Inori Roy
@royinori.bsky.social
Not here much! Toronto journalist, editor at @thelocal.to, reach me at inori@thelocal.to. she/her
Pinned
Inori Roy
@royinori.bsky.social
· Nov 13
What 311 Complaints Say About Your Neighbourhood | The Local
From wealthy neighbours griping about shrubbery to low-income tenants requesting winter heat—a map of 311 requests charts a certain kind of civic engagement, and privilege.
thelocal.to
An intro: I'm a Toronto-based feature writer & editor at @thelocal.to magazine, covering a bunch of stuff - health, education, climate, more. DMs open, or email me at inori@thelocal.to. And check out my latest story, on the geography and politics of complaint in Toronto: thelocal.to/toronto-311-...
Reposted by Inori Roy
As MPPs vote on Bill 33, check out @royinori.bsky.social's analysis of what it would mean for colleges and universities thelocal.to/bill-33-onta...
Doug Ford Is Trying to Control How Universities Operate | The Local
Ontario’s Bill 33 mandates merit-based admissions and gives the province unprecedented power over university and college operations. Is it part of a broader right-wing crackdown on campuses?
thelocal.to
November 19, 2025 at 4:48 PM
As MPPs vote on Bill 33, check out @royinori.bsky.social's analysis of what it would mean for colleges and universities thelocal.to/bill-33-onta...
Reposted by Inori Roy
“If Stephen Glass and the other late 20th century fakers were looking for the prestige and power that came with journalism in that moment, then this generation’s internet scammers are scavenging in the wreckage of a degraded media environment” #longreads thelocal.to/investigatin...
Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism’s AI Era | The Local
A suspicious pitch from a freelancer led editor Nicholas Hune-Brown to dig into their past work. By the end, four publications, including The Guardian and Dwell, had removed articles from their sites.
thelocal.to
November 19, 2025 at 3:52 PM
“If Stephen Glass and the other late 20th century fakers were looking for the prestige and power that came with journalism in that moment, then this generation’s internet scammers are scavenging in the wreckage of a degraded media environment” #longreads thelocal.to/investigatin...
"Every media era gets the fabulists it deserves." You will want to read this investigation on how The Local's Nick HUne-Brown uncovered what seems to be an ambitious AI journalism scam that's hit major publications worldwide.
A suspicious pitch from a freelancer led editor @nickhunebrown.bsky.social to investigate their past work. In the end, four publications, including The Guardian and Dwell, removed articles from their sites. thelocal.to/investigatin...
Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism’s AI Era | The Local
A suspicious pitch from a freelancer led editor Nicholas Hune-Brown to dig into their past work. By the end, four publications, including The Guardian and Dwell, had removed articles from their sites.
thelocal.to
November 19, 2025 at 4:17 PM
"Every media era gets the fabulists it deserves." You will want to read this investigation on how The Local's Nick HUne-Brown uncovered what seems to be an ambitious AI journalism scam that's hit major publications worldwide.
Reposted by Inori Roy
A few months ago @thelocal.to got a promising pitch from a writer with bylines in whole bunch of reputable publications—The Cut, The Guardian, Dwell, Architectural Digest, etc. Then I started investigating. Here's a story about fabulists in journalism's AI slop era. thelocal.to/investigatin...
Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism’s AI Era | The Local
A suspicious pitch from a freelancer led editor Nicholas Hune-Brown to dig into their past work. By the end, four publications, including The Guardian and Dwell, had removed articles from their sites.
thelocal.to
November 19, 2025 at 2:10 PM
A few months ago @thelocal.to got a promising pitch from a writer with bylines in whole bunch of reputable publications—The Cut, The Guardian, Dwell, Architectural Digest, etc. Then I started investigating. Here's a story about fabulists in journalism's AI slop era. thelocal.to/investigatin...
Have you read the final story in The Local's Higher Education issue? Olivia Bowden digs deep on how U of T handles sexual violence allegations eight years on from the Me Too movement.
Catch up on the final story of The Local's Higher Education issue: "Experts and advocates The Local spoke with say schools seem increasingly concerned about saving money, and reluctant to devote resources to sexual violence response, especially at Ontario universities."
