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 calling for justice against police brutality; improved funding to public services, transit or affordable housing; solidarity movements standing with Indigenous land defenders in Six Nations, Wet’suwet’en, and across “Canada”; or protests in solidarity with marginalized communities across the world; our city has a history of local and global activism. But as with any movements opposing the status quo, mainstream media often neglect or do not provide adequate and equitable coverage for these movements. Antler River Media treasures London’s history of activism, solidarity, and community values, and is committed to reporting accurately and critically on movements taking place in the city.
We 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 Policy
All articles are reviewed by at least one member of the Editorial Committee, of which Board members are a part, before publication on Antler River Media Co-op. Broadly, the editing process is meant to ensure oversight related to fact-checking the article’s sources, providing feedback on the clarity of article, and providing feedback on whether sufficient context has been provided to frame the article’s content. No changes are made to articles by editors without the writer’s knowledge and approval.
As community-oriented press, we strive to ensure that articles are perceived as respectfully reflecting the communities the articles are about. To this aim, some sections of articles or full articles are shared with community members, including those quoted in the articles, prior to publication: we welcome their thoughts and feedback, and may use their insights to adjust the article’s content. Changes to articles made after community feedback are done after the writer discusses them with the Editorial Committee. This process is meant to ensure oversight related to fact-checking, and to provide space for discussions about enriching the article’s content. In instances where significant changes are made to articles after discussion with community members, or where community members were explicitly asked to read the article to ensure accuracy and respectful coverage, articles will credit community input with a note such as: Community members were consulted about this article prior to its publication to ensure their stories were respectfully covered.
The decision to share articles with community members prior to publishing articles is made by the writer. The Editorial Committee encourages having open dialogue with writers to help them gauge whether their article’s content might benefit from community insights prior to publication. In the past, articles that have sought explicit review from community members prior to publication include those that cover deeply personal stories, events whose coverage might affect the safety or status of those in attendance, or coverage of topics that the writer is personally less familiar with.
Sometimes, community members may seek adjustments to articles post-publication. In these instances, the Editorial Committee will discuss the adjustments with the intention of enriching the article. No changes are made to articles post-publication by editors without the writer’s knowledge and approval. Community members are welcome to share thoughts and feedback on published ARM articles at any time: they may write to antlerrivermedia@gmail.com or contact members of the Editorial Committee personally.
Ethics Guidelines
Antler River Media Co-op follows ethic guidelines outlined by the Canadian Association of Journalists. You can read more about the current guidelines below.
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. You can contact him at akanbi.e@proton.me.
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. Write to them directly at oddiem@gmail.com.
Meg Borthwick (she/they) [editor] is a retired independent journalist with more than 30 years experience in community radio, print and online media. Reach out to them at meg.borthwick@gmail.com.
Elliott K. Cooper (he/him) [editor, writer] is a visual artist, creative writer, photographer and socialist who has called London home since 2015. He’s currently the poetry reviewer for Antler River Media, so feel free to send hium some poems at solitaryagentstudios@gmail.com.