In June, 200 media professionals, producers, activists and academics packed into a Bathurst Street studio for a party celebrating the launch of a new English-language global news and documentary network, The Real News.
If building an international news network from scratch doesn’t sound mind-boggling-ly ambitious to you, consider this: Real News CEO Paul Jay is promising to accomplish this feat without corporate, government or advertising dollars. This makes The Real News the world’s first totally non-profit, viewer supported independent news and documentary network—and thusfar, The Real News has found success even without the benefit a cash cow to milk.
Though still in their early days, the network’s rational and grounded on air persona is a rare breath of fresh air in a media landscape increasingly clogged with hyper-sensationalized drivel, rebroadcast ad nauseum, by big media. In fact, providing insightful analysis and in-depth interviews has quickly become a Real News hallmark, with the team producing four to six such pieces for distribution online each week.
And the team is growing—quickly. The fledgling network already has more than 30 journalists stationed throughout the world, and counts the likes of Robert McChesney, Amy Goodman and Gore Vidal as avid supporters.
It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that The Real News is seeking a few extra hands to help out at its Toronto-based studio. On November 6, they will be hosting a volunteer recruitment and social night at the studio—Suite 200, 720 Bathurst Street—starting at 6:30 p.m. where Paul Jay will answer questions about the network, and Senior News Analyst Aijaz Ahmad will discuss current developments in Iran. Prizes and food are on offer, as are tours of the studio. RSVPs are welcomed at geraldine@therealnews.com.