What Happened to the Campus Me Too Movement? | The Local
Without enough brothers to fill their houses, some fraternities have begun renting rooms to non-students desperate for cheap rent. The results have been messy.
thelocal.to
November 11, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Have you read the final story in The Local's Higher Education issue? Olivia Bowden digs deep on how U of T handles sexual violence allegations eight years on from the Me Too movement.
"Today, we are all witnesses. But the assumption that once gave value to the act of witnessing has proven to be completely untrue when it comes to Palestine."
For the @thestar.com, I spoke to Saeed Teebi about his best-selling new memoir, "You Will Not Kill Our Imagination."
It's a book about living in exile, and how the silencing of Palestinian stories has paved the way for Israel's campaign of annihilation.
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
It's a book about living in exile, and how the silencing of Palestinian stories has paved the way for Israel's campaign of annihilation.
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Richie Assaly: Storytelling as an act of resistance: Saeed Teebi on why he reevaluated his priorities as a writer
In his new memoir “You Will Not Kill Our Imagination” Teebi moves from fiction to non-fiction, with searing commentary about the war in Gaza.
www.thestar.com
October 23, 2025 at 7:28 PM
"Today, we are all witnesses. But the assumption that once gave value to the act of witnessing has proven to be completely untrue when it comes to Palestine."
“The people who were removed today are our friends and our community...They are people who have already suffered a tremendous amount of trauma and displacement, and who have now been subjected to the same again.” Essential reporting from Eric on one of the most morally urgent crises of our time.
Municipalities across Ontario are (or are attempting) to clear local homeless encampments. These crackdowns come without an answer to the simple question, where are people supposed to go?
Ontario Cities Are Clearing Homeless Encampments. Where Are People Supposed to Go?
Amidst a housing crisis with no end in sight, municipalities across the province have been cracking down on the unhoused
pressprogress.ca
October 23, 2025 at 7:27 PM
“The people who were removed today are our friends and our community...They are people who have already suffered a tremendous amount of trauma and displacement, and who have now been subjected to the same again.” Essential reporting from Eric on one of the most morally urgent crises of our time.
Reposted by Inori Roy
Applications for our Early-Career Journalism Fellowship are now open! The fellowship, a joint undertaking with @thephilanthropist.ca, provides one Black and/or Indigenous journalist an opportunity to write about issues that matter to their community and civil society. thelocal.to/early-career...
Early-Career Journalism Fellowship
The fellowship provides one Black and/or Indigenous journalist an opportunity to write about issues that matter to their community and civil society.
thelocal.to
October 22, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Applications for our Early-Career Journalism Fellowship are now open! The fellowship, a joint undertaking with @thephilanthropist.ca, provides one Black and/or Indigenous journalist an opportunity to write about issues that matter to their community and civil society. thelocal.to/early-career...
Looking forward to this Sunday's Cover to Cover magazine mini-conference, hosted by Issues Magazine Shop! I'll be talking about assigning with care with Stacy Lee Kong,
Jalani Morgan, and Nichole Jankowski. Tickets at the link! www.eventbrite.ca/e/cover-to-c...
Jalani Morgan, and Nichole Jankowski. Tickets at the link! www.eventbrite.ca/e/cover-to-c...
Cover to Cover: A Mini Magazine Conference
Join us for a one–day conference that celebrates the people, ideas, and stories shaping magazines today.
www.eventbrite.ca
October 21, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Looking forward to this Sunday's Cover to Cover magazine mini-conference, hosted by Issues Magazine Shop! I'll be talking about assigning with care with Stacy Lee Kong,
Jalani Morgan, and Nichole Jankowski. Tickets at the link! www.eventbrite.ca/e/cover-to-c...
Jalani Morgan, and Nichole Jankowski. Tickets at the link! www.eventbrite.ca/e/cover-to-c...
Reposted by Inori Roy
In reading about the murder of fifty-nine-year-old Kenneth Lee, journalist @royinori.bsky.social sometimes found the use of the term “swarm” melodramatic. Then she saw the footage of the girls who attacked him. thewalrus.ca/why-did-a-group-...
