The Beaverton
| Type | Parody news publication |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid and Website |
| Owner(s) | The Beaverton |
| Editor | Luke Gordon Field, Alex Huntley, Alexander Saxton, Jacob Duarte Spiel, Laurent Noonan, Emma Overton |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Montreal, Whitehorse, Yukon Canada |
| Circulation | 2,500 |
| Website | thebeaverton.com |
The Beaverton is a primarily online Canadian news satire publication, based in Toronto, Montreal and Whitehorse.[1] It features news stories, editorials, vox populi and other formats (such as university reviews) whose structure and layout mirror those of conventional newspapers but whose content is contorted to make humorous commentary on world issues. The stories - based on both fabricated and actual events - are presented in standard categories, including Sports, Health and Business. While attention is given to both national and international news, there is a focus on Canadian affairs.
The publication was founded by Queen's University alumni Luke Gordon Field, Alex Huntley and University of Toronto graduate Laurent Noonan.[1]
Reception and believability
Several of The Beaverton's articles have been reported as real news. In May 2013, a story on Chris Hadfield's return to Earth and being greeted with a $1.3 million cellphone bill after spending several months in space received more than 400,000 hits.[2] The story was reported as real news by Hong Kong-based newspaper Ming Pao.
In July 2013, a story about an English-speaking parrot being removed from Montreal's Biodome because it did not speak French during a government inspection was similarly received; according to The Economist it "shocked many Canadians" but "turned out to be a spoof."[3]
The Beaverton has also been noted for its stories on Canadian politics. During Stephen Harper's state visit to Israel in January 2014, the publication mocked the Canadian Prime Minister's unflinching support of Israel by reporting that he was the Israeli Prime Minister returning from Canada after a long visit.[4]
In July 2015, The Beaverton announced a TV pilot with the Comedy Network and Pier 21 Productions.[2]
In September 2015, the site published an article which used Ashley Callingbull's crowning as Mrs. Universe to comment on the media's failure to adequately cover the issue of missing and murdered aboriginal women.[5] After being criticized by Aboriginal groups, the article was pulled from the site and an apology was posted on The Beaverton's Facebook page.[5]
See also
- List of satirical magazines
- List of satirical news websites
- List of satirical television news programs
References
- 1 2 "The Beaverton makes people chuckle". The Medium, March 26, 2012.
- 1 2 "The Beaverton: How much further can comedic satire go in Canada?" The Globe and Mail, August 21, 2015.
- ↑ "Polly wants un craquelin". The Economist, July 30, 2013.
- ↑ "Satirists mock Stephen Harper’s trip to Israel". Yahoo! News, January 20, 2014.
- 1 2 "The Beaverton pulls controversial article on Ashley Callingbull". CBC News, September 1, 2015.