Isabel Armiento ARTS & LIFESTYLE EDITOR
Good journalism has always been about striking a balance between the heavy and the light, and The Mike’s recent introduction of a Lifestyle section into its pages is no exception. Journalists are more often than not taking to Twitter to chisel a narrative into a neat, crisp, 280-word package, ready for the on-the-go user to open and admire. Even The New Yorker, known for its densely written and meticulously researched features, also offers the satirical “Shouts and Murmurs” page, as well as a sprinkling of their iconic comics. Packaging valuable content into the concise, entertaining format of a ‘how-to’, listicle, satirical op-ed, or lifestyle column prevents the decline of readership in an already sparse literary climate.
This year, The Mike is joining legions of other publications celebrating the rise of pop journalism, a medium of expression that is vastly more far-reaching than, say, the research essay. By replacing its Science & Technology section with a Lifestyle section, The Mike adds a dash of the entertainment and frivolity that we all need to its repertoire — an ode to the breezy publications such as Cosmo and Buzzfeed that we find ourselves returning to time and time again. This is not to say that The Mike won’t be running science-based articles — look for science pieces in News, Features, Opinions, and Lifestyle, along with a variety of diverse and innovative topics. A Science & Technology section, however, has too narrow a scope, paring down content into a restrictive rhetoric concentrated on one facet of thought. The Mike prefers sections that allow for the intersection of disciplines and ideas, and a Lifestyle section will weave together alternate styles and subjects rather than impose boundaries on form and content.
Get ready then for a section that above all else seeks success for its readers, whatever that may look like to you. Whether your personal success comes in the form of health, social justice, dating, mental wellness, academics, a diverse and exciting social life, or simply looking fabulous, The Mike will have articles to inspire and advise. Look for our regular column detailing the goings-on around St. Mike’s as well as U of T, sure to spice up weekends on campus or that agonizing interstice of time between class and meeting a friend for dinner. The Mike is committed to its New Year’s resolution — keeping its content accessible and reader-focused — and our team is excited to watch our newest section blossom throughout the upcoming semester.
