The Local (magazine)

Last updated
The Local
The Local logo mailchimp2.png
Type News Website
Format Online Newspaper
Founded2019 (2019)
Headquarters Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ISSN 2817-4720
Website thelocal.to

The Local is a Toronto-based general interest online magazine covering urban health and social issues. It was founded in 2019 as a not-for-profit organization, with Tai Huynh, Nicholas Hune-Brown, Jen Recknagel and Craig Madho as its founding editorial team. [1] The Local publishes mostly long-form features, investigations and essays on a quarterly basis. From 2017 to 2019, The Local was a hyper-local storytelling project incubated at UHN OpenLab, a design and innovation studio at the University Health Network. [2] [3]

Contents

The Local is known for blending human-interest stories with data journalism, most notably during the COVID-19 pandemic when it published five issues dedicated to exploring the pandemic's impact on Toronto communities. [4]

In 2021, The Local began tracking and reporting COVID-19 outbreaks in schools. They maintained a regularly updated data blog called the School Tracker to inform parents of the relative COVID risk in various schools throughout the GTA. [5] [6] On January 1, 2022, in response to this emerging data gap, The Local launched the RAT Tracker, a portal where parents could report the results of their children's rapid antigen tests (RAT). [7] Using this data, they would compile COVID cases on a school level in Toronto in order to equip parents, students, and education staff with the information they need to be safe when returning to school. [8] [9] [10] [11]

The Local is a member of Press Forward, a collection of independent Canadian publications dedicated to unifying, elevating, and advocating for independent media organizations and working towards strengthening innovation, inclusivity and diversity in media across Canada. [12]

Awards

On May 3, 2022, The Local's pandemic coverage of Ontario's Peel region was won the 2022 World Press Freedom Award. [13] The award recognizes Fatima Syed's groundbreaking reporting in her three feature articles, “You Can’t Stop the Spread of the Virus if You Don’t Stop it in Peel,” “The Chaotic Race to Vaccinate Peel,” and “We Had to Save Ourselves.” The award was presented to both Fatima Syed and The Local's Editor-in-Chief, Tai Huynh. [13]

AwardDateCategoryResultRef.
Digital Publishing Award2020Best Feature Article: Shortgold [14]
2020Best Online Video: Shortsilver
2020General Excellence in Digital PublishingNominated
2020Best Feature ArticleNominated
2021Best News Coverage (Community Publication)silver [15]
2021Best Feature Article (Short)silver
2021Best Feature Article (Long)gold
2021General Excellence in Digital Publishing: Smallgold
2022Best News Coverage (Community Publication)gold [16]
2022Best Feature ArticleNominated
2022Best Feature Article (Short)Nominated
2022Innovation in Digital StorytellingNominated
2022Emerging Excellence Award (Inori Roy)Nominated
2022General Excellence in Digital Publishing: Smallgold
National Magazine Awards2021Long-Form Feature WritingNominated [17]
2021Portrait PhotographyNominated
2022Short Featuresilver [18]
2022Editor Grand Prixgold
2022Issue Grand PrixNominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rapid antigen test</span> Fast medical lateral flow test

A rapid antigen test (RAT), sometimes called a rapid antigen detection test (RADT), antigen rapid test (ART), or loosely just a rapid test, is a rapid diagnostic test suitable for point-of-care testing that directly detects the presence or absence of an antigen. RATs are a type of lateral flow test detecting antigens, rather than antibodies or nucleic acid. Rapid tests generally give a result in 5 to 30 minutes, require minimal training or infrastructure, and have significant cost advantages. Rapid antigen tests for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, have been commonly used during the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 testing</span> Diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2 virus infection

COVID-19 testing involves analyzing samples to assess the current or past presence of SARS-CoV-2. The two main types of tests detect either the presence of the virus or antibodies produced in response to infection. Molecular tests for viral presence through its molecular components are used to diagnose individual cases and to allow public health authorities to trace and contain outbreaks. Antibody tests instead show whether someone once had the disease. They are less useful for diagnosing current infections because antibodies may not develop for weeks after infection. It is used to assess disease prevalence, which aids the estimation of the infection fatality rate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic in Canada</span> Ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Canada

