Style in the Streets of Toronto

"Even in the winter, I like to have a pop of colour," says Christine Colombo outside of Anthropoligie in Yorkville.
"This is me, this is my personality," said Carol Nardi, who chose this beautiful combination of fur for its stunning texture.

Style in the Streets of Toronto

Braving the cold streets of Yorkville, Cristina Ion pairs soft grays and peaches. We love the contrast between the strong boots, heavy wool and soft peach blouse.

Shirky and Herminda weigh in on the death of the newspaper

As print publications lie bleeding profits on their death bed the internet thrives as it redefines the way we consume media. Clay Shirky, a technology analyst at New York University, says the main issue with the way publications are adapting to the internet is their misguided idea that the organizational format of newspapers is transferable to the web.

Alfred Herminda, founding member of BBCnews.com and professor at the UBC Graduate School of Journalism says that the newspaper once provided convenience. It bundled information, from news to horoscopes and recipes and conveniently delivered it to your door.

"The impact of the internet is that it has unbundled the newspaper," said Herminda."Now you can customize and personalize content to your liking." This, paired with the quick pace of the internet means that the web has both diminished the value and newsworthiness of newspapers.

Herminda says that as journalism moves forward, it must push and reconsider the very role of the modern journalist. “The job should be less about simply gathering information it should be about contextualizing information, letting readers know why it matters and what it means,” he said.

Herminda and Shirky both agree that while journalism has not been devalued by the internet, the newspaper has. “We must think beyond the delivery mechanism and begin to view the newspaper as a concept,” said Herminda. “We must continually ask ourselves, 'does this concept continue to fulfill a need?”

A couple enjoys view of the Tuscan countryside outside Cortona, Barbora Simek, photo

Photos II

Photo Time

Online evolution

As the internet's presence continues to evolve and become more and more present in our lives, it also pushes the evolution of journalism. In a lecture at Ryerson University today Jim Rankin, journalist for the Toronto Star, explained the way that he has used the web to bring to life his story 'Crime and Punishment'.

Rather than writing a customary feature with the lengthy findings of a freedom of information request, Rankin turned his findings into a multimedia rich web feature.

Crime and Punishment features

• flash maps
• games
• interactive time-lines
  
• articles
• video
• graphs
  

In combination, these features come together to create an engaging experience for the eyes and ears. Rankin says using all that the web offers in form of video, photo, audio and visuals is important to online success. That, and good promotion.

"If you build it they won't come. Unless, they can find it"- Jim Rankin

Want them to find it? Turn to social media, he advises. For example, in order to promote their content the Toronto Star deploys:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• YouTube

Here is a peek at one of the award winning videos The Toronto Star and Rankin's team created for the project.





*photo of Jim Rankin courtesy of King's University

Naked ambition

Get ready to drop your trousers in the name of inner beauty, Canada. How To Look Good Naked, the popular British reality TV series, is coming to the great-white North. Aiming to reverse self-image and esteem issues in one inside-out make-over How to Look Good Naked Canada, will hit the airwaves weekly on the W Network. While long term results are not guaranteed, and highly questionable, the show is a step in a positive direction in a world that idealizes single-digit dress-sizes.

Following the tradition of the British series, each week host Zain Meghji and a team of "fashion experts" will lead one woman through a surgery-free makeover and a series of self-esteem building exercises. According to the W Network, by the end of each show one woman will have brought her "inner beauty outside," and drop all attachment to the "unobtainable bodies you see in the media". To show off their new lease on life the women will then participate in a nude photo shoot and walk down the runway in her intimates.

While its a tall order for a one hour episode to turn around years of bad self-esteem, it is refreshing to see reality TV attempt substance, and dare we say, social service.

How to Look Good Naked airs 10pm ET on the W Network

Economist hits hard at Harper

Rather than buying into the press releases of his "spin doctors," who claim Stephen Harper's recent prorogue is made on the behalf of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, The Economist has provided their own beliefs about Harper's motivations in 'Harper goes prorogue'.
The article outlines the extensive benefits that Stephen Harper will gain from this recent political move. Among them, tabling 36 bills before the House of Commons, the dismantling of committees whose mandate is to scrutinize the recent blunders in Afghanistan and on climate change as well as giving Harper the opportunity to control the committees of the senate when Parliament re-forms in March.