October 21, 2025 at 2:01 PM
In reading about the murder of fifty-nine-year-old Kenneth Lee, journalist @royinori.bsky.social sometimes found the use of the term “swarm” melodramatic. Then she saw the footage of the girls who attacked him. thewalrus.ca/why-did-a-group-...
Reposted by Inori Roy
Alberta’s education system has become the latest front in a growing political and ideological struggle. Journalist @melwoods.me investigates how far-right movements mirroring those found in the US have made their way into classrooms north of the border: thewalrus.ca/the-battle-brewi...
October 18, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Alberta’s education system has become the latest front in a growing political and ideological struggle. Journalist @melwoods.me investigates how far-right movements mirroring those found in the US have made their way into classrooms north of the border: thewalrus.ca/the-battle-brewi...
Reposted by Inori Roy
Despite being a huge fan of pulp, hardboiled, gritty crime fiction and noir films, books, comics and games, I’m not usually into true crime stories but once in a while an event like this comes along that fascinates me
thewalrus.ca/why-did-a-gr...
thewalrus.ca/why-did-a-gr...
Why Did a Group of Teenage Girls Kill a Man in a Downtown Toronto Parkette? | The Walrus
Inside the crime that shocked a city—and the courtroom drama that followed
thewalrus.ca
October 20, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Despite being a huge fan of pulp, hardboiled, gritty crime fiction and noir films, books, comics and games, I’m not usually into true crime stories but once in a while an event like this comes along that fascinates me
thewalrus.ca/why-did-a-gr...
thewalrus.ca/why-did-a-gr...
This is a story in which the vulnerable hurt the vulnerable. It's about power, attention, and group violence. It's also a story of race, girlhood, substance use, and growing up during COVID. I wrote about the killing of Kenneth Lee by eight teenage girls in downtown Toronto. A thread:
In the early hours of December 18, 2022, eight girls were arrested and charged with the murder of an unhoused man in Toronto. Who were the girls? What exactly had they done? And why? Journalist @royinori.bsky.social unpacks the story behind the shocking headline: thewalrus.ca/why-did-a-group-...
October 20, 2025 at 7:59 PM
This is a story in which the vulnerable hurt the vulnerable. It's about power, attention, and group violence. It's also a story of race, girlhood, substance use, and growing up during COVID. I wrote about the killing of Kenneth Lee by eight teenage girls in downtown Toronto. A thread:
@nickhunebrown.bsky.social's feature epic about Woodbine racetrack is about so much more than just the storied establishment. It's a comprehensive look at the past & future of gambling, the romance of the races, how bettors get their thrills now, and changing perceptions around animals as assets.
1. “ Breakdown at the Racetrack” @nickhunebrown.bsky.social
"Given that Ontario props up racing because wagering alone is not enough to fund purses, the spate of carnage raises hard questions about precisely what the government is subsidizing."
thelocal.to/breakdown-at...
"Given that Ontario props up racing because wagering alone is not enough to fund purses, the spate of carnage raises hard questions about precisely what the government is subsidizing."
thelocal.to/breakdown-at...
Breakdown at the Racetrack | The Local
Once a lucrative gambling business, Ontario's horse racing industry is now heavily subsidized by the government. As gamblers turn to online gaming, and ideas about animal welfare shift, a cluster of f...
thelocal.to
October 19, 2025 at 9:59 PM
@nickhunebrown.bsky.social's feature epic about Woodbine racetrack is about so much more than just the storied establishment. It's a comprehensive look at the past & future of gambling, the romance of the races, how bettors get their thrills now, and changing perceptions around animals as assets.
Reposted by Inori Roy
In light of the encampment clearings at Dufferin Grove Park, it's worth revising this stellar piece by @brendoherty.bsky.social and Nick Kozak in @thelocal.to thelocal.to/toronto-enca...
