OTTAWA, Feb. 12, 2014 /CNW/ - New Canadian Media, a prime example of entrepreneurial journalism, is proud to announce the launch of its responsive, multimedia portal. Earlier today, the portal went live, featuring news and commentary from across Canada - all from an immigrant point of view.
Targeted at all Canadians, NewCanadianMedia.ca delivers news and views about the one-fifth of Canadians who are newcomers, covering issues and themes that are of particular relevance to this growing segment of the population. The site also features aggregated content produced by Canada's multicultural media, to represent more fully "the pulse of immigrant Canada."
Registered as a non-profit corporation with an educational mandate, NCM is dedicated to giving new Canadian journalists a platform to develop their skills through training and mentoring. It will advance journalism education by sponsoring and participating in public debates and offering internships.
"We see ourselves pioneering a new niche in Canadian journalism - a crossover between 'ethnic' and 'mainstream' media," said George Abraham, NCM's founder and director (publishing). "We've built ourselves ground up, articulating for the first time a fresh take on national issues from a new Canadian perspective - one that is rarely heard in Canadian media."
The portal is backed by a high-calibre, passionate team keenly interested in profiling immigrant issues and engaging all Canadians. NCM began with a proof-of-concept site in Aug. 2011, followed by a beta version in Oct. 2012, with "volunteer" original content alongside 12 aggregated feeds. Today, the portal features an eclectic array of journalists and commentators providing exclusive content, in addition to 35 feeds.
The start-up media venture counts among its early allies publishers at The Walrus magazine and iPolitics.ca, in addition to support from ethnic media organizations and journalism schools. Maria Saras-Voutsinas, Vice President (Public Relations) of the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada, congratulated NCM for "striving to bring the voices of ethnically diverse communities together, under an informative and easy-to-use site."
Chris Waddell, director of Carleton University's journalism school, believes that NCM fills an important and significant gap in the Canadian media landscape. "NCM also offers significant potential to raise the quality and breadth of ethnic media journalists and the service and detail of information they provide to their audiences," he said yesterday.
The enhanced site gained from the digital expertise of Idea Rebel and creative from the Extreme Group. "Working with NCM to bring a revitalized voice to one of the most under-serviced media segments in Canada today was an honour. We cannot wait to see how far this new platform will take the team," said Alex Churchill, Idea Rebel's managing director.
Another keen supporter, Victoria Esses, professor of psychology and director of the Centre for Research on Migration and Ethnic Relations at the University of Western Ontario, views the portal "as an important venue for bringing important ideas and news regarding migration and integration to the attention of a wide audience." Prof. Esses is also principal investigator of the Pathways to Prosperity Partnership (P2P), an alliance of university, community and government partners promoting the integration of immigrants and minorities. She added, "We are enthusiastic about working together."
NCM makes it formal entry into the marketplace of ideas seeking to enhance partnerships with academic institutions, ethnic and mainstream news organizations and think-tanks, to help further its goal of broadening the national conversation.
SOURCE: New Canadian Media
George Abraham
(613) 867 9714 / [email protected]
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@NewCdnMedia
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