The most influential new-media figures of 2015

Ryan Archibald

Vice Canada

They swear, skateboard and wear their hats askew. They also make compelling content. That’s why Rogers—in search of some corporate cool and the 18 to 34 demographic—agreed to a $100-million joint project with Vice, led by Ryan Archibald, who has worked at the company’s Montreal and Toronto offices for years.  

Jesse Brown

Canadaland

Brown’s profile blew up when, alongside the Star, he broke the Ghomeshi story. Since last fall, the number of downloads per episode of Brown’s media-criticism podcast, Canadaland, has tripled to 30,000. The show is mostly funded by his listeners, some 2,700 of whom pony up a total of almost $15,000 a month.  

Amanda Lang

Bloomberg TV Canada

Michael Bloomberg’s eponymous brand hired Amanda Lang, Canada’s best-known business commentator who isn’t a bald and angry former Dragon. She and the rest of the team—including anchor Pamela Ritchie, poached from rival BNN, plus staff from CBC, City and CTV News—will broadcast from the top of Brookfield Place.  

Craig Silverman

BuzzFeed Canada

BuzzFeed’s June arrival heralded the listification of Canadian media. Silverman, who founded the media watchdog Regret the Error, oversees a team that has produced a bevy of hilarious listicles, Trudeau-related slideshows, conversation-generating appearances on CBC panels and a few old-school scoops, too.