NOW (magazine) — Toronto alternative weekly

Content and typical sections

The publication is known for a mix of journalism and criticism aimed at readers interested in the cultural life of Toronto. Regular material often includes:

• Arts and entertainment reviews (music, film, theatre, visual art)
• Features on local culture and social issues
• City and neighbourhood reporting
• Event listings and nightlife guides
• Classifieds and community notices

History and development

NOW began in the early 1980s as an independent weekly paper serving Toronto’s alternative and cultural communities. It established an online presence in 1993, originally using the domain now.com; the site was later changed to nowtoronto.com around 2000. Over the decades the title adapted to shifts in media consumption by combining free print distribution with a continuously updated website.

Role and importance

As an alternative weekly, NOW has played a role as a marketplace for arts coverage and as a platform for voices outside mainstream daily newspapers. Its reviews and listings have been a resource for artists, performers and audiences, while its reporting has contributed to public conversations about urban life, development and culture in Toronto.

Distinguishing features and notable facts

• Free weekly distribution aimed at urban readers and cultural consumers.
• Combination of critical coverage (reviews, features) and practical information (events, classifieds).
• Longstanding online presence dating to the early commercial web era, with a domain change in 2000.

Though media markets have evolved, NOW remains an example of the alternative weekly format: a compact, locally focused outlet that mixes journalism, criticism and listings to serve a city's cultural scene.