Yesterday, I began a conversation with journalist Randall Shirley about gay and lesbian communications in Canada. An American by birth, Randall now lives in Canada, giving him a two-country perspective on media and communications. In the conclusion to our conversation today, Randall provides insight into mainstream media, blogs and the future of LGBT media in Canada.

Ben Finzel: How does so-called "mainstream" media in Canada cover gay and lesbian communications issues?  Do you find yourselves covering things they don't? Are there any similarities in what you deem newsworthy? 

Randall Shirley: Mainstream media does give our community coverage. But gay media is more likely to chase the handful of “news” stories that mainstream doesn’t—like in-depth coverage of a bashing or human rights issue. As for the publication I edit, we cover things differently in that we speak from a different—and very gay—voice. Our writers look for the gay angle to a place. Gays quite often see a place differently from straights. For example, there’s a section of the Berlin Wall in a Montréal public space. One of my gay writers recently paused at that spot, writing that it reminds him how lucky we are to live in a society where we can be openly gay. Mainstream item, gay perspective. I think it’s very important to remember that we’re gay, and we have many differences in the way we live. I can only speak as a gay man, but I notice that we still have our gay lingo: we still talk about sex differently than straight people (and perhaps more), we’re more-free with some of our personal information. For instance, when’s the last time you heard a straight person admit, over cocktails, in a group, with their spouse present, that they have an “open relationship.” I hear that all the time. And I see evidence of our differences in Canadian gay publications, to varying degrees.

Ben Finzel: What is the role of blogs in the Canadian media landscape?  How have blogs changed the way LGBT media operates in the country?

Randall Shirley: I can’t say if blogs, per se, have changed the landscape as much as the overall growth of social networking and instant communication. I don’t think this is unique to Canada.
 
Ben Finzel: What do you think the future holds for LGBT media in Canada?

Randall Shirley: In the short term, I think GLBT media will continue to thrive—either as print or electronic—because at the end of the day, gay people are different. We want equal rights, but that doesn’t mean many of us want to be the same. So media that speaks to who we are and how we live our lives will continue to be important. I think that in all countries it’s important that each generation passes our stories and information on to the younger generations, and we will all need to figure out ways to use developing media technologies to do so. Canadians are not Americans, and most don’t want to be. This is a fairly distinct society with its own stories and interests. Sure, there are a lot of cultural similarities, but Canadians will always want media outlets that speak to them.

Ben Finzel: Thanks Randall. As usual, we have learned something (many things, actually), from talking with a journalist with a unique point of view. Your insight and perspective should be helpful for anyone thinking of conducting outreach in the Canadian market. 

Photo courtesy of Randall Shirley.

As I’ve mentioned before, I was fortunate enough to participate in the 9th International Conference on Gay and Lesbian Tourism in Vancouver last month. In addition to presenting a workshop at the conference (more on that in a future post), I had the pleasure of serving as moderator of a panel on working with the media.

One of the participants in the panel discussion was freelance travel journalist Randall Shirley. Randall is editor of Canada’s major LGBT travel magazine, Out in Canada, and editor of the stories and blog section of www.meetmeonboard.com, a U.S.-based site which helps gay cruise passengers connect. Randall’s work also appears in such publications as The Boston Globe and Dallas Morning News. He grew up on a potato farm in Rexburg, Idaho and now lives in Vancouver, BC with his partner Kevin. 

As is generally the case, whenever I meet someone interesting, I ask them to participate in blog Q&A with us. Randall was no exception and I’m very happy he agreed to my request. Randall’s insight and experience provide a really useful snapshot of Canadian communications from an American perspective.  And as many of us in the U.S. prepare to travel home for the Thanksgiving holiday, we thought it might be interesting to present a point of view on travel from a different perspective.

This is another two-part interview. Today, we talk about differences in media and marketing. Come back tomorrow for a look at mainstream media, blogs and the future for LGBT media in Canada. 
 
Ben Finzel: What are the differences in gay media in Canada and the U.S.? Do you communicate with our community any differently in Canada than in the U.S.? 

Randall Shirley: In Canada, “gay” is not much of an issue these days. Of course, we still have problems—the occasional bashing, small town gays who feel they can’t come out, etc.—but overall, Canadian society is more accepting. We do have nationwide gay marriage, after all! How does this apply to gay media? Well, it means we can devote more time to daily life stories and less time to politics. As an American who has lived in Canada for many years, I actually find U.S. media less and less relevant to my daily life. When I read The Advocate, for instance, it seems the stories are often of equality and political issues Canadians dealt with many years ago.
 
Ben Finzel: How do companies market to LGBT people via the media in Canada?  What are the common activities they undertake and how are they received by LGBT consumers?

Randall Shirley: Companies market to GLBT Canadians the same way you would expect—via gay media outlets. Since I cover travel, I particularly notice that Canadian travel providers are very savvy at using PR and media relations as a major tool to tell their stories. And of course they use paid advertising, too, including both traditional media and new media. Surprisingly, some companies have even tried marketing via mainstream media. A high-end gay matchmaking service called Entre-Nous¬ has placed paid advertising in Canada’s venerable national newspaper, The Globe and Mail. And hook-up companies like CruiseLine advertise on billboards in surprising towns like Calgary. How are they received? Gay Canadians are smart, and we know that within our country most companies would be glad to have our business. We also know when we’re being pandered to. At the end of the day, I think we appreciated being marketed to, but that alone doesn’t guarantee our loyalty as customers because we have so many business owners in this country who are truly gay-friendly. Personally, I look for value and customer service, and if I can find that in a business, I will become a customer. Of course there are gay-focused businesses—bars, restaurants, some shops, B&Bs, etc.—who provide options straight-owned businesses simply can’t. And when we want those options, it’s nice to have them.

Ben Finzel: Come back tomorrow for the conclusion of our conversation with Randall Shirley.

Photo courtesy of Randall Shirley.