Former editors Kris Smith and Tom Penney give us an exclusive look into the most happening in their lives right now: Online magazine, “The Racket.”
Reporter: Modeline Longjohn
Kris Smith and Tom Penney, former editors at the MUSE were outstanding during their time as the managing and sports editors respectively. After having moved on from their tenure at the university newspaper, they are now ready to take the next big step in pursuing their dreams- launching their very own website, www.theracketonline.com at a launch party in the Quidi Vidi Lake Brewery on September 30th (Sunday). Inspired by their wonderful time as co-workers at The Muse, whom they both thank for tapping into their creativity and passion for writing, Kris and Tom decided to address the gap in the St. John’s media market by starting an online magazine which was ‘for the locals, by the locals.’
“For me, I want to bring a different type of platform to the local media market. Basically bringing fresh voices to the scene to tell stories through a fresh point of view. The Racket is a way to bring younger and more diverse voices to the media scene in St. John’s. We also hope to cover national issues with a local skew. We want to cover national issues and pop culture, using that to contextualize salient local issues,” says Tom.
“I think ideally with time, The Racket will be like Newfoundland’s buzzfeed. You could find things like a recipe or a new movie and other articles that a person might find interesting,” adds Kris.
Considering how they are a start-up at the moment, The Racket is welcoming volunteer writers to enrich their content so as to ensure the inclusion of a diverse perspective on the socio-cultural and political sides of Newfoundland. The writers, referred to as the Racketeers,are symbolic of how Newfoundlanders life translates racket as a sort of ruckus,noise or a party. The idea here is to create a buzz, to be provided a unique platform for the next big thing in the province.
One of The Racket’s strongest points is the many collaborations they have managed to score or are in the process of coveting. This is a first-hand look into how social media can be used to make the best of marketing. Moreover, staying true to their vision of exploring the local, they have also emphasized very strongly on local content and businesses,including interviewing Fred Penner, a legendary children’s entertainer, a member of the Canadian band Prozzak, as well as nationally acclaimed photographer Sandra-Lee Layden who shot Shawn Mendes at the Music Video Awards.
“We are also putting out true crimes stories which cater to Atlantic Canada. Focusing on creating something fun and interesting for people to read and enjoy. For now, we are focusing on getting the base audience to start with, and then taking further after that. It’s great so far. We collaborate with people and get them involved in telling their stories, and that seems to get a lot of interests. In addition, we want to tell interesting stories about people but we also want to balance that with trying to establish an audience. We want to be able to dig to the heart of things and be honest about things.”says Tom.
Kris opens up about what it takes to keep going even with the hardships associated with any start-up, saying, “For me, lately,it’s the Racket website.” Kris who works as a substitute teacher in addition to the start-up believes that “the Racket” in addition to his day job really motivates him to strive to make a difference.
The Muse wishes our alumni the very best in what can only be portrayed as a brave attempt to make a difference and continue to have their voice heard, just as they had been fearlessly doing during their time here.
Contact Information for the Racket:-
Website: www.theracketonline.com
Email: theracketmedia@gmail.com
Facebook: theracketonline
Twitter:@theracketonline
Instagram: @theracketonline