Another Year, Another Encampment, Another Eviction | The Local
For years, unhoused people like Davit Sesisheili have gone from park to park, moving when the City evicts them. With new data, and reporting and photography that spans years, this is the most comprehe...
thelocal.to
October 2, 2025 at 2:35 PM
In light of the encampment clearings at Dufferin Grove Park, it's worth revising this stellar piece by @brendoherty.bsky.social and Nick Kozak in @thelocal.to thelocal.to/toronto-enca...
Reposted by Inori Roy
Love to see my @thelocal.to story on Ontario horse racing make the @longreads.com weekly Top 5!
In our Weekly Top 5:
* Subsidizing carnage @thelocal.to
* “Best” American poetry @defector.com
* Frail fibers @theguardian.com
* A crabby savior @theamscho.bsky.social
* Feline fealty @thesunmagazine.bsky.social
longreads.com/2025/10/03/t...
* Subsidizing carnage @thelocal.to
* “Best” American poetry @defector.com
* Frail fibers @theguardian.com
* A crabby savior @theamscho.bsky.social
* Feline fealty @thesunmagazine.bsky.social
longreads.com/2025/10/03/t...
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week - Longreads
Showcasing stories from Nicholas Hune-Brown, Nick Sturm, Samanth Subramanian, Kristin Idaszak, and Sy Safransky.
longreads.com
October 3, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Love to see my @thelocal.to story on Ontario horse racing make the @longreads.com weekly Top 5!
Reposted by Inori Roy
I admire all of @thelocal.to reporting, and this piece on Woodbine racetrack is a banger. I love horse racing, even though it's a pretty dark sport. @nickhunebrown.bsky.social confronts the darkness, the economics, and the doomy shadow over the backstretch. Great writing too!
A quick 🧵 on my @thelocal.to feature on Woodbine Racetrack, the economics of horse racing, and how to think about racehorses as ideas about animal-human relations shift. #longreads 1/ thelocal.to/breakdown-at...
Breakdown at the Racetrack | The Local
Once a lucrative gambling business, Ontario's horse racing industry is now heavily subsidized by the government. As gamblers turn to online gaming, and ideas about animal welfare shift, a cluster of f...
thelocal.to
September 26, 2025 at 3:21 PM
I admire all of @thelocal.to reporting, and this piece on Woodbine racetrack is a banger. I love horse racing, even though it's a pretty dark sport. @nickhunebrown.bsky.social confronts the darkness, the economics, and the doomy shadow over the backstretch. Great writing too!
Reposted by Inori Roy
A quick 🧵 on my @thelocal.to feature on Woodbine Racetrack, the economics of horse racing, and how to think about racehorses as ideas about animal-human relations shift. #longreads 1/ thelocal.to/breakdown-at...
Breakdown at the Racetrack | The Local
Once a lucrative gambling business, Ontario's horse racing industry is now heavily subsidized by the government. As gamblers turn to online gaming, and ideas about animal welfare shift, a cluster of f...
thelocal.to
September 26, 2025 at 2:44 PM
A quick 🧵 on my @thelocal.to feature on Woodbine Racetrack, the economics of horse racing, and how to think about racehorses as ideas about animal-human relations shift. #longreads 1/ thelocal.to/breakdown-at...
Local fellow Moyo Lawuyi went looking for a temperature check on the class of 2026's outlook for the future. What she found was unexpected optimism, and resilience: thelocal.to/the-future-a...
The Future, According to the Class of 2026 | The Local
We spent our teen years under COVID lockdowns, and now face an uncertain path shaped by climate change, AI, and shifting geopolitics. But my fellow students and I are holding out hope for better days ...
thelocal.to
October 19, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Local fellow Moyo Lawuyi went looking for a temperature check on the class of 2026's outlook for the future. What she found was unexpected optimism, and resilience: thelocal.to/the-future-a...
On Canadian campuses, Chinese students are offered new opportunities to protest or openly criticize the Chinese government - but they also fear the fallout back home. Local fellow Vikram Nijhawan has put years of thought into this story about the risks facing a new generation finding their voice:
“You looked nice, and didn’t look like a spy. But I don’t know, you still could be.” Local Fellow Vikram Nijhawan on why Chinese student activists in Canada live in fear. thelocal.to/chinese-inte...
