Canadian Online Publishers to Watch in 2021

2020 was a year of growth and development for Canadian Publishers. With this being said, Marketing News Canada wanted like to highlight some of the most notable up and comers, and congratulate winners from each category from the Canadian Online Publishing Awards.

Best Article or Series (Academic)

Akshay Kulkarni, Journalist/ Frances Bula, Faculty Editor
UBC School of Journalism Writing and Media

The Article, “Body disposal not a burning issue for B.C” was written to draw attention to the non- environmentally friendly methods British Columbia uses to dispose of bodies. This article was awarded gold due to the value of its content. With use of imagery and diagrams to reiterate a point, Kulkarni knew how to attract the audience. This is an author readers should watch out for in the year of 2021 due to their tendency to write about controversial but relevant topics.

Best Photo Journalism (Academic)

Deirdre Kelly, Editor/ Rod Thornton, Publisher/ Mike Ford, Photographer/ James Nixon, Art Director
YorkUniversity

Using photography, Deirdre Kelly is able to share her artistic vision through her photo journal entitled, “Creative Directions: Dani Roche.” Her style of photography is bright and captivating. With the use of vivid colours her work is visually appealing. With an extensive client list, Deirdre is an artist that should be watched throughout 2021.

Best Podcast (Business)

Andrew Paul, Producer/Writer/Editor/ Fawnda Mithrush, Producer/Writer/ Paul Blinov, Producer/Writer
Edmonton Heritage Council

A “Tale of Two Weeklies” is a podcast series about the rise, rivalry, and fall of SEE Magazine and VUE Weekly in Edmonton, Alberta. With the use of humor and juicy stories, this podcast engages listeners and has them waiting for the next episode. With every episode being different exciting stories, viewers can be sure that it will only get more exciting in episodes to come.

Best Use of Social Media (Influencers)

Madison Scaini, Web and Social Media Editor/ Samuel Jan, Web and Graphic Designer/ Mike Watson, Senior Web Developer/ Lola Slade, Database/Web Developer/ Susan McNeill, Senior Program Manager, Implementation Science/ Marion Zych, Director of Communications
Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario

Beginning March 19, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. local time and every evening going forward, RNAO asked everyone, from the door steps of their homes or keeping safe distance to cheer on the millions of health care providers around the world who are tackling COVID-19. The use of social media hashtag, #CheerealthWorkers gained significant popularity throughout the year and involved all age groups. The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario are social media users to look for in the year of 2021 as the Pandemic has yet to subside and attention is still drawn towards the topic.

Best Investigative Article or Series (Consumer)

Jude Isabella, Editor in Chief/ Brendan Borrell, Writer/ Shannon Garrison, Writer/ Brian Payton, Writer/ Jess Mackie, Writer/ Paul Tullis, Writer/ Adrienne Mason, Editor/ Shanna Baker, Editor/ Mark Garrison, Art Director/ Jorin Wetherston & Amorina Kingdon, Data Visualizations
Tula Foundation

The Tula foundation wrote an article, “Big Fish” that gained significant attention last year. It was regarding the topic of farming fish. Growing fish in captivity is not only bad for the environment, it is of course harmful to the fish. Tula foundation wanted to make people aware of the long term effects of farming fish. This article was well researched and contained quotes from academic sources. The Tula foundation can be considered one to watch in the year of 2021 as being environmentally friendly is heavily influenced in the media.

Best COVID-19 Story Coverage (Media)

Luke LeBrun, Editor/ Mitchell Thompson, Staff reporter/ Alex Cosh, BC reporter/ Stephen Magusiak, Alberta reporter/ Emily Leedham, Prairies reporter
PressProgress

Some Canadian businesses are taking more strict COVID-19 precautions compared to others. A number of Tim Hortons franchises are still forcing their workers to get a doctor’s note to prove they’re sick. This article highlighted the strict protocols that Tim Hortons is following, that are negatively impacting employees, it contains quotes by Tim Hortons employees explaining their thoughts toward the subject. Being short and to the point, however still informative, PressProgress is a media outlet to watch for this year as their articles are gaining popularity and cover a variety of topics.

2021 is a year of drastic change globally. These changes are being monitored and discussed in media and arts. When these topics are discussed in a compelling and engaging way, readers become more enticed to see what these artists have planned for the future. With this being said, watch out for the above discussed artists in the year of 2021 and visit The Canadian Publishing awards website to see other winners.

Written by Zaniah Friesen