The Link (newspaper)

Last updated
The Link
Type Student newspaper
Format Tabloid, 27.5 mm x 21mm
Owner(s)The Link Publication Society
Publisher Hebdo-Litho
Editor-in-chiefHannah Vogan [1]
FoundedAugust 22, 1980;44 years ago (1980-08-22)
LanguageEnglish
Headquarters Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve O., Montreal, Quebec
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Circulation 5,000
Website http://www.thelinknewspaper.ca

The Link is an independent, student-run, not-for-profit multi-media publication at Concordia University. The Link publishes a bi-weekly newspaper every other Tuesday during the fall and winter semesters, and publishes online daily through its website.

Contents

From 1999 until 2017, The Link published weekly on each Tuesday. In the spring of 2017, The Link and its members voted to transition to a monthly magazine format, and the first issue was published on September 5, 2017. This later changed back in September 2022, The Link reverting to a tabloid format—albeit biweekly.

The Link's mandate is to publish stories not usually covered by mainstream media, and the publication specializes in advocacy journalism. [2] Contributors cover stories about student life, as well as local, national and international issues of interest to the Concordia and Montreal communities. The Link has also established an apparent partnership with the widely criticized anti-Israel and Holocaust denial group Independent Jewish Voices through a June 12, 2024 article, co-authored by the group, opposing the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which has been adopted by both Canada and Quebec. [3]

Its revenue comes from a student fee-levy and both print and online advertising.

History

The Link was founded in 1980 as a merger between The Georgian, representing Sir George Williams University, and The Loyola News, representing Loyola College, when the two schools merged to form Concordia University. [4] The Link was called so because it was meant to link both campuses, and it produced its first by-weekly issue on August 22, 1980. [4] The Link became financially independent from the student council in 1983.

Before becoming The Link,Georgian editor David A. Bowman handed over editorial control of the newspaper to the Black Students' Association in the midst of the 1969 Computer Centre Incident. They produced an issue outlining their grievances with the administration and the content was highly libelous and inflammatory. The RCMP seized most copies of the paper, which would later become known as the Black Georgian because of its black cover. The student council later fired Bowman for "financial and journalistic incompetence."[ citation needed ]

In 1985, The Link interviewed Hunter S. Thompson, who was scheduled to speak at Concordia. Twenty-eight years later its author, Dwayne Perrault, recounted how he wrote the story in an interview to The Link from his home in Amsterdam. [5]

The Link frequently prints special issues that look in-depth at a particular topic. In 1982, The Link printed its first ever queer special issue, which some students found to be controversial. 5,000 copies of the paper were removed from newsstands by students and destroyed.[ citation needed ] An issue on gender and sexuality is still printed every year.

On September 14, 1999, prior to G20 summit in Montreal, the newspaper printed a cartoon field guide explaining "how to spot activists" on campus that went along with the message "Everything You Need to Know to be a Dissident in Montreal". [6]

After massive protests greeted a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, The Link's production came to a halt in September 2002 as the RCMP evacuated the Hall building and the talk was cancelled. As a result, The Link published its coverage of the events a day late.[ citation needed ]

In 2011, The Link was the first Canadian university newspaper to become a daily online publication, with a print and online team. Since then The Link has experimented with new digital formats including special issue micro-sites for the 2012 Quebec provincial election, [7] for a special issue on science and technology, [8] for the 2013 Space issue, [9] and for the 2015 International issue. [10]

In 2012, following the death of its first Editor-In-Chief, Doug Leslie, The Link created a bursary in his name to help young student journalists in financial need. The bursary consists of two $500 or one $1,000 grant for deserving staff members of The Link. [11] In the same year, The Link left the Canadian University Press, but later rejoined in 2017 when CUP lowered its membership fees. [12] [13]

In 2015, writer Irina Tee was criticized for allegedly supporting misogyny in her articles and an open-letter demanding the suspension from her writing position at MTL Blog was posted on The Link. [14]

