan" method of having kids flog magazines door-to-door for commission is still big business. This is certainly demonstrated by the decision of Time Inc. to pay $110 million to buy QSP from

Annals of plagiarism: Slate critic sinks his teeth into small Texas weekly

[This post has been updated.]Jody Rosen, the New York-based music critic of Slate, is dogged, no doubt about it. You'll probably agree with that assessment if you read the longggg post about a small, alternative Texas weekly that apparently ripped off by parts of published stories without attribution.The tale takes on an almost Homeric feel as Rosen obsessively Googles his way around and tries to

Tina Brown to release The Daily Beast

In a move that will doubtless confuse people who never heard of its 70-year-old namesake, the soon-to-be-launched web venture of editor Tina Brown is to be called The Daily Beast. That was the name of the newspaper central to Waugh's 1938 novel Scoop and it was a thinly disguised sendup of the Daily Express. Gawker, the Manhattan media blog, reports that Brown's intentions were outed by gossip

Zoomer launch lineup includes several Magaward-winning writers

The premier issue of Zoomer will be on the newsstands September 22 and editor-in-chief Suzanne Boyd (right) will have a lineup of contributors that are among the best known in Canadian magazines, according to a release:The cover will be shot by rock star photographer Bryan Adams; for now, the magazine is keeping the Canadian personality in front of Adams's lens a secret (tips gratefully received)

In-flight magazines targetted by some airlines to save weight/fuel

Apparently, in-flight magazines are a burden on aviation (on one airline, it accounted for almost 500,000 pounds for one day!) and word comes that some are ditching them, or cutting the page count, to save jet fuel. According to a story in The Guardian Emirates Airlines is discontinuing Open Skies; quite a sacrifice, since the magazine commands ad page rates in excess of $20,000.According to

"I'm no pirate," says mygazines.com's mysterious originator

The man behind the website mygazines.com, who is under attack (legal and otherwise) for posting entire articles and issues scanned from around the world, without publisher consent, says he's no pirate. [See earlier post for background]In an e-mail to and published by the UK Press Gazette that may have originated anywhere, including the server's location on the Caribbean island of Anguilla or the

Two leading literary journals celebrate collaboration on Salon Des Refusés

There's a commendable collaboration between Canadian Notes & Queries and The New Quarterly, which have joined forces in their current issue(s) to "tweak the beak" of the Penguin Book of Canadian Short Stories.They call the issue(s) the Salon Des Refusés* and put the spotlight on twenty of the best short story writers in Canada who are NOT included in the Penguin collection.Writers included in the

Selling south; expats to talk about cracking the U.S. freelance market

Freelancers who wonder how to sell to U.S.-based magazines will have the opportunity to learn at the seminar called "Cracking the 49th parallel". It's on Thursday, October 9, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ryerson University School of Journalism, 80 Gould Street, Toronto. Price is $20, $10 for students. It's being sponsored by the American Association of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), a 1,300-member

The Office Writers Panel at Comic Con

The writing staff of TV's The Office speaks at the 2008 Comic-Con

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