J-Topics

Tips for journalists covering violent protests

May 04, 2012 - Posted by Belinda Alzner

Conflict training is traditionally thought of to be of use for reporters going overseas to cover wars that are occurring far from home. But with the escalation of violence towards journalists in the Montreal student protests and the persistence of the Occupy protests, journalists working for a hometown outlet can find themselves working in potentially violent protests.

Has there been a shift in the way suicide is reported?

Apr 30, 2012 - Posted by Belinda Alzner

The conversation surrounding how we report on issues as sensitive as suicide continues. Melanie Coulson, a senior online editor at The Ottawa Citizen, a journalism instructor at Carleton University, and someone who has direct experience with it, looks at the shift in the reporting of suicide over the years.

Journalists victims of police and protester violence in Montreal student demonstrations

Apr 26, 2012 - Posted by Belinda Alzner

Sound bombs, tear gas, paintballs, broken windows, shouting, car chases, helicopter noise, police sirens ...downtown Montreal looked like a war zone last night as demonstrators and police engaged in yet another confrontation as the 75-day strike against rising tuition fees continues. At the heart of the action, the journalists were caught in the crossfire.

New medical training sessions for freelance journalists

Apr 19, 2012 - Posted by Belinda Alzner

It was the loss of a friend that prompted Sebastian Junger to start Reporters Instructed in Saving Colleages. With the inaugural session taking place this week in New York City, RISC will provide medical training to freelancers and journalists who may not otherwise have access to these life-saving skills.

Of reporting Tori Stafford’s final day, news organizations take different approaches

Mar 21, 2012 - Posted by Belinda Alzner

Let’s face it: There is no easy way to report on a trial in which the details of the rape and murder of eight-year-old Tori Stafford are given. Belinda Alzner looks at the history of the case, the dichotomy between the public's reaction to the coverage and news organizations' understanding of their duty to report it and explains how and why some organizations have decided to take different approaches to their coverage.

Upcoming event highlights dangers facing Mexican journalists

Mar 21, 2012 - Posted by Belinda Alzner

The Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma, in association with the International News Safety Institute, will present “The War Within: The Plight of Mexican Journalists” on Friday evening, March 30th at 6:30 pm in the Upper Library at Massey College in Toronto.

Capturing the aftermath of war: Helping child soldiers tell their own stories

Mar 06, 2012 - Posted by Nicole Blanchett Neheli

Photojournalist Marc Ellison spent last summer working with female, former child soldiers in war-ravaged northern Uganda. Conscious of resentful attitudes to journalists, Ellison adopted a unique, 'anthropographic' approach in his examination of the issues these former combatants continue to face in their post-conflict lives: He helped them tell their own stories.

What role does Facebook 'creeping' play in news coverage?

Feb 27, 2012 - Posted by Belinda Alzner

What do you think? When a family makes a request after losing a loved one, how should a news organization approach its coverage? Should they respect their wishes, or strive to provide a public snapshot of a life?

Lara Logan on Marie Colvin's death: 'I feel guilty. I feel a little bit responsible'

Feb 23, 2012 - Posted by Belinda Alzner

Lara Logan, CBS chief foreign correspondent, appeared on CBS This Morning to speak about Marie Colvin, a foreign reporter for the Sunday Times who was killed yesterday in Syria, and about the challenges foreign reporters face in cases of extreme civil unrest.

Challenging the way journalists report sexual assault

Feb 22, 2012 - Posted by Belinda Alzner

Warning: The following article contains disturbing details. But should it? In the latest issue of the King's Journalism Review, Marie Hanifen explores the delicate balance required to report on sexual assault cases and the point at which including details becomes gratuitous.