J-schoolers take their know-how and get out of the classroom

Journalism students at Ryerson University and the University of Western Ontario have collaborated and put their course work out there into the real world, publishing an online, multimedia series on DIY culture.

Led by journalism instructor Wayne MacPhail—who teaches online journalism at both schools—the students have launched a project called “MakerCulture – Taking Things Into Our Own Hands.” In a previous J-Source post, MacPhail called it a “deep, wide exploration of the world of artists, hackers, fabricators, activists and citizens who have decided that a DIY (do-it-yourself) approach to government, software, art, music and hardware is a valid response to global consumerism. It’s a fascinating feature full of astonishing gimcrackery and a sideshow tent full of characters.”

The series will be co-published by both The Tyee and Rabble.ca.