The True North Times

The True North Times is an online publication focused on Canadian politics and affairs.[1] Its coverage features federal, provincial, and municipal news, as well as lifestyle and other features. Launched in early 2014,[2] The True North Times has gained notoriety[3] among Canadians with high-profile interviews, articles, and election coverage being referenced in reputable, national news sources.[4][5] In a departure from contemporary satire in Canada, The True North Times draws inspiration from The Daily Show in the United States, in that it does not write parody articles, like one may find in The Onion. Instead, it comments on actual news stories, with the stated goal of using a more accessible style of reporting to reach otherwise apathetic voters, especially in the youth demographic.[6]

For the online media outlet based in Calgary, see True North Centre for Public Policy.
The True North Times
The True North Times logo, as of 2014.
The front page of The True North Times in September, 2015. News is organized by region and topic.
TypeFact-based news satire
FormatOnline publication
Owner(s)The True North Times Inc.
Launched14 February 2014 (2014-02-14)
Websitetruenorthtimes.ca
The True North Times Inc.
TypePrivate
IndustryMedia
Founded2014 Edit this on Wikidata
Headquarters
Montreal, Quebec
,
Canada
Key people
Simren Sandhu
(President & CEO)
Daniel Etcovitch
(former CMO & CSO)
Max Seltzer
(former COO & Editor-in-Chief)
ProductsThe True North Times, Shit Trudeau Says, Ford Says What?
Websitecorporate.truenorthtimes.ca

History

The True North Times was founded in October 2013 by a small group of students at McGill University[7] who saw youth political apathy as a problem and saw a gap in the media market, leaving room for an outlet that could be more accessible.[6] After building a team and finding writers, the publication itself publicly launched on 14 February 2014.

In March 2014, The True North Times began a series of interviews with candidates for mayor of Toronto, in the midst of scandals surrounding Mayor Rob Ford. In April, the publication gained some notoriety for its coverage of the Quebec Election, often using mockery to express criticism against the governing party, the Parti Quebecois.[8] In May 2014, they published an interview with the Honourable Elizabeth May, the leader of the Green Party of Canada.[9]

Format

Articles

As of July 2015, The True North Times published over 800 articles (10-20 articles each week), normally devoted to recent events in Canadian politics and representing views across the political spectrum.[10]

Columns

The True North Times also publishes weekly columns, notably a review of 24/SEVEN, the documentary series following the Canadian Prime Minister; Crazy Canadian Comments, a round-up of the worst troll comments from across the internet; Canada From Eh to Zed, a lifestyle column posting recipes and fashion; and Counter-Counter-Counter-Point, where two (or more) columnists sound-off on the same issue, each presenting a different viewpoint.

Interviews

The Torontopocalypse 2014 series is devoted to interviewing all of the niche candidates running for mayor of Toronto. They have interviewed fringe candidates Matt Mernagh,[11] Carlie "Barbie Bitch" Ritch, Ari Goldkind, Jeff Billard, Sketchy the Clown, Selina Chan, Erwin Sniedzins, and Morgan Baskin.[12] As well, in March 2014 they interviewed Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada.

Videos

The True North Times has done literal closed captioning of federal campaign ads, as well as spoofed videos, such as the “Student Vote Represents Nothing” video in coverage of Montreal students who were disenfranchised in the April 2014 Provincial election.

Graphics

The publication has delved into a few visual design projects, from Valentine's Day Cards depicting the likeness of politicians with erotic quotations to a highly-circulated infographic imagining a Quebec Republic's borders, policies, and economy.[13]

Interactive media

Who Said It? – A series which contrasts quotes from two public figures in order for users to try to guess who said the quote in question. So far there has been Justin Trudeau or Superman? And Thomas Mulcair or Donald Trump? In addition, numerous quizzes and voter compass games have been featured on the site.

See also

References
  1. Cohen, Mike. "Young entrepreneurs try to turn political news into a career" (PDF). The Jewish Tribune: 7. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  2. Hudson, Erin. "This Week in Campus Media". Canadian University Press. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  3. McParland, Kelly. "Kelly McParland: The many faces of Canada's Liberals grows as federal, provincial parties diverge". fullcomment.nationalpost.com. The National Post. Archived from the original on 31 August 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  4. Browne, Rachel. "10 thoughts on Mike Duffy's pretty awful week". Maclean's. Maclean's. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  5. "Teen Files Human Right Complaint Over Edmonton Sex Ed Program". The Huffington Post Canada. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  6. McDonald, James Michael. "Finding The Lighter Side of The North". Jobpostings Magazine. No. October 2014. pp. 12–13. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  7. Daniel Etcovitch (10 July 2014). "Late Night Counsell". Late Night Counsell (Interview). Interviewed by John Counsell. Ottawa, Ontario: CFRA. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  8. "A Friendly Reminder that Anglophones have the Right to Remain Silent – In Fact, it's Encouraged!". Zunia Knowledge Exchange. Archived from the original on 31 August 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  9. "EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party". Canada News Desk. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  10. "The True North Times". Startup Canada. Archived from the original on 2014-11-11. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  11. "Exclusive Interview: Canada Weed Legend and Toronto Mayoral Candidate Matt Mernagh". DopeChef. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  12. Morgan Baskin. "High School Student and Toronto Candidate for Mayor Morgan Baskin". MorganBaskin. Archived from the original on 31 August 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  13. D'Alimonte, Michael. "This Is The Republic Of Quebec Infographic". MTL Blog. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
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