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How does one become a Media Mogul? I have asked the question before and sought to provide some answers. Today I've decided to take a closer look at Canada's very own moguls, eight in number, wanting to see if there were any common characteristics. Is there a magic formula? The answer is no but there is certainly a big argument to be found on the benefits of holding public offices.

What are these papers? Who writes for them? What are their claims to fame? Are they worth the subscription?

(Note: article numbers have been edited to remove duplicates as much as possible and may be off by a few... going through 30 pages of articles takes a long time)

Publication: A Civil Society
Editor: scrabman
Number of Media Mogul medals: 2
Number of subscribers: 2243
Last article: 3 months ago
Total number of articles: 141

Scrabman is an ex-US president who was very well known and very well liked. His claims to fame are his 4 terms as President of our closest friend and ally down South. His office allowed the exposure in a media market (the US) that can sustain a mogul on its own. He attained the coveted medal for the first time 11 months ago. A look at his writing history shows his debut as a blogger that quickly transformed into commentary on the issues of the day, to political and inspirational leader of a nation. He came to Canada 7 months ago and his writing has declined dramatically since then, only publishing 20 times.

Would you subscribe to him today? (Even if you had to pay?) His body of work is extremely informative and well written but he has shown nothing new in 3 months. Based on that, if the slate were wiped clean today, this would not be one of the newspaper you would subscribe to. However, a revival would make this a must read.

Publication: The Scorp Report
Editor: Scorpius
Number of Media Mogul medals: 2
Number of subscribers: 1877
Last article: 16 days ago
Total number of articles: 40

The paper started with Scorpius' congressional platform presentations. He did not find his voice until he rebranded himself as a political commentator and analyst. The media mogul designations came next when he was granted the position of Eden media director. A confessed failed "two-clicker", Scorpius is an active member of the Writers' Guild of Canada (WGC) whose large remaining subscription base can still generate healthy amounts of votes.

Would you subscribe to him today? (Even if you had to pay?) Scorpius is one of the least prolific of Canada's Media Moguls and it is legitimate to ask if he would hold that distinction without the position of Eden media director. His political analysis was a potent and interesting read but short lived. If he returned to that format the answer is yes, the alternative is too casual.

Publication: Canadian Defense Updates
Editor: Canadian National Defense
Number of Media Mogul medals: n/a
Number of subscribers: 1858
Last article: yesterday
Total number of articles: 130

The first of the Government owned publications on this list. Every country has a defense update type of newspaper on its roster, it is a must have for communication purposes with the largely silent mass of citizens. The articles come more or less regularly depending on the administration of the day. They provide simple, easy to follow instructions to readers.

Would you subscribe to him today? (Even if you had to pay?) This should be mandatory for everyone to stay connected. Although most can and will do as they please, this paper provides direct line from the leadership of the nation to the newest of citizens. Direction, especially in times of crisis, is always nice to have.

Publication: The Merchantman
Editor: Jacobi
Number of Media Mogul medals: 1
Number of subscribers: 1580
Last article: yesterday
Total number of articles: 142

Jacobi started the Merchantman as a daily economic blog. Like scrabman in the US, his articles slowly evolved as his political career took off. The transformative moment came with the invasion of North America and the occupation of Canada. Jacobi being the President at the time became the voice of the nation in exile. The Merchantman served the same purpose as other government publications to keep Canadians connected and informed. It is a member paper of the WGC.

Would you subscribe to him today? (Even if you had to pay?) Jacobi has always been opinionated. Luckily for his readers, he has always been capable of expressing those opinions in a clear and accessible manner. When the Merchantman publishes, it is usually topical and of general interest to the citizens of Canada. Because he still stays current and is an informed voice in our media, this remains a very good subscription.

Publication: eCBC-eSRC
Editor: Ministry of Information
Number of Media Mogul medals: n/a
Number of subscribers: 1287
Last article: 2 days ago
Total number of articles: 156

The eCBC is the second government owned publication on this list. It has gone through multiple talented and capable editors but most of the credit for its present success and following can be attributed to Greg McNeish. He is the one who shifted the emphasis to cover what is going on in every day Canadian life as well as highlighting worthwhile media articles and endeavours.

