We're happy to announce famed Canadian journalist Jack Kapica will be joining DigitalJournal.com as an advisor. Kapica has almost 40 years experience in journalism, most recently at the national Canadian newspaper, the Globe and Mail.
Kapica will act as an advisor and contributor to DigitalJournal.com as the company works to become one of the world's largest news networks powered by digital journalists. Kapica will assist DigitalJournal.com in developing the company's brand and editorial direction. He will also contribute articles and
reviews on technology and new media issues.
DigitalJournal.com currently has digital journalists reporting from 140 countries around the world. The company has played a huge role in covering international breaking news stories such as
the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India,
the 2008/9 war in Gaza, and more.
"Coming from a traditional news background, I was skeptical of citizen journalism," Kapica says. " I knew it couldn't be what it most commonly was — a collection of little more than blog items hurled on the Web without care. But I came to believe it's not only possible, but that it has a proper place in the news firmament. It has to be done right of course — it must be written well, contain good reporting and, above all, it must be speedily produced. Digital Journal is doing it right, and doing it with almost no resources. Digital Journal is on the right track with the right approach, and is certain to become a leading alternate news source."
Kapica enjoyed an extensive career as a professional journalist, dating back to 1969. He has been a staff writer and editor for
The Gazette in Montreal and the Canadian national newspaper, the
Globe and Mail. Kapica also contributed to
Digital Journal magazine between 2001 and 2007 on a freelance basis.
"Jack has a lot of experience with traditional media, and he appreciates how times are changing, so we're very happy to have his expertise and advice," says Digital Journal Inc. Chief Executive Officer, Chris Hogg. "As media consumption habits change, and user-generated media's roots grow deeper, it's important to have someone who has extensive journalistic experience working with us. Jack is also very knowledgeable about tech trends and the evolution of the Web, so he will be an asset in shaping the future of Digital Journal's global news network."
Kapica began his career reviewing theatre and movies for
The Gazette before moving to the
Globe in 1975, where he edited a section of the paper dedicated to popular culture.
Since then, Kapica has contributed to virtually every beat from literary criticism to religion and technology. He has worked as Books Editor, editor of the Letters to the Editor page, and World Editor for the week-in-review Focus section.
In 1985, he published a collection of the best letters printed by the
Globe, in a book called
Shocked and Appalled: A Century of Letters to The Globe and Mail.
In 2001, he became the lead technology columnist and reporter for the technology section of the paper's website,
globeandmail.com. He has been a pioneer in the area of personal computing — purchasing his first computer in 1981, tapping into local and international bulletin boards to research stories, and working with the
Globe and Mail's team in the days when the first
Globe and Mail websites were being created.
From 1996 to 1999, Kapica wrote many high-tech features as well as a weekly column called
Cyberia for the print paper, which explained Web and gadget trends in comprehensible terms. Kapica's
Cyberia column was one of the most popular features of
globetechnology.com. He also regularly reviewed new products, including digital cameras, software, wireless networks and handheld devices.
Kapica left the
Globe and Mail in 2008 to pursue more creative interests.