The COVID-19 pandemic in Canada is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019. It is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Most cases over the course of the pandemic have been in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta. Confirmed cases have been reported in all of Canada's provinces and territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario</span> COVID-19 viral pandemic in Ontario, Canada

The COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario was a viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Canada was announced on January 25, 2020, involving a traveller who had recently returned to Toronto from travel in China, including Wuhan. Ontario has had the largest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among Canada's provinces and territories, but due to having the largest population, only ranks sixth adjusted per capita. Ontario surpassed one million lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases on January 24, 2022; one day before the anniversary of the first confirmed case on January 25, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonnie Henry</span> Canadian public health officer

Bonnie J. Fraser Henry is a Canadian physician and public servant who has been the provincial health officer at the British Columbia Ministry of Health since 2014. Henry is also a clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia. She is a specialist in public health and preventive medicine, and is a family doctor. In her role as provincial health officer, Henry notably led the response to COVID-19 in British Columbia (BC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on science and technology</span> Disruption to science, space and technology projects globally

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many scientific and technical institutions globally, resulting in lower productivity in a number of fields and programs. However, the impact of the pandemic has also led to the opening of several new research funding lines for government agencies around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID Tracking Project</span> Collaborative online project aimed at tracking COVID-19 in the United States

The COVID Tracking Project was a collaborative volunteer-run effort to track the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. It maintained a daily-updated dataset of state-level information related to the outbreak, including counts of the number of cases, tests, hospitalizations, and deaths, the racial and ethnic demographic breakdowns of cases and deaths, and cases and deaths in long-term care facilities.

Eileen Patricia de Villa is an American-Canadian physician and public servant who has served as Medical Officer of Health for the City of Toronto since 2017, leading the Toronto Public Health unit.

Allison Joan McGeer is a Canadian infectious disease specialist in the Sinai Health System, and a professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto. She also appointed at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and a Senior Clinician Scientist at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, and is a partner of the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases. McGeer has led investigations into the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak in Toronto and worked alongside Donald Low. During the COVID-19 pandemic, McGeer has studied how SARS-CoV-2 survives in the air and has served on several provincial committees advising aspects of the Government of Ontario's pandemic response.

Helen Branswell is a Canadian infectious diseases and global health reporter at Stat News. Branswell spent fifteen years as a medical reporter at The Canadian Press, where she led coverage of the Ebola, Zika, SARS and swine flu pandemics. She joined Stat News at its founding 2015, leading the website's coverage of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The pandemic has affected the Cities of Mississauga and Brampton, and the Town of Caledon, within the Regional Municipality of Peel. As part of the larger closure decisions in Ontario, a stay-at-home order shuttered all nonessential businesses, and caused event cancellations.

The COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto was a viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), localized in Toronto. Toronto is the most populous city in Canada, and the fourth most populous city in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 rapid antigen test</span> Diagnostic test for a SARS-CoV-2 infection

COVID-19 rapid antigen tests or RATs, also frequently called COVID-19 lateral flow tests or LFTs, are rapid antigen tests used to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19). They are quick to implement with minimal training, cost a fraction of other forms of COVID-19 testing, and give users a result within 5–30 minutes. RATs have been used in several countries as part of mass testing or population-wide screening approaches. Many RATs can be used for self-testing, in which an individual "collects their own specimen… and interpret[s] their test result themselves".

Naheed Dosani is a palliative care physician based in Ontario, Canada, who founded and leads the Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless (PEACH) program. For his efforts in providing mobile healthcare to individuals with vulnerable housing or are homeless, Dosani has received a Meritorious Service Cross from the Governor General of Canada (2017), and a Canadian Medical Association Award for Young Leaders (2020).

The COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales, Australia is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The first confirmed case in New South Wales was identified on 19 January 2020 in Sydney where three travellers returning from Wuhan, Hubei, China, tested positive for the virus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria</span> Ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Victoria, Australia

The COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The first confirmed case in the state of Victoria, also the first in Australia, was identified as being on 19 January 2020, when a man arrived by air from Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. His test results on 25 January confirmed he had COVID-19.

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This article documents the chronology and epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia during 2022.

COVID-19 vaccination in Ontario began in December 2020, when the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine were administered. In February 2021, shipments for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines increased significantly. By May 2021, over 50 percent of Ontarians had received their first dose. By the beginning of 2022, over 80 percent of Ontarians had received their first dose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table</span> Canadian health advisory group

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References

  1. Watson, H. G. (July 22, 2020). "The Local Was Born in a Hospital Network: The Web-Magazine is Bringing Longform Urban Health and Social Issues Journalism to Toronto". Indiegraf.
  2. "The Local: X-Lab — The Future of Healthcare is Local". OpenLab. University Health Network.
  3. Waldman, Benjamin (April 18, 2018). "Inside the Business: Covering Toronto's Health From a Local Perspective". Review of Journalism . Ryerson University.
  4. Johnson, Jessica (December 13, 2021). "Journalism's Wicked Problem: Save What's Lost or Invest in What's New? It Will Take Serious Policy Changes and Unprecedented Industry Collaboration to Turn Around the Story of the Media's Collapse". The Walrus . The Walrus Foundation.
  5. Alfa, Ismaila. "COVID-19 Cases Steadily Rise in Ontario Schools Just One Week Into the Academic Year: Tai Huynh, Editor-in-Chief of the Local, and Colin Furness, Infection Control Epidemiologist, Break Down What's Behind the Number of Cases in Schools Right Now". CBC Radio . Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  6. Huynh, Tai; Roy, Inori (10 March 2022). "Tracking COVID-19 in Toronto Schools: A Data Blog About the Pandemic's Effects on the City's 800 Public Schools". The Local.
  7. Huynh, Tai; Madho, Craig (January 2022). "RAT Tracker: A Citizen-Powered Tool for Anonymous Reporting of Rapid Antigen Test Results in Toronto Public Schools". The Local.
  8. Burman, Dilshad (January 3, 2022). "Independent Group Tracking Rapid Test Results in Toronto Schools". CityNews . Rogers Sports & Media.
  9. Hiscox, Heather. "New Toronto Initiative Tries to Track Results of Students' Rapid Antigen Tests: A Toronto website has created a tool to collect results of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests (RAT) used by students to see if the data can be used to identify virus outbreaks". CBC.ca . Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  10. "Toronto Dad Creates Portal for Parents to Log Kids' Positive COVID Results". Global News . Corus Entertainment. January 5, 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  11. Lavoie, Joanna (January 8, 2022). "New 'Rat Tracker' Tool Aims to Help Parents Better Understand How COVID-19 is Impacting Toronto Schools: Some Ontario Health Units Collecting Rapid Antigen Test Results, but There is No Central Reporting System". The Toronto Star . Torstar . Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  12. "Member Highlights — From the Local: A Year in Toronto". Press Forward. March 22, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  13. 1 2 Vongdouangchanh, Bea. "World Press Freedom Canada announces 2022 Press Freedom Award Winners – World Press Freedom Canada" . Retrieved 2022-05-05.
  14. "Announcing the Digital Publishing Award Winners of 2020". Digital Publishing Awards. 21 May 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  15. "Presenting the Winners of the 2021 Digital Publishing Awards". Digital Publishing Awards. 10 June 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  16. "Digital Publishing Awards". Digital Publishing Awards. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
  17. "Presenting the Winners of the 2021 National Magazine Awards". National Magazine Awards. 12 June 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  18. "And the Winners Are…". National Magazine Awards. 2022-05-03. Retrieved 2022-05-05.