The Edmonton Journal Seeks Blogger-in-Residence by December 19
How would you like to be a blogger-in-residence at the Edmonton Journal? Their media lab is seeking applications for a six-week residency from a blogger who would like to share his or her knowledge and observe a newsroom in action. They’re hoping to give you an interesting and instructive experience in exchange for your expertise. The time commitment is roughly 25 hours spread over the six-week period. The honorarium is $150 per week. You would be free to blog about the experience before, during and after, as well as use social media to share your impressions and experiences. You would be expected to use discretion in what is shared, as some information may be sensitive or require more context than you have. But in essence, you’re a fly on the wall, and we’re expecting you will report fairly on what you see and hear. Interested? See more about the position and fill out an application form by Dec. 19 at noon. The successful applicant will start in mid-January.
Media Moves in Alberta November 2011
Shelley Youngblut left the Calgary Herald and her role as editor of Swerve magazine. She is replaced by Valerie Berenyi, who previously served as a senior news features reporter for the paper. Edmonton AM has a new pair of hosts starting Monday morning on CBX (Radio One). Lydia Neufeld returns to the CBX morning show after a 15 years absence and joining her is Rick Harp who moved to Edmonton from STREETZ 104.7 FM in Winnipeg, after previous stints at APTN Winnipeg, CKCU in Ottawa and beginning his career working on As It Happens in CBC Toronto in the mid-1990s. Emily Mertz has replaced Jennifer Martin on Alberta Primetime on CTV Two (formerly ACCESS TV) and shares co-hosting duties with Michael Higgins also the show’s senior producer. Read more 
Kid-Friendly and Parent-Approved: Bell Media Launches All-New, 24-Hour Music Video Channel Today
Kids who can’t get enough of music and pop stars can quench their thirst with Juicebox, an all-new, commercial-free, music video channel devoted specifically to pre-teens, launching today. Formerly the all-request music video channel PunchMuch, Juicebox is the only channel of its kind in Canada, offering music-loving kids, parent-approved music programming, 24-7. Juicebox is available on more than 30 carriers across the country, including Bell TV (channel 578) and Rogers (channel 707). For kids and parents on the go, the same kid-safe videos can be viewed online at juiceboxtv.ca. Read more
Alberta Video: “Stand Up to Bullying” for National Bullying Awareness Week, November 13 – 19, 2011
I produced this five minute video for the Safe and Caring Schools & Communities to celebrate National Bullying Week on November 13 – 19, 2011 and especially for SACSC’s annual fundraiser “Safe and Caring Spaces Waffle Breakfast” to take place at the Sutton Place Hotel in Edmonton from 7:30am to 9:00am on Wednesday, November 16. Special guests include Mayor Mandel, dignitaries, community leaders, and an inspirational presentation by Cory B. Johnson. You can read more about the event and review the five fact sheets SACSC produced and distributed to teachers and the media in Alberta in support of National Bullying Awareness Week on the WordPress blog I also built as part of the project. Read more
CJSW 90.9FM and WordFest launch The GG Podcast on November 14, 2011
To commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Governor General’s Literary Awards, WordFest and CJSW 90.9FM have partnered to create The GG Podcast. This series of interviews explores the impact that winning a Governor General’s Literary Award has on a writer’s career and the significance this recognition has on Canada’s cultural landscape. The GG Podcast will launch on November 14, 2011, a day before the recipients of the 2011 Governor General’s Literary awards are announced. The GGs, Canada’s national book awards, honour the best of our literature in seven categories, in both official languages. These Canada Council awards celebrate and promote the excellence of Canadian writers, illustrators and translators. Read more
CTV Wakes Up Marketing Efforts for CTV MORNING LIVE
Toronto, ON (November 9, 2011) – CTV revealed details today of a comprehensive marketing campaign to generate awareness for its newly launched local morning programs, CTV MORNING LIVE. The creative copy and messaging centers on the tag line “It’s everything you need,” enforcing CTV MORNING LIVE’s mission to provide viewers with the key information they need to start their busy day: local news, weather and traffic in a friendly and fast-paced format. CTV Winnipeg was the first of six local CTV stations to launch its morning show in early October, followed by CTV stations in Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary, and Edmonton. Vancouver is the final market to launch CTV MORNING LIVE when its new morning program premieres next Monday, Nov.14. Read more
Learn to Blog Your News Releases Workshop, November 30, 2011
Learn to publish a WordPress blog and write news releases (and other news items) and optimize them for search engines to attract the attention of reporters, browsers, bloggers and online journalists. Publishing a blog is no longer an option for successful organizations especially if they want to attract the attention of reporters, bloggers and online journalists. Done well, in a planned and organized way, a blog can result in thousands of dollars of free media publicity in addition to informing your volunteers, donors, sponsors and board members on a regular basis. While this workshop focuses primarily on how nonprofit organizations can use a blog to generate media attention, the principles can also be applied to any business or individual to promote a product, service or special event. Read more
AMPIA & Digital Alberta Offer Two Day Digital Storytelling Workshop on November 26 & 27, 2011
The Alberta Media Production Industry Association (AMPIA) in partnership with Digital Alberta offers an exclusive two-day event to learn, discuss and collaborate on the convergence of digital media with conventional film and television. Narrative story telling has many platforms to engage audiences – film, television, online, mobile, gaming and social networks. This event will bring together content creators, producers, service providers, technologists and story tellers. Topics will address understanding the landscapes and how to navigate the terrains for both the digital media and film and television industries; legal issues around intellectual property and copyright laws, and fund-development strategies from both the public and private sector. Attendees will learn from case studies on interactive content and multi-platform media delivery channels as well as connect through “speed-dating” for creative and business collaboration. This intense 2-day workshop will feature speakers from across the film, television and digital media ecosystems. Early bird rate of $210 ends November 18. See more and regster.
Alberta Book: The Beginning of Print Culture in Athabasca County, U of A Press
When Oblate Father Emile Grouard came to the Canadian Northwest in the mid-19th century, he set out to make the Catholic faith more accessible to the First Nations people. One result was a prayer book in Cree in the 1880s, the first book ever published in Alberta. Now Grouard’s book has been re-published in English translation accompanied by the original Cree. Under the direction of Linda Cameron, the University of Alberta Press last month unveiled The Beginning of Print Culture in Athabasca Country. Patricia Demers, an English professor at the University of Alberta, was at St. Bernard’s Mission in Grouard about eight years ago. She saw a syllabery on the rectory wall, which outlined all of the syllabics – geometric figures that represent vowel and consonant combinations. She also found a 224-page prayer book printed in the same language. She found out that it had been printed on a printing press that the Oblate missionary, Bishop Emile Grouard, had brought from France in 1881. He actually didn’t print it until 1883. Read more
Windspeaker: Canada’s National Aboriginal Newspaper
Windspeaker is Canada’s national Aboriginal Newspaper and has coverd the news, issues and people in the Aboriginal community in Alberta and then throughout Canada since 1983. It is published monthly by the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society (AMMSA), an independent Aboriginal communications organization based in Edmonton, Alberta that is committed to facilitating the exchange of information reflecting Aboriginal culture to a growing and diverse audience. Windspeaker is dedicated to providing objective, mature and balanced coverage of news, information and entertainment while maintaining profound respect for the issues, values, principles and traditions of Aboriginal people. Read more
Marilyn
Jones is a corporate and social media advocate for individuals, small businesses
and nonprofit organizations in Alberta. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada and is the proprietor of RiverCity Productions. You can contact her
by phone at 780-695-5675 or by email at marilyn@mediamag.ca.