At first I felt a bit presumptuous reviewing a glossy with a fifteen-year history whose editors count magazines such as Bitch and Ms. as their main competition. McClung’s is certainly a beautiful product, with professional layouts, vibrant use of colour, and not an ad to be seen. However, the content itself makes me wonder if editors Lauren McKeon and Jennifer Fong are thinking of the same magazine I’m looking at. I found my enjoyment of many articles marred by mediocre writing and poor editing. Every cardinal sin of journalism is committed at least once, and the amount of mistakes that made it to print make the whole affair look like a school newspaper desperately trying to fool readers with its good looks. What makes this most heartbreaking is that Ryerson, the school that puts it out, has one of the most prestigious journalism programs in North America. If I can recognize its problems after taking one community college course in magazine writing, then someone isn’t doing their job. In the end, it’s worth a look, and can be enjoyed in spite of its flaws, but it’s a far cry from a professional magazine. (J. Blackmore)
Magazine, Lauren McKeon and Jennifer Fong, Oakham House/RyeSac, Ryerson, 380 Victoria St. #A62, Toronto, ON, M5B 1W7