J-Topics

A PC majority in Alberta: The narrative the media missed

Apr 24, 2012 - Posted by Belinda Alzner

Surging Wildrose vs. a disenchanted PC dynasty: It was an aggressive narrative the media wanted so badly to be true that we—encouraged by dependable polls—urged it along. As Zoey Duncan reports, it wasn’t until the ballot boxes were counted that we realized how utterly we’d all been swept along by so-called opinion polls.

A closer look at Alberta election coverage: tweeters, bloggers and mainstream context

Apr 24, 2012 - Posted by Belinda Alzner

Zoey Duncan explains that though bloggers and tweeters directed much of the coverage of the Alberta provincial election, when it came to mainstream media, amongst all the digital pageantry and Wildrose boosterism, one thing was conspicuously sparse in the coverage—context.

Sixth down after seven months: PM's latest communications chief resigns

Mar 31, 2012 - Posted by Janice Neil

Jane Taber celebrated, leaving the Hill to head the Globe's Atlantic bureau

Nov 30, 2011 - Posted by Belinda Alzner

After more than 20 years of reporting from Parliament Hill, Jane Taber is leaving Ottawa and heading to Halifax. The 53-year-old Globe and Mail reporter is trading in her parliamentary press pass to head up the Globe’s Atlantic bureau this January.

Covering Ontario's election

Sep 28, 2011 - Posted by Lauren McKeon

Toronto Star staff tackled the polling controversy, the ethics of voting, and the plethora of sports cliches in political writing at a panel at Toronto's Word on the Street. J-Source's Rhiannon Russell reports.

Toronto Star endorses NDP; most newspapers choose Conservatives

Apr 30, 2011 - Posted by Janice Neil

For the second time in its history, the newspaper that sees itself as a "small "l" liberal newspaper" is endorsing the NDP in Monday's election. Today's editorial in the Toronto Star calls on voters to "Look to Jack Layton and the New Democrats." That puts the Toronto Star out in, well, left field; it seems virtually every other daily newspaper, plus magazines such as Maclean's and the Economist is endorsing the Conservatives. The Globe and Mail declared: "If the result (of the campaign) is a confident new Parliament, it could help propel Canada into a fresh period of innovation, government reform and global ambition. Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are best positioned to guide Canada there." The National Post, Montreal Gazette, Kitchener-Waterloo Record, Hamilton Spectator, the Sun and the Province in Vancouver, Calgary Herald, Winnipeg Free Press, Windsor Star have more or less agreed.

Reporter's questions to Harper drowned out by partisan supporters?

Apr 24, 2011 - Posted by Janice Neil

More turbulent relations between journalists and Stephen Harper on the campaign trail. A crowed of partisan supporters apparently led by Conservative staffers, created shouting chaos when CBC's Terry Milewski pressed Harper with followup questions.

The incident, in Mississauga on Saturday, followed Milewski's questions about the links between a man acquitted in the Air India