Would you subscribe to him today? (Even if you had to pay?) Greg's schedule has been such that the eCBC has faded in the background a little. However, others have proven themselves capable of taking up the reigns. With the mandate being expanded to cover Congress activities, this remains an important publication and so well deserves your subscription.

Publication: The Guns of August
Editor: Augustus Baldwin
Number of Media Mogul medals: 1
Number of subscribers: 1270
Last article: yesterday
Total number of articles: 123

From its inception, the Guns of August was meant as a vehicle for social commentary. In recent, and not so recent times, it has become one of the premier satirical papers. A long silence made many wonder if Augustus Baldwin had retired for good but friends and colleagues kept the professional polemicist alive and he has since returned to active duty.

Would you subscribe to him today? (Even if you had to pay?) Any paper that takes the positions Augustus Baldwin has will generate a fanatical following as well as pointed detractors. If you like his brand of humour and satire, then you cannot go without. If on the other hand his articles leave you rather underwhelmed (or worse, if you find them insulting), then best to move along.

Publication: The Polar News
Editor: nea milosu
Number of Media Mogul medals: 1
Number of subscribers: 1148
Last article: today
Total number of articles: 250 (46)

This is without a doubt the paper with the most interesting history behind it. Originally published by Banach under the moniker of Ottawa Guardian, it was sold to nea milosu with already a substantial subscription base. The new ownership took the paper international to garner as many new subscribers as it could and it worked. Of the 249 articles in its archives (the most on this list by a fair margin), only 46 have been published as The Polar News. It is a member paper of the WGC.

Would you subscribe to him today? (Even if you had to pay?) This is a difficult one to gauge. At first glance the paper appears slightly light weight but then there is the Fram Awards. If you are a fan of "award" or "list" type articles (I am) then you will be happy with The Polar News. The occasional analysis and presentation articles have also shown us that Fram is one of Canada's more intelligent thinkers. His contributions to No Pants, No Secrets is priceless. So depending on taste, a potentially very good newspaper.

Publication: The Meaning of Life
Editor: jbdivinus
Number of Media Mogul medals: 1
Number of subscribers: 1041
Last article: yesterday
Total number of articles: 111

The most interesting thing about the papers of the remaining Beta-giants is that they provide intriguing snapshots of life in a different New World. Like The Ottawa Guardian and The Guns of August, you can infer a little of what it was like in the time of the city mayors, politics at the time and war with the US. The biggest boost to jbdivinus though has come recently with a series of high profile positions: President of Canada, Eden assistant Supreme Commander and the voice of SHIELD.

Would you subscribe to him today? (Even if you had to pay?) jbdivinus has always provided a publication with high visual content. The tone is often light (or more recently "chaotic&quot😉. He makes sure that he is never far from the corridors of power. Like Augustus Baldwin, he is not likely to leave you indifferent. If you like his visual style and all over the place commentary, this is a paper for you. He has the added benefit of seeing his peak popularity being right now.

So those were Canada's Media Moguls. With the exception of the Government sponsored publications, all of those editors have had important success internationally. The truth is that the Canadian market is modest and unless you hold a very visual public office, the vote and subscription count will remain lower.

Out of curiosity I wanted to see how this paper would line up against them if I used the same format. How close or far is the Freeholder Press from entering the ranks of moguls?

Publication: The Freeholder Press
Editor: Alias Vision
Number of Media Mogul medals: 0
Number of subscribers: 644
Last article: today
Total number of articles: 64

The Freeholder Press has had generally positive reviews. The most controversial articles being the staple Top 10 Most Influential Canadians that has generated some interesting commentary. Like all papers who have been around for a long time, this one has gone through periods of inactivity followed by bursts of publications trying to captivate, entertain and inform its readers. Compared with the papers above, this one still needs to write a fair amount of articles to have a body of work that is comparable (I'm working on that). It is a member paper of the WGC.

Would you subscribe to him today? (Even if you had to pay?) The biased response is... yes of course. The main barrier is that the writing is often involved, leading to the tl:dr phenomenon (...ahem...). When venturing outside of its comfort zone, the articles have been hit and miss (entertainment pieces really need help). I have tried and will continue to try to come up with articles that may have resonance internationally and so maybe one day the illusive media mogul medal will be within reach.

Now if I could just find a way to not lose subscribers with each article...