Jonathan Ore - About Me

"In all this world, there is no heavier burden than a great potential!"

- Linus van Pelt (Peanuts)

Full name: Jonathan Robert Ore

Birthdate: 30 May 1986

Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Height: 5' 8"

Weight: 85 kg

Blood: O-

Favorite Food: unagi

Dislikes: mp3 player life cycles, So You Think You Can Dance

About me? Do you really want to know what I look like, what kind of clothes I wear, or whether or not I'm standing behind you right now? I suspect not. This space is more likely for any information on why I am in the MJ program at Ryerson University, and what sort of future I hope to carve out as a result of it.

This is not easy to answer. What I have done feels incredibly small compared to what lies ahead. I studied at the University of Toronto for four years, completing an HBa in English and Political Scienc (dbl mjr) in June 2008. I spent those years as part of Victoria College @UofT, a vibrant and tightly-knit community on campus. I was a member of The Strand, Victoria's student newspaper, all those years, starting out as an avid news slummer and ending up as Managing Editor in my fourth year. Maintaining that position, as well as writing articles and shouldering a full course load at the same time was daunting, but the experiences I gathered were incredible, both in terms of skills and stories.

And now I'm here. That's basically it. The piss and vinegar optimism, and the keep-kicking-until-it-works attitude of the student journalist still lingers on, as I face the prospect of learning what one really has to do to survive professionally in this industry. It's terrifying.

My fascination with journalism finds its roots in an early childhood interest: video gaming journalism. As it stands, the term is mostly an oxymoron. Most gaming news blogs simply regurgitate news releases or make snide comments on rumours, besides the media-standard of previews, reviews, and sneak peeks. I suppose that most of the dialogue just isn't more than that, especially when the comments and online discussion are dominated by piddling fourteen year-old boys on Xbox Live. Dear me, this is turning into a rant.

Nonetheless, gaming journalism still has quality websites, podcasts, and even a magazine or two left. At the same time, gaming is entering the general consciousness. The gaming industry makes more money than film per year now, and things like Rock Band and the Wii are part of everyday dialogue. Still, there needs to be some sort of bridge between the old "core" gamer and the new generation - by "new" I mean the children of this decade but also the mothers, seniors, families and demographics that had previously dismissed it as a passtime for the boys. The two camps can connect. I want to help make this happen.

And isn't journalism, at its core, just about this? Connecting people?