
Uh-oh. It seems that today's issues of Now Magazine and Eye Weekly have both run cover stories on the same event- the first time it's happened in, well, three weeks. But the double-coverage on Sept. 7 coincided with the Toronto International Film Festival (see here and here). Where as TIFF is said to be the most important film festival in the world, this time the publicist's wet dream is over... Nuit Blanche? Apparently it's a "luminous citywide happening" or "all-night art party" (guess who said which).
Even better, Eye's cousin, The Toronto Star (both owned by Torstar), gets taken to task in Now's "Up Front" section. Just to keep everything nice and insular.
Also, we didn't want to mention this- and we certainly won't quote them- but Stillepost called this less than two weeks ago.

Newsstand: November 9, 2009
You wouldn't want the publications dedicated to what's going on in the city to actually highlight what's going on in the city, would you?
I'm sure one or the other will put some Hollywood idiot on the cover next week because an advertising purchase was involved.
And then you can make some moronic "observation" about that! Wheeeee!
Aww, but just look at that shoddily-done photo illustration of Tie Domi and Belinda Stronach!
I don't know what happened, Torontoist used to get just the right smart-ass, non-annoying tone down perfectly. Now you're starting to sound all whiney and pathetic, what happened?
Makes me sad =(
what, do you guys totally search fer stillepost threads that may have some similar content and make caveats?
Do I care? I read both. I don't expect any one paper to get everything right, so I read as many as I can -- cover to cover, skimming, every day, or once in a while. NOW, Eye, the Star, the Globe and Mail, campus papers, Xtra, the delightfully shiny and man-filled Fab.
Except the Sun. I will never, ever read the Sun freely and willingly.
NOW have published almost 1,300 issues, and they've probably taken a shot at Torstar in each and every one. Nice try, though. (Well, not really.)
My preference is for Eye (less smug) but I also read both and as they do both cover what's going on in the city in which they are published it is hardly a surprise that they might be reviewing the same things. This post was stupid. Torontoist, you are better than this.
Why is this an issue with Torontoist?
How many times has Torontoist ran a post on the same subject as one on BlogTO? How is Eye and Now running the same cover, on a fairly big cultural event in toronto, different?
As "what happened" said above, posts like this make me not want to bother reading this blog.
Um. Who cares? This isn't exactly a "gotcha!" Nuit Blanche, for those who want to look it up, is one of the biggest art events of the year. (+130 shows in one night all over downtown) It's NOW's and eye's mandate to cover such stuff. If they didn't have it on their covers, _that_ would be a "gotcha!"
I stopped reading Eye when they redesigned their mag to make the articles look like the ads.
This is officially the largest waste of electrons you clowns have committed yet.
Get off yer high horse, Gloria. What are you afraid of? Anyone with brain-enough to filter information properly should be able to pick up the Sun from time to time and not be threatened by their slant.
My favourite NOW feature was their alt+health column on menstrual cramps. I was going to paraphrase it, but it deserves a direct quote:
"Bad periods are the denial of one's feminine side and distend from dysfunctional, patriarchal upbringings. For cramps, I prefer a crystal called garnet. I hold one in each hand and put them right over the ovaries. If they are small enough, I tape them four finger-widths down from the belly button. You can put garnets in your pocket. This is very grounding, helps regulate blood flow, calms disruptive energies and opens the root chakra. Another crystal is red coral , the blood of the earth. Tibetan women use it. Often, women have menstrual problems because of guilt and fear of sexuality; rose quartz can be used to promote self-love. Biotite when placed over the lower abdomen relaxes the pelvic floor. Moonstone helps a woman be in touch with her inner goddess and with her cycles."
KAREN RYAN , crystal energy therapist, Toronto
I mean, this was so bizarre that I had to read it multiple times. I had no idea bad periods were dure to dysfunctional patriarchal upbringings. I always though it was because the uterine wall was sloughing tissue.
Everyone loves horsies, and I'm no exception!
Simply put, a paper that would publish a column calling for women to abandon military service and return to their "natural" role of "nurturement" is not one I'd care to support with my patronage. And its Sunshine girl, etc etc. Certainly other papers are not free of sexist tones (what the hell is a woman suicide bomber? As opposed to a man-bomber?) but I try to minimize my exposure.
It's also the only paper that writes responses to its readers' letters, which has always bugged me.
OMG!!! Toronto's two print weeklies are both highlighting Nuit Blanche?! OMFG!!!
fluff fluff fluff
as if Torontoist isn't 99% the same as BlogTO
I am so looking forward to this event .. going to be a blast!
Gloria. A few years ago my workplace at the time was in the news over a period of time. It received coverage in The Star, Sun, Globe, Macleans, Toronto Life. The Sun provided the most accurate and balanced reporting by far. It was a great learning experience in media awareness. Keep your options open.
Balanced meaning they pretend both sides of the story are equally true, even when they aren't (or can't be)?
I see, Cal, that Torontoist has a mega-prominent post on Nuit Blanche too. Oh, the insularity of it all. This pod is getting crowded.
ed keenan loves dave meslin
Um. Guilty, I guess. You jealous, d?
Actually rek, factual was the best way to describe it. Sorry you seem unable to accept that.
DRH - Your choice of words was "accurate and balanced reporting" not "factual". Sorry if you're incapable of mastering simple vocabulary (insults are fun!).
Appeals to "balanced reporting" are the hallmark of rightwing Yank newsmedia, meant to offset the "liberal" (in the Yank sense of the word) media's "biased" coverage of things born-again Christians and Republicans are offended by.
rek. The semantics game can be lots of fun. Especially when deflecting from the actual issue. The fact is, the Sun`s coverage was better than the rest for that particular story. You seem quite unreceptive to that possibiliy. I have to rest now, that was three whole sentences.
DRH - When you wake up go reread my post. It was a question. If you look carefully you'll note I never said anything about the Sun or my opinion of it. I was asking about your choice of words to describe it.