Throughout 2023 and 2024, The Link has been frequently criticized for their biased reporting as it relates to the Israel-Palestine conflict. In many of their post-October 7 issues, The Link have, as described by Richard Firth, Digital Director of HonestReporting Canada, "The Link demonstrate[s] that, far from focusing on the concerns of students, the editors of the newspaper have evidently decided to pursue a maniacal obsession with Israel, and showing callous disregard for facts, evidence, history and truth." [15]

Achievements

Former photo editor Barbara Davidson and colleagues won the Pulitzer Prize for photographs taken in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In 2011, Davidson won another Pulitzer and an Emmy for her work in the LA Times about people caught in the crossfire of Los Angeles gang violence.

In 2012, The Link won a John H. McDonald Award at the Canadian University Press' annual conference for photos taken from the Occupy Montreal protests in October 2011. In the same year, The Link broke a story about the substandard living conditions of international students at Concordia, which later gained national attention. [16]

The Link was nominated for eight JHM award in 2013, [17] ultimately bringing home four awards: Riley Sparks' Taken for a Ride uncovering poor living conditions of Chinese students at Concordia University, [18] Oliver Leon's column That Transexxual Guy, [19] tackling the issues and everyday life of transition and trans* rights, Sam Slotnick's Tipping Point photo [20] showing masked demonstrators attacking a bystander during the 2012 Montreal anti-police brutality march and Colin Harris' profile [21] of Canadian band King Khan.

In 2016, The Link won a JHM award for best website. The following year, four staff members won the JHM award for best cover, [22] for their work on the "First Nations, Last Pipeline." Former fringe editor Marie Brière de la Hosseraye also won in the arts category for her piece "The Final Chapter," which told the tragic disappearance of a local bookstore owner. [23]

In 2018, The Link won two more JHM awards. Former video editor Brian Lapuz won the photo award for photos taken at a 2017 anti-police brutality march, [24] and former managing editor Jon Milton won for best opinion writing for his article "After Quebec City, Make Racists Afraid Again," published in February 2017. [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concordia University</span> University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Concordia University is a public English-language research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the three universities in Quebec where English is the primary language of instruction. As of the 2022–23 academic year, there were 49,898 students enrolled in credit and non-credit courses at Concordia, making the university among the largest in Canada by enrollment. The university has two campuses, set approximately seven kilometres apart: Sir George Williams Campus is the main campus, located in the Quartier Concordia neighbourhood of Downtown Montreal in the borough of Ville Marie; and Loyola Campus in the residential district of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. With four faculties, a school of graduate studies and numerous colleges, centres and institutes, Concordia offers over 400 undergraduate and over 120 graduate programs and courses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bishop's University</span> English-language university in Lennoxville, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada

Bishop's University is a small English-language liberal arts university in Lennoxville, a borough of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. The founder of the institution was the Anglican Bishop of Quebec, George Mountain, who also served as the first principal of McGill University. It is one of three universities in the province of Quebec that teach primarily in English. It began its foundation by absorbing the Lennoxville Classical School as Bishop's College School in the 1840s. The college was formally founded in 1843 and received a royal charter from Queen Victoria in 1853.

<i>La Presse</i> (Canadian newspaper) Canadian newspaper

La Presse, founded in 1884, is a French-language online newspaper published daily in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is owned by an independent nonprofit trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Mosher</span> Canadian political cartoonist in Montreal

Christopher Terry Mosher, is a Canadian political cartoonist for the Montreal Gazette. He draws under the name Aislin, a rendition of the name of his eldest daughter Aislinn. Aislin's drawings have also appeared in numerous international publications, such as Punch, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, National Lampoon, Time, The Washington Star, The New York Times and the Canadian edition of The Reader's Digest. According to his self-published website, as of 2020, he is the author of 51 books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian University Press</span> Newswire service

Canadian University Press is a non-profit co-operative and newswire service owned by more than 50 student newspapers at post-secondary schools in Canada. Founded in 1938, CUP is the oldest student newswire service in the world and the oldest national student organization in North America. Many successful Canadian journalists got their starts in CUP and its member papers. CUP began as a syndication services that facilitated transnational story-sharing. This newswire continued as a private function until 2010 when it was turned into a competitive source for campus news in the form of an online public wire at cupwire.ca.

