Press Forward has launched, a new national association that aims to unify and advocate for independent, community-focused journalism in Canada. With a mission to boost innovation, inclusivity and diversity in media, founding members include The Sprawl, La Converse, West End Phoenix, The Discourse, The Tyee, The Narwhal, National Observer, The Coast and Village Media. Emma Gilchrist, Editor-in-Chief at The Narwhal, is serving as the group’s founding chair.
Today marks the birth of a new association of independent media, @pressforward_ca.
Our editor-in-chief @reporteremma explains why it’s time to unite Canada’s media innovators and advocate to strengthen inclusivity and diversity in journalism.https://t.co/8lZHnEejEz
— The Narwhal (@thenarwhalca) December 9, 2020
Canadian Jewish News will be making a comeback in the New Year after folding in April amid pandemic advertising revenue pressures. With a new board of directors headed by business journalist Bryan Borzykowski and newly-granted charitable status, the publication will be revived outside the traditional media model, producing digital content, e-newsletters, podcasts, and publishing twice-yearly magazines at Passover and Rosh Hashanah. Yoni Goldstein, who has served as editor since 2014, will continue in that role.
CBC/Radio-Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts have unveiled the slate of digital projects funded by the Digital Originals initiative, announced in April. More than 1,000 projects in every province and territory were supported by $5,000 microgrants from the Canada Council, for a total investment of $5.2 million. CBC/Radio-Canada is showcasing a selection of projects on CBC.ca and Radio-Canada.ca. Digital projects include I Am Puff, an animated children’s series by artist Dawn Birley that aims to bring back the Saturday morning cartoon, but with American Sign Language (ASL); Steven Thomas Davies’ Our Changing Worlds, a documentary about how Indigenous communities are responding to COVID-19; and AfrotoniX au sommet de Montréal, a Sept. 2020 concert live-streamed from the roof of Montreal’s Place Ville-Marie.
Bell Media says the Crave app is now available on PlayStation® 5 consoles. Crave is now available on both PS5 and PS4, giving users access to programming from HBO, HBO MAX, SHOWTIME, and STARZ, Crave Originals, and French-language TV and films from SUPER ÉCRAN, directly from their PlayStation system. Launching on PS5 and PS4 creates additional reach for Crave, which is also available via participating television providers, and other digital media players including Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, select Samsung Smart TVs, and Xbox One. Bell says additional platforms will be announced soon.
