Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS)

Teens across Toronto are buying illicit nicotine pouches. Now convenience stores want to sell them legally – should we let them? Health professionals worry that rather than helping users quit smoking, the pouches could addict users and lead to cigarette smoking and vaping later.

“Zynfluencers.”

It’s the nickname for influencers promoting nicotine pouches to their audiences online.

In a recent @thestar.com article, FIMS professor Daniel Robinson explains how the strategy echoes tactics that once made cigarettes seem glamorous.

Read more:
www.thestar.com/business/tee...

Happy Western Day! 💜

Today we acknowledge our founding in 1878! Wear your #WesternU gear proudly, attend research webinars, save 18.78% on Western gear and more.

Learn more: buff.ly/99XNoVw

Mark your calendar! ✏️

Western Libraries' "In Conversation with..." series continues March 4 with @smithsarah.bsky.social (@westernufims.bsky.social) discussing her book "Trading on Art".

Noon–1 p.m., Scholars Lab, Weldon (ground floor) #WesternU

All welcome, no registration required!

Western University alumni appointed to Order of Ontario - Western News Western University alumni, including one professor, were appointed to the Order of Ontario for their contributions to improve lives across the province.

Professor Amanda Grzyb and alum Tracy Moore are among the 30 influential leaders appointed to the Order of Ontario, the province's highest civilian honour.

Please join us in congratulating them on this achievement!

news.westernu.ca/2026/02/west...

Graduate students are digitizing Black history as Canadian history Though Black history is often underrepresented and erased from history, Nassisse Solomon, Neisa Long and Omar Pusey are using the digital age to highlight Black history.

Though Black history is often underrepresented and erased from history, Nassisse Solomon, Neisa Long and Omar Pusey are using the digital age to highlight Black history.

westerngazette.ca/graduate-stu...

How does surveillance affect academic inquiry? What happens when research data becomes inaccessible?

We'll explore these questions & more at our panel Feb 26, 1:00-2:30 PM, Scholars Lab, Weldon Library.

Co-hosted w/ @westernufims.bsky.social

Register: bit.ly/Book-Bans-Pa...

#WesternU

Intellectual freedom is being challenged across research and public discourse. What can academic communities do in response?

On Feb. 26, join our panel discussion on intellectual freedom in the digital age.

Co-hosted w/ @westernufims.bsky.social

www.uwo.ca/events/2026/...

#WesternU

Why this Canadian teen is hopeful for the future of Venezuela Now that Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has been ousted, this Canadian teen is hopeful that Venezuelans are on their way to a better future.

What does political change feel like when it’s personal?

A CBC Kids News article centers a Canadian teen’s perspective on the future of Venezuela, alongside insight from FIMS professor Juan Andrés Bello on democracy, power, and what may come next after Maduro’s removal.

www.cbc.ca/kidsnews/pos...

The race to make AI adorable was on full display at CES Robots for seniors, AI pals for women, and laptops are embracing the power of cute -- for better or worse.

AI companies are embracing the “power of cuteness,” and it’s not accidental.

In a recent @washingtonpost.com article, FIMS professor @lukestark.bsky.social shares insight into why this design strategy works on humans — for better or worse.

www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

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Only four more days until @oddletters.bsky.social comes to @westernu.ca to speak @westernufims.bsky.social on the right wing history of venture capital!

Register here: uwo.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Angela Murphy holds Western's Asper Fellowship in Media - Western News From bookworm to foreign editor: Globe and Mail's Angela Murphy takes up Asper Fellowship in Media at Western University.

From the newsroom to #WesternU’s classrooms —Angela Murphy, foreign editor of the @theglobeandmail.com, is the 2026 Asper Fellow. She's ready to guide the next generation of journalists (and learn from them, too). Read more about her journey. @westernufims.bsky.social

Dreams and Mycelium: Mapping the Endless Network of Existence How fungus and Freud converge to illuminate a deep ecology of mind, nature, and human ancestry.

What do dreams and mycelium have in common?

According to Professor Sharon Sliwinski, both form networks of connection that bind us to each other, our ancestors and the living world.

Read more from her new book An Alphabet for Dreamers: thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/dreams-and-m...

Angela Murphy holds Western's Asper Fellowship in Media - Western News From bookworm to foreign editor: Globe and Mail's Angela Murphy takes up Asper Fellowship in Media at Western University.

Exciting news at #WesternUFIMS:
Angela Murphy, Foreign Editor at The Globe and Mail, has been named the 2026 Asper Fellow in Media.

Learn more about her path into journalism and what she hopes to bring to the classroom this year: news.westernu.ca/2025/11/ange...

Check out FIMS alum Carleigh Bodrug (BA’14) featured in Western Alumni Magazine.

Now a New York Times bestselling author and founder of PlantYou, Carleigh has built a global community — driven by her mission to make plant-based eating accessible.

Read more: magazine.westernu.ca/from-western...

How to nurture your long-distance friendships Being pals from far away requires extra effort and can sometimes mean becoming even closer

How do we stay close when we live far apart? 💭

FIMS professor Anabel Quan-Haase shares insight in The Globe and Mail on how tech helps long-distance friendships thrive.

www.theglobeandmail.com/life/advice/...

