Introducing Mastering Reinvention, an NMAF Podcast Series
The National Media Awards Foundation is thrilled to announce the launch of its first ever podcast: Mastering Reinvention! Made possible with the support of Ontario Creates, the three-episode series explores how award-winning publications have made the shift to virtual in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. How do you pivot in-person events to virtual? How do you reinvent revenue streams? How do you master the art of Zoom? Our expert guests will share their answers to these questions, and so much more. Listen today on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
A special thank you to our host, Sandra E. Martin!
Informed by her rich and varied 20+ years as a journalist and audience specialist, Sandra is a multiplatform content strategist, an instructor at Ryerson University’s School of Journalism, and Editor-in-Chief of MoneySense. Under her leadership, in January 2020 MoneySense picked up a Silver Canadian Online Publishing Award in the Best Service Article or Series–Consumer category.
During her tenure as Editor-in-Chief of Canadian Living, the magazine won numerous accolades, including Gold in the Best Media Web site category at the 2015 COPAs, and maintained its place as the most-read paid women’s lifestyle publication in print and online.
Previously, Sandra helmed the highly successful launch of Walmart Live Better/Vivre mieux Walmart, and served in senior editorial capacities at Today’s Parent. Her byline has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Cottage Life and the National Post, among others. She is a two-time National Magazine Awards finalist, and a repeat NMA judge.
In Episode 1 of Mastering Reinvention, Sandra sits down with The Walrus’ Andrea Boyd (Director of Partnerships & Sponsorships) and Angela Misri (Digital Director). They share how The Walrus has shifted gears during the pandemic and the challenges and triumphs of going virtual.
Andrea has fifteen years’ experience in cultural sector fundraising, sponsorship, government relations, communications, and project management in the UK, Ireland, and Canada. She has worked across a variety of cultural industries, including television and radio, music, and museums, contributing to the production of artistic programming for music festivals, educational and public programming in arts organizations and museums, and now the convening of conversations and ideas at The Walrus.
Angela Misri is an award-winning journalist, author, and educator. Misri has an MA in Journalism from the University of Western Ontario and has worked as a digital journalist for almost twenty years, first at the CBC and now at The Walrus. She also teaches in the journalism faculty at Ryerson University in Toronto.
This episode will be available to stream on Spotify and Apple Podcasts on March 1.
In episode 2, we hear from Greg McLeod, Director of the Cottage Life Consumer Shows. He talks about moving a trade show to an online format and the financial side of things.
Greg McLeod is Director of the Cottage Life Consumer Shows at Blue Ant Media. The Cottage Life consumer show portfolio includes the Spring and Fall Cottage Life Shows in Toronto, the Edmonton Cottage Life Cabin & Outdoor Show, the Ottawa Cottage Life & Backyard Show, and the Seasons Christmas Show in Toronto. Collectively these shows attract 80,000 attendees and more than 1,000 exhibiting companies each (non-COVID) year. Greg has been with Cottage Life since 2008. Prior to that he was with Ontario Out of Doors Magazine and the Spring Fishing Show at Rogers Media. When he’s not planning shows, Greg is an avid cottager and volunteers in minor hockey.
This episode will be available to stream on Spotify and Apple Podcasts on March 15.
In our third and final episode, Matthew Blackett, Publisher, Creative Director and Founder of Spacing magazine shares how smaller magazines are making it work.
Matthew Blackett is the publisher, creative director and one of the founders of Spacing magazine. He is also a graphic artist, product designer, and deeply-committed advocate for Toronto.
As publisher, Matthew has helped shape Spacing into one of Canada’s top small magazines: he was named Editor of the Year for 2007 by the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors and Spacing has been named by CSME Canadian Small Magazine of the Year six times (2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015), Best Canadian Magazine Blog (2011, 2012, 2013) and Best Canadian Magazine Web Site (2013, 2014, 2016). Since its inception, Spacing has been nominated for 20 National Magazine Awards.
In 2014, Matthew led the launch of the Spacing Store, a retail extension of the magazine’s brand. At the time of the shop’s opening, Spacing was the only consumer magazine in the Canada to operate a bricks-and-mortar shop.
This episode will be available to stream on Spotify and Apple Podcasts on March 29.
Thank you to Natalie Vineberg for designing Mastering Reinvention’s cover art. The episodes will be released on March 1st, 15th and 29th and will be available to stream on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
