Review of Journalism on their Spring 2022 issue, new hybrid model and teamwork

Since 1984, the Review of Journalism (external link)  has had a long and growing history of evolving its course structure and matching the fast-paced speed of the ever-changing industry it covers. This year's 2021-22 class was no exception with its new hybrid model and first full year of being led by a group of managing editors instead of an editor-in-chief.

The Review of Journalism’s Spring 2022 issue is composed of opinion pieces, features and essays that dive into the state of media in Canada.

Sonya Fatah, assistant professor and co-instructor of the Review of Journalism, opted for a hybrid course model when the option arose because she wanted more engagement between herself and the students producing the magazine.

“So much of the magic or challenge happens when people are sitting around the table talking,” Fatah said. “It’s very difficult to have a really engaged conversation [on Zoom] when you’re dealing with something that is so tangible, like a magazine. Part of sitting in the Review newsroom is, you take down old Reviews from the shelves, and you go through them and see what previous people have done in the past.”

Dayna Smockum, managing print editor, said that while her team decided to be in person for the winter semester, it wasn’t the same for every team. “Some people were remote, some people had split, and some people were all remote. So it was just a matter of finding the best way to work for everyone.”

Students started classes with a roundtable discussion while having Zoom running on the TV for remote classmates.

“I think with everyone being so used to it, we were able to make it work to the best of our ability. We knew what we could do and knew we could collaborate this way because we’ve been doing it for two years. So, if there were reasons that people couldn’t come in, we still made the best of it,” said Smockum.

This year’s Review of Journalism team developed relationships in person and online despite the ongoing challenges of COVID-19.

Students covered stories that work their way through the media industry, critiquing and shining a light on areas that get overlooked. Story topics include refugee and sexual assault coverage, media mistreatment, journalists on social media and more.

Jenna Benchetrit, managing online editor, was shocked at the result and how the team was able to create a beautiful product with well-reported stories.

“I think at the beginning of the year, a lot of us were kind of like, ‘how is this actually going to turn out?’ it felt almost impossible that we could put out a real news magazine, an industry-standard news magazine. It’s really a testament to how hard everyone worked. Even through all the challenges, we ended up with a really nice product.”’

Smockum’s advice to the incoming Review of Journalism class is to try your best to get the pieces done before the second semester starts and to be ready for an uptick in stress and an uptick in the amount of work you will have.

“But at the end of the day, there will be a magazine, as Sonya likes to tell us, there was never a year where they didn’t make a magazine. It’s going to be fine, don’t let it overwhelm you and reach out to your classmates, editors and supervisors. They’re here to help you plan and follow the journey.”