Polar Mobile and Nokia team up to develop mobile apps for over 300 brands

Nokia is partnering with Toronto-based developer Polar Mobile to build over 300 mobile apps for its smartphone devices. Polar will build apps that format content from a number of international publishers, including The Globe and Mail in Canada, for Nokia’s line of Symbian and MeeGo-based smartphones as well as the company's upcoming Windows Phone products. Read more »

CPF grant cheques coming soon

Newspapers Canada met with representatives from Canadian Heritage last week to discuss the Aid to Publishers component of the Canada Periodical Fund. Within the next two weeks, newspapers will receive a letter notifying them on the status on their application. Eligible newspapers can expect a cheque for the first instalment, representing 80% of total funding, in the weeks to follow. Read more »

Newspapers Canada wants to know what’s up with your newspaper apps

Newspapers Canada is conducting a new survey among our members to gather information on community and daily newspaper apps for smartphones and tablet devices. The research initiative will allow us to provide a new information resource on our website to help media planners make their advertising purchasing decisions. Please take a moment to complete our brief survey on your newspaper's mobile apps for Android, iPhone and iPad. Read more »

Enter now for the 2011 Media Innovation Awards

Every year, newspapers in Canada deliver amazing ads in print and online. If your newspaper has participated in something unique, the paper, advertiser or agency can enter it into the Media Innovation Awards. The awards, administered by Marketing Magazine, celebrate excellence in the planning and buying of media in Canada. Read more »

Hone your writing skills at Wordstock 2011

If you’re a writer, or always wanted to be, here’s an event you won’t want to miss! The 16th annual Wordstock writing workshop, hosted by the Ryerson Journalism Alumni Association, is scheduled for Saturday, September 24 at the Rogers Communications Centre at Ryerson University in Toronto. The day-long event featuring tips from the pros on writing crisp, tight stories, how to conduct interviews to get people to say what you need and applying the skills you’ve acquired to a variety of job opportunities. Read more »

Webinars offer year-round training at an unbeatable value

The upcoming 2011-12 webinar season kicks off on September 13 with a free session on Video Shooting Skills, of interest to anyone with a camera. The series continues with webinars on Page Layout Design, Selling Results, Not Space, Video Story Forms and Watchdog Journalism. For the full schedule, visit the Newspapers Canada webinar page. Read more »

Black Press launches new Chinese-language publication.

Black Press is launching New Home Living, a Chinese-language magazine targeted at established and new immigrants to British Columbia’s lower mainland. The print magazine and accompanying website www.newhomelivingbc.ca will include a mix of lifestyle content and advertising from local retailers. Read more »

Quebec journalist Gil Courtemanche has died at the age of 68. Courtemanche covered politics and international affairs for almost 50 years for numerous media outlets including Radio-Canada, La Presse and Quebec City's Le Soleil. Read more »

Transcontinental has announced two new appointments at the organization this month. Fred Fiander, who has been with Transcontinental for six years, has been named group publisher of the Western Nova Scotia News Group while Joel Hartlen will assume the role of director of operations. Hartlen previously worked as the national manager, integrated media sales for the Chronicle Herald. Read more »

Tony Burman is leaving Al Jazeera English to become lecturer and chair of the Velma Rogers Graham Research endowment at Ryerson University’s School of Journalism. The Montreal native is a former CBC news executive and had most recently served as chief strategic advisor for AJE from 2010 to 2011, based in Washington DC and as managing director of the AJE network, based in Doha, Qatar, from 2008 to 2010. Read more »

Arne Petryshen and Monika Smutny will join the staff at the Rossland News in British Columbia, owned by Black Press. Petryshen is leaving the Grand Forks Gazette to join the News as a reporter/editor. Smutny will take on administration and sales duties at the community paper. Read more »