<i>Canadian Jewish News</i> Canadian Jewish newspaper

The Canadian Jewish News is a non-profit, national, English-language digital-first media organization that serves Canada's Jewish community. A national edition of the newspaper was published for 60 years in Toronto. A weekly Montreal edition in English with some French began its run in 1976. The newspaper announced its closure in 2013 but was able to continue after restructuring and reorganizing. It again announced its closure on April 2, 2020, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada on its finances. Its final weekly print edition was published on April 9, 2020. In December 2020, it announced its return as a digital-first media company with a new president, Bryan Borzykowski.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Housefather</span> Canadian politician

Anthony Housefather is a Canadian Member of Parliament representing the riding of Mount Royal on the island of Montreal. From 2015 to 2019, Housefather served as the Chair of the Justice and Human Rights Committee. Following the 2019 election, he was named the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour. Following the 2021 federal election, Housefather was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, a position he held until fall 2023. In 2024, he became Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board.

Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) is a non-profit, student-based organization based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It gained a wide profile after instigating a protest in Concordia University, that forced the Israeli ex-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel a speech that was to take place on 9 September 2002. Rama Al-Malah serves as its spokesperson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yves Engler</span> Canadian writer and political activist (born 1979)

Yves Engler is a Canadian Montreal-based writer and political activist. In addition to twelve published books, Engler's writings have appeared in alternative press and in mainstream publications such as The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, and Ecologist.

<i>The Cord</i> Student newspaper at the Wilfrid Laurier University

The Cord is a student newspaper at Wilfrid Laurier University. Founded in 1926, it features stories about current events on campus and the community as well as student life, sports, arts and opinion. The paper's website compiles all the content from the print edition as well as web-exclusive content. The Cord publishes every Wednesday of the fall and winter semester and monthly over the summer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Université de Montréal</span> University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

The University of Montreal (French: Université de Montréal is a French-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university's main campus is located in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce on Mount Royal near the Outremont Summit, in the borough of Outremont. The institution comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the Polytechnique Montréal and HEC Montréal. It offers more than 650 undergraduate programmes and graduate programmes, including 71 doctoral programmes.

<i>The Cadre</i> (newspaper)

The Cadre is the student-run newspaper at University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

The Concordian is an independent, entirely student-run newspaper published weekly for the students of Concordia University; its offices and hard-copy distribution centres are located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Institute for Jewish Research</span> Canadian think tank

The Canadian Institute for Jewish Research (CIJR) is a think tank based in Montreal and Toronto. Founded in 1988, its primary goal is "to strengthen public and student understanding of Jewish Israel as a unique democratic society in its difficult Middle Eastern context; to throw light on antisemitism and key Jewish-world issues generally; and to play a pivotal role in ensuring Jewish continuity by working with students, on and off campus."

Learning for a Cause is a nonprofit student press founded in 2004 by Canadian educator and photographer Michael Ernest Sweet. The initiative operated from Lester B. Pearson High School in Montreal until autumn 2010 when it merged into Youth Fusion Quebec. Sweet regained control of the imprint in 2014, effectively demerging from Youth Fusion. It continues to intermittently release titles, the most recent in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concordia University Netanyahu riot</span> 2002 student protest in Montreal, Canada

A riot occurred on September 9, 2002 on the Sir George Williams Campus of Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, when student rioters opposed a visit from the then former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The visit, to be held at noon at the Henry F. Hall Building, was canceled after pro-Palestinian students attacked people attempting to hear Netanyahu's speech.

