On the crisp evening of Nov. 28, the Toronto Reference Library is quiet with anticipation as images from five decades of The Fifth Estate illuminate the walls. As the hundreds of guests in the Bram & Bluma Appel Salon settle, a voice calls for everyone to take their seats.
Krista Langlois, a long-time freelance writer for Hakai Magazine based in Colorado, joined the editorial team at the start of 2024 and was ready to move to Canada. Her husband had given his notice at work, and she was applying for a Canadian work visa. They found renters for their house in Colorado and secured a rental home in Victoria, B.C.
As community-focused storytelling becomes increasingly rare, zines offer readers connection and truth to niche subjects. While mainstream media often prioritizes clicks over community, zines like Rage, What Is to Be Done, and A Black Image Manifesto are carving out spaces where liberation movements can thrive and under-represented voices can flourish.
It’s a cold morning in Winnipeg, and Jessica Scott-Reid, a freelance journalist, stands outside a slaughterhouse with activist groups, waiting for the chicken trucks to arrive. When a truck arrives, the animals are concealed under tarps. Trucks avoid being documented by speeding past stop signs where activists are waiting, according to animal rights activist Danae Tonge.
In an age where a thirty-second TikTok can make or break a restaurant, conventional food reporting could become a thing of the past. However, many still see the value and relevance of traditional food journalism.
When Edith Yang was a little girl, she dreamed of having her own library. She always loved to read and write. These passions led to a degree in Chinese language and literature. Later, in August 2005, she entered the magazine business with her husband. She says, “I never thought I would have a bookstore.”
Tears poured from Knežević’s eyes when the towers fell, recalls Wency Leung, now a reporter for the Toronto-based outlet The Local. On September 11, 2001, Leung was in her early twenties and working at Reuters, her first professional journalism job.
On May 2, the University of Toronto (U of T) student group Occupy for Palestine (O4P) began an encampment at King’s College Circle in response to Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.
Over the past few years, Canadaland has been facing scrutiny over its coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza, largely related to its founder, host, and publisher, Jesse Brown.
“One of the big reasons why I have diversified my funding is so that I am not beholden to one or two funders,” says Anita Li, founder of The Green Line. “I never want to be in that position.”
