On the Record News embraces industry shifts with revitalized newsletter
From breaking news to sports to business, the On the Record (OTR) news team (external link) brings back its weekly newsletter to connect and engage with the community. OTR is run by Journalism students at The Creative School as part of a newsroom masthead course, which covers news for students on campus and around the Greater Toronto Area. The masthead allows students to take on a role for the semester to experience the routine of working in a newsroom.
All stories from On the Record are written and produced by fourth-year Journalism students and promoted to the greater community on social media. However, as a result of recent developments of news articles being blocked on social media platforms in Canada, the situation has greatly affected mainstream Canadian media as well as publications close to TMU, such as the Eyeopener and OTR.
Journalism Chair Ravindra Mohabeer said that while reviving the newsletter reflects the impacts of Bill C-18, it's an excellent way to re-engage audiences with news publications.
"The core value of Canadian journalism hasn't changed, and neither, I would say, has people's desire to be informed. What has changed is the viability of current and historic financial models that support the public's desire for news and making news businesses sustainable," said Mohabeer.
Hayley Watson, one of the instructors who helps run the publication alongside students, said despite the recent bans, OTR continues to post on social media. Still, they've been struck by the loss of Instagram since that's where most of their audience engagement lives.
"We are still posting on social media for educational learning, but we know no one is seeing our posts on IG, for example, which is a primary marketing tool for this generation of journalists and audience," said Watson.
However, Watson said this gives new opportunities to experiment with other ways to reach audiences.
Tackling an ever-evolving industry
Watson explains that alongside social media, newsletters have also become a popular way to get news out to audiences.
"It's a fun way to get news out to our community. Right now, I put it together, but in the future, we may have a student take it over, which is a great experience," said Watson, who is in charge of operations of the publication alongside Journalism Professor Angela Misri and Lecturer Winston Sih.
While acknowledging that the concept of email newsletters isn’t an entirely new concept, Mohabeer says he encourages students to view it as a renewal of doing old things differently.
"We also have to remember and imagine the world in ways that we may have already tried before and may be able to tap into again," said Mohabeer. "Many journalism schools have a 'newsroom' course, but OTR is an actual working newsroom that offers an invaluable unparalleled experience, by teaching students to adapt to changes in the industry."
Subscribe (external link) to On The Record‘s weekly newsletter to catch up on top stories happening in and around campus.
The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University
The Creative School is a dynamic faculty that is making a difference in new, unexplored ways. Made up of Canada’s top professional schools and transdisciplinary hubs in media, communication, design and cultural industries, The Creative School offers students an unparalleled global experience in the heart of downtown Toronto.