Opinion pitches!

Hey everyone! Here are the pitches for this week. I also want to remind everyone that if you ever read something you disagree with in the opinion section, you're more than welcome to write a response to it. I want to make sure The Gateway remains a platform for dissent and differing opinions, so it's super cool when two opinion articles disagree with each other. Just reply to this email if you want to pick up any of these pitches, or if you want any more information about these stories. And as always, if you have an idea for an article, feel free to send it my way. Articles are due Friday at 5pm.

Sign up to cover SU elections!

The campaign period begins Monday February 26th, so now is the time to let me know if you're interested in covering elections! I'm finalizing everything this week, so if you're interested in writing about elections, please let me know by Friday. I'll add you to the Opinion Election Coverage Facebook group, and pass on all the information you need. Even if you can't commit to attending every single forum, you can still write general coverage and participate in the live blogs!

Gateway hiring is coming soon

If you're interested in working at the Gateway next year, now's the time to start thinking about applying! I cannot recommend it enough. I'm super happy to talk to you in detail about the Opinion Editor position, or any of the other jobs at the Gateway, so feel free to reach out if you have any questions or want more information.

April magazine content

The April mag will be the last one of the year! If you're interested in writing a Worth It/Not Worth It piece, or a Point-Counterpoint, I'm open to pitches! There's no theme for the April magazine, so there's a lot of flexibility here. Hit me up with your ideas!

Happy Valentine's Day! Write about love

Whatever your relationship status is this Valentine's Day, I hope you're having a good one! If you're inspired by this love-filled time of year, here are some love-themed pitches for stories:

• Tinder (how has it impacted modern dating? how does it feel to use Tinder on Valentine's Day? is Tinder good for the world?)

• Valentine's Day (is it a corporate lie? is it a nice excuse to tell people you love them?)

• Love in general (is it real? can it last forever?)

Awkward Conversation Club

Mike Sandare, the Board of Governors rep, has created a project called the "Awkward Conversation Club." Right now it's mostly an Instagram page where people anonymously tell their stories of mental health. You can read about it, and see some examples, here. I'm really curious about your thoughts on this! Is this an effective campaign to deal with mental health? The job of the BoG rep is to advocate to the Governors of the University on behalf of students. Do you think this Instagram is helpful in advocating to the Governors?

Colten Boushie

You've likely heard the story of Colten Boushie over the weekend. I won't attempt to fully summarize the details of the case (and if you take this pitch please make sure to be thorough in your research!) but essentially an Indigenous man was shot and killed while trespassing on the property of a white farmer, and this weekend the farmer was acquitted of any charges. There has been a ton of response to this case from all angles, but I would love to hear what you guys think! An angle that I haven't heard nearly as much about, if you're looking for a fresh take, is that the Go Fund Me website currently hosts a fundraiser for Gerald Stanley, the farmer in the case. There have been lots of calls to take the fundraiser down, but Go Fund Me has said that it doesn't violate their policies. More info about that here.

U of A study shows that the media is more likely to make stories personal when covering female politicians

A U of A political scientist conducted a study that indicated female politicians get pretty equal media coverage, but that coverage of them is much more likely to include a personal angle about their families or their personal lives. You can read more here.

Compost in Edmonton

In 2007, City Council set a goal of diverting 90% of garbage from the landfill, but the auditor's report indicates that Edmonton is really far from that goal. What do you think Edmontonians/members of government/businesses should be doing to reduce how much of our waste goes to the landfill?

Trudeau acknowledges anti-black racism in Canada

In a speech for a reception marking Black History Month, the PM said that unconscious bias against black people in Canada still exists, and that more research should be done about the needs of black communities in our country and around the globe. More info here. What do you think about Trudeau's remarks? What should he be doing to address this?

Is Facebook good for the world?

Facebook has started to ask their users how they would answer that question. The social media network has gotten a lot of criticism from other tech giants recently, including the CEO of Youtube, and they seem to be having a bit of a midlife crisis. What do you think about Facebook's question? How do you think most people will answer? Where does Facebook lie in the social media landscape now? What will Facebook look like in the future?

New York graffiti case

21 different graffiti artists were given $6.75 million in damages after their murals were painted over by warehouse owners. It's an interesting case because it speaks to the kinds of protections that graffiti has as art, and the kinds of rights that building owners should have over their properties. More information here.

Grande Prairie supervised consumption site

A group called HIV North is hoping to open a mobile clinic where patients can use drugs under supervision, and they're hoping to get approval by mid-May. Calgary opened a similar clinic last month. More information here.

The Gateway Presents!

As you may already know, every second Friday from 5:30-6:30pm, CJSR airs a segment of our radio show, The Gateway Presents. Each segment includes an Opinion piece where two people debate on a hot-button issue. Along with pitching Opinion stories for the website or the magazine, please also feel free to pitch me content for The Gateway Presents! Whether you know someone who'd be interested in debating on the show, you have a topic you'd like to see presented, or you'd like to produce a segment all by yourself, let me know and we'll make it happen.

Shorter segments

Don't have time to write a whole 500-word article this week but still want to write something? Write one of these! They're about 200-300 words and a really good time. - Burlap Sack: Rant about something that bothers you! - Marble Pedestal: Rant about something you love! - Adulting 101: Either tell us how to do something adult (how to use an iron, how actually make food, etc.) or tell us about a time you failed to do something adult (like that time you put the red sock in with the whites and now everything is pink).