drawn upon a combination of their King’s training and their previous work experiences in journalism. Both have undergone training in order to learn the OpenFile style and posting guidelines. Ozano had previously worked at a number of Halifax-based journalism outlets, including the CBC and the now-defunct Daily News. He also worked as copy chief at The Coast. Horne did her journalism internship with OpenFile Toronto and has also worked with the Dalhousie Gazette. She is two electives away from completing her King’s degree, but for now, OpenFile has taken precedence. As the site’s news curator, Horne says the switch to a solely online focus was not difficult. “It was pretty natural to me, I guess,” she says. “It’s the way that I think.” As part of her job, Horne monitors local and regional Twitter feeds, rounding up new developments and breaking news regularly on the website. “[King’s] prepared me in the practical sense,” she says. “To have had the time and guidance to learn ethics has definitely been helpful.” The learning curve has been higher for
“As soon as I got interested in journalism, I was interested in the Internet and what kind of new journalism is possible. It just seems like anything that can be put in other mediums can go online. You can do so much with it in this form.” Ozano. “King’s was valuable, for sure,” he says. “But it was valuable in the sense that I learned a lot of useful reporting skills. On the web, everything has changed so quickly. The online course I took [at King’s] in 2003 is obviously a little out of date now. But this is still an amazing opportunity—to figure out online and maintain a web-based audience and readership.” Ozano’s position has also afforded him the opportunity to engage more widely with his community: he and Horne have been busy attending local events and meetings
to show people how OpenFile can be used to raise, discuss and develop local issues. Ozano and Horne even returned to King’s to introduce the OpenFile system to students in the School of Journalism. Horne, especially, is excited about the possibilities of her position. “As soon as I got interested in journalism, I was interested in the Internet and what kind of new journalism is possible,” she says. “It just seems like anything that can be put in other mediums can go online. You can do so much with it in this form.” ∂
Atl a ntic Universit y Pub ni ght The first-ever Atlantic University Pub night in Toronto took place on September 15, 2011 at Grace O’Malley’s, featuring a number of door prizes and a performance by famed Maritime rock band Signal Hill. A number of former Kingsfolk were in attendance. President of the King’s Toronto alumni branch Gordon Cameron (BA ’99, BJ ’00) sent us a photo from the evening at right. Here’s to many more nights like this—dedicated to friendship and the sharing of memories from the East Coast. From left to right: Carl Laudan (BA ’97), Mark Pali (BJ ’94), Ian Finley (BA ’99) and Gordon Cameron. Not pictured: Jess Wishart (BAH ’08).
Looking to plan an alumni pub night or mini-reunion in your area? Let us know about it—you may find yourself in the next issue of Tidings. Email kingsadv@ukings.ca for more info.
Tidings | winter 2011/2012
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