Wouldn't it be great to take a quiz and get all the answers right? Complete our 5-minute survey – we guarantee you'll ace it!

You might even win 1 of 15 prizes, including:
- $100 to Amazon, #WesternU eateries, or the Bookstore
- a private study space at Weldon

www.lib.uwo.ca/haveyoursay/...

Expert insight: How to see feedback as a gift - Western News Western researchers tap into how the use of mindfulness can help those waiting for feedback navigate the negative emotions that can come from anticipation.

New in @ca.theconversation.com, researchers at @westernufims.bsky.social and @schulichmeddent.bsky.social share how #mindfulness can make it easier to receive feedback, turning the experience from stress to opportunity.

Cancer research to comms: MMJC grad aims for impact - Western News Garth Finch, BMSc'20, MMJC'25, was researchign melanoma in a lab at Western when he realized he had a different calling - sharing stories about science.

From cancer research to communications, Garth Finch loved his time at #WesternU. Now a two-time grad, he reflected on his “phenomenal” time @westernufims.bsky.social.
“I’ve never felt that sense of being where I’m meant to be before. I'm absolutely there now.” #WesternClassOf2025

Threads that Unite Us weaves solidarity across Western Threads that Unite Us, organized by artist Teresa Cruz and FIMS professor Amanda Grzyb, aimed to foster solidarity and inclusivity among diverse communities by using embroidery as a form of

Threads that Unite Us, organized by artist Teresa Cruz and FIMS professor Amanda Grzyb, aimed to foster solidarity and inclusivity among diverse communities by using embroidery as a form of communication and healing.
westerngazette.ca/culture/thre...

More than a quarter of Canadian teens have experienced sexual violence online A new survey reveals that almost a third of youth have been exposed to technology-facilitated sexual violence. Better protective and educational measures are needed.

More than one in four Canadian teens report experiencing technology-facilitated sexual violence, according to new research by FIMS Charlotte Nau, PhD and Sociology PhD student Estefania Reyes, published in @ca.theconversation.com

CBC Radio Quirks & Quarks: 50th Anniversary Episode YouTube video by Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

FIMS Professor Luke Stark joined CBC’s Quirks & Quarks 50th anniversary special, recorded live at the Perimeter Institute.

He discussed the history and future of AI and computer technology — part of a look at how the past 50 years of discovery will shape the next 50. www.youtube.com/live/w63qjrD...

It’s official, we are all in! Join us as we continue to drive impactful change for Canada and the world. There's so much to be proud of and so much more to do. #AllinWesternU

Learn more: allin.westernu.ca?utm_medium=s...

Canada’s $43-billion subsidy scheme for critical minerals misses supply chain steps Canadian officials have pledged more than $43 billion in subsidies to create new low-carbon supply chains. A new study identifies some problems.

Canada’s $43B subsidies for critical minerals may be missing the mark.

In The Conversation, Chris Arsenault, with co-authors Philippe Le Billon and Raphael Deberdt, examines why processing is the weak link in Canada’s critical minerals strategy.

theconversation.com/canadas-43-b...

Motivating mottos can be grammatically tricky for NHL teams. Just ask the Leafs

Grammar vs. grit.
Assistant Professor Chris Arsenault breaks down the slip-ups behind NHL team slogans in The Athletic.
🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/663...

PhD student explores digital foodscapes on social media - Western News Health information science PhD candidate Prabu Nadaraja studies digital foodscapes and their impact on Tamil immigrants in Ontario.

#WesternU PhD student Prabu Nadaraja studies digital foodscapes, environments where people engage with food content. "Online communities are already reshaping our economic and political systems, making it essential to study their impact on public health." @westernufims.bsky.social

Lawsuits allege AI chatbots have pushed kids to die by suicide. Is the technology safe for children? Several wrongful death lawsuits are unfolding in the U.S. involving suicide deaths of teens who formed relationships with chatbots.

There may be a dark side to your chatbot friend.

FIMS professor Luke Stark, along with education professor Colin King and Western's chief AI officer Mark Daley, share expert insight on the potential psychological harms of building relationships with AI chatbots.

nationalpost.com/news/science...

Join #WesternU in celebrating #BlackHistoryMonth — a time to honour and celebrate the legacy of Black Canadians and their communities. Check out details on events hosted by the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion throughout February: blackhistory.uwo.ca

A headshot of Cameron Bailey, with text that reads, "Black Excellence with Cameron Bailey - Wednesday, February 5, 1 to 2 p.m., McKellar Room, UCC"

Join the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and @westernualumni.bsky.social in welcoming #WesternU alum Cameron Bailey, CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival, for a #BlackHistoryMonth talk on Wednesday, Feb. 5.

Admission is free – reserve a spot: www.eventbrite.com/e/black-exce...

Banner that reads, "Redefining Black History: Exhibition of Resilience and Enduring Legacies. Thursday, February 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Weldon Community Room"

On Thursday, Feb. 6, explore a walk-in exhibit at #WesternU's Weldon Library, celebrating the resilience, strength and unity of the Black community.

No registration required - see details here: www.eventbrite.com/e/redefining...

#BlackHistoryMonth