Collective Opposed to Police Brutality (C.O.P.B.), also known as Collectif Opposé à la Brutalité Policière, is an autonomous group founded in Montreal in 1995. This organization consists of victims, witnesses, representatives of ethnic communities, marginalized youth, small political groups, the homeless, sex workers, LGBTQ+, drug users, and others who have questions about police authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concordia Stingers football</span> University Canadian football team

The Concordia Stingers football team represents Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, in the sport of Canadian football in the RSEQ conference of U Sports. The Concordia Stingers football program was created in 1974 from the amalgamation of the Loyola Warriors and Sir George Williams Georgians. The team has won three Dunsmore Cup conference championships, in 1982, 1993, and 1998. In 1998, the Stingers also made their first and only appearance in the national championship which was a loss to the Saskatchewan Huskies in the 34th Vanier Cup game.

The 2017 U Sports football season began on August 25 with the St. Francis Xavier X-Men visiting the Saint Mary's Huskies in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the Montreal Carabins visiting the Concordia Stingers in Montreal, Quebec. The season concluded on November 25 with the 53rd Vanier Cup championship at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario. This season saw the first conference shift since 2001 with the Bishop's Gaiters moving from the Quebec Student Sport Federation to the Atlantic University Sport conference. 27 university teams in Canada participated in the newly re-branded U Sports football, the highest level of amateur Canadian football. The Western Mustangs defeated the Laval Rouge et Or, 39-17, to win their first Vanier Cup since 1994.

Carlyle Williams was a Canadian musician and visual artist.

References

  1. ↑ "About Us". The Link. April 7, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  2. ↑ "The Link's Mandate" (PDF). The Link. 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  3. ↑ IJV Concordia (June 12, 2024). "Will Concordia give in to the pro-Israel lobby?".
  4. ↑ Chauvin, Pierre (April 10, 2013). "Fear and Loathing at Concordia". The Link. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  5. ↑ Thompson, AK (2010). Black Bloc, White Riot: Antiglobalization and the Genealogy of Dissent. AK Press. p. 51. ISBN   9781849350143 – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ "QC2012 | The Link". thelinknewspaper.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  7. ↑ "The Link | Science & Tech". thelinknewspaper.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  8. ↑ "Space". thelinknewspaper.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  9. ↑ "The Link | Special International Issue". thelinknewspaper.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  10. ↑ "The Doug Leslie Bursary" (PDF). The Link. 2016. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  11. ↑ Baluja, Tamara (2013). "Student newspapers launch alternative newswire to Canadian University Press". Canadian Journalism Project. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Current members". Canadian University Press. July 14, 2019. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  13. ↑ Meagan Boisse (3 December 2015). "An Open Letter to MTLBlog and Irina Terehova". The Link.
  14. ↑ Firth, Richard (September 9, 2024). "Concordia University Student Newspaper The Link Kicks Off Academic Year With Five Extremist Anti-Israel Rants".
  15. ↑ Keung, Nicholas (November 8, 2012). "Concordia University students want probe of foreign-student recruiters". Toronto Star . Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  16. ↑ "A Look Back at the Best: The Link Nabs Eight Johnnie Nominations | LinkBlog" . Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  17. ↑ "Taken for a Ride | News" . Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  18. ↑ "That Transsexual Guy". thelinknewspaper.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  19. ↑ "2012 Anti-Police Brutality March, Montreal".
  20. ↑ "The Psychobilly & The Sitar | Fringe Arts" . Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  21. ↑ "Vol. 37, Issue 5". Issuu. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  22. ↑ "The Final Chapter | Fringe Arts" . Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  23. ↑ "Police Disperse Anti-Police Brutality March in Downtown Montreal | News" . Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  24. ↑ "After Quebec City, Make Racists Afraid Again | Opinions" . Retrieved 2018-05-01.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.