About us
Antler River Media comes out of a sentiment shared amongst many people in the London area: it is absurdly difficult to find community here. It seems as though we all fragment into little groups to grasp at a sense of belonging in the city, and remain isolated in those siloes. As the 5th most populous city in Ontario, shouldn’t it be easy to find community? Why do we find ourselves increasingly isolated?
Antler River dreams of a London where voices across the city are connected and can be heard. One where the most common landmarks people can identify aren’t the many war memorials in Victoria Park or the several strip malls. One where the most common question asked around town isn’t “what’s there to do in London?” Antler River Media seeks to make that dream seem a little less far-fetched.
The Vision behind Antler River Media
Antler River Media is an independent local media outlet that reports on a variety of stories in London that are often left out from local corporation-driven mainstream media. London is home to vibrant communities of workers, artists, and activists. Each of them emanating a lifetime of stories that deserve to be heard and struggles that deserve to be unearthed. Antler River Media creates a space for these stories, dreams, and struggles by providing a media outlet that speaks with Londoners, not for them.
Over the past few years, London has seen dozens upon dozens of protests and rallies. Whether it be local movements to defund the police andfund transit, arts, and affordable housing; solidarity movements standing with Indigenous land defenders in Six Nations, Wet’suwet’en, and across “Canada”; calling for a free Palestine, and raising awareness for the people of Sudan; our city has a history of local and global activism. But as with any movements opposing the status quo, mainstream media often neglects this. Antler River Media treasures London’s activist history, and is committed to reporting accurately and critically on movements taking place in the city.
We also value stories from local artists, workers, students, and any community members who feel that their realities are ignored by mainstream media. We welcome you to share your stories with us.
What is a Co-op?
A co-operative is an organization that is owned by its membership, run democratically, and is community focused. Antler River Media Cooperative as an organization is owned and run by our editors and contributors. We publish stories written by our community, and give our contributors the opportunity to assist in running the Coop, with an elected board of directors to oversee the broader governance of the Coop. Specifically, the elected board of directors meets once a month to discuss: i) the content and framing of articles; ii) future columns and styles of storytelling, while upholding the standards and vision of ARMC; and iii) membership, collaboration with members, and financial affairs. Interested in volunteering with us as a director? Write to: antlerrivermedia@gmail.com
Currently, as we are a newly incorporated cooperative, we are still drawing up our bylaws and the specifics of the responsibilities of our membership. Our plans are to publish our bylaws on this page once they are completed to ensure transparency in our governance and editorial processes.
Some other media coops in Canada include:
Editorial Team
Incé Husain (she/her) [editor, writer] is a neuroscience PhD student at Western University and freelance journalist. She loves to write, and believes firmly in the ability of the press to question problematic norms, shape social ideologies, and ultimately nurture a more cerebral and artistic society. You can read her work on her journalism portfolio, The Unprecedented Times. Have a story, questions, or other? Write directly to ince33@gmail.com.
Emmanuel Akanbi (he/him) [editor, writer] is an epidemiology and biostatistics graduate student at Western University and a freelance writer. He is very invested in the advancement of the public healthcare system and contributing to healthcare research. Emmanuel loves learning about different organizing histories and is always happy to talk about labour movements and protests.
NVK (any) [editor, writer] is a community worker and activist in London. Growing up in London, they know it could be a better place — one where communities could grow and thrive. You can find them birdwatching, at a bookstore, or reading up on movements to create a better world. You can contact them at nvk.armcoop@gmail.com.
Morgan Oddie (they/them) [editor, writer] is a union member and activist in London. They are always eager to discuss community organizing, working class politics and history, revolutionary socialism, and Muay Thai. They hold a PhD in Cultural Studies, and are a freelance writer and copy-editor.