Why Chinese Student Activists Live in Fear on Canadian Campuses | The Local
From death threats to surveillance and intimidation by their government, Chinese students at Canadian universities feel the chill of transnational repression.
thelocal.to
October 19, 2025 at 9:39 PM
On Canadian campuses, Chinese students are offered new opportunities to protest or openly criticize the Chinese government - but they also fear the fallout back home. Local fellow Vikram Nijhawan has put years of thought into this story about the risks facing a new generation finding their voice:
Reposted by Inori Roy
The Toronto Lands Corporation, the TDSB subsidiary that manages the school board’s $20 billion-worth of land, had ambitious plans for Toronto’s new communities. What will happen to that real estate, now that the province has taken over? thelocal.to/tdsb-takeove...
What Happens to TDSB’s $20 Billion Worth of Land Under Provincial Supervision? | The Local
The TDSB is one of Toronto’s largest landowners. When the province took over the board, it also took over its subsidiary that manages its properties—and it’s not saying what’s next.
thelocal.to
September 23, 2025 at 4:56 PM
The Toronto Lands Corporation, the TDSB subsidiary that manages the school board’s $20 billion-worth of land, had ambitious plans for Toronto’s new communities. What will happen to that real estate, now that the province has taken over? thelocal.to/tdsb-takeove...
Reposted by Inori Roy
This report on Chinese students in Canada fearing transnational reprisal for their activism here was so interesting, @thelocal.to does absolutely fantastic reporting thelocal.to/chinese-inte...
Why Chinese Student Activists Live in Fear on Canadian Campuses | The Local
From death threats to surveillance and intimidation by their government, Chinese students at Canadian universities feel the chill of transnational repression.
thelocal.to
September 24, 2025 at 4:51 PM
This report on Chinese students in Canada fearing transnational reprisal for their activism here was so interesting, @thelocal.to does absolutely fantastic reporting thelocal.to/chinese-inte...
Reposted by Inori Roy
Wrote about the dire straits of York University, which like many in Ontario is cutting its programming and employee ranks down to the bone. For decades, York has brought higher education to some of the most disadvantaged communities in the GTA -- the loss of this would be incalculable.
“We could no longer work things out.” Our Higher Education series continues with Sabika Zaidi and @kunalchaudhary.bsky.social on how York University lost the trust of its community. thelocal.to/york-univers...
How York University Lost the Trust of Its Community | The Local
After program closures, questionable major capital projects, and increasingly fractious labour relations, what is the future of York University?
thelocal.to
October 15, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Wrote about the dire straits of York University, which like many in Ontario is cutting its programming and employee ranks down to the bone. For decades, York has brought higher education to some of the most disadvantaged communities in the GTA -- the loss of this would be incalculable.
Questionable spending choices, a repair backlog, layoffs and buyouts, shuttered programs. An incisive view from the inside at the fraught state of affairs at York University:
“The problems faced by York University, like many other universities in Ontario, should be understood first and foremost as a failure of successive provincial governments to invest in post-secondary education.” thelocal.to/york-univers...
How York University Lost the Trust of Its Community | The Local
After program closures, questionable major capital projects, and increasingly fractious labour relations, what is the future of York University?
thelocal.to
October 19, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Questionable spending choices, a repair backlog, layoffs and buyouts, shuttered programs. An incisive view from the inside at the fraught state of affairs at York University:
Reposted by Inori Roy
This is a really interesting and thorough article. A lot of what I’ve heard from people who work at and consult for York is made clear here. Great reporting.
“We could no longer work things out.” Our Higher Education series continues with Sabika Zaidi and @kunalchaudhary.bsky.social on how York University lost the trust of its community. thelocal.to/york-univers...
How York University Lost the Trust of Its Community | The Local
After program closures, questionable major capital projects, and increasingly fractious labour relations, what is the future of York University?
thelocal.to
October 15, 2025 at 5:09 PM
This is a really interesting and thorough article. A lot of what I’ve heard from people who work at and consult for York is made clear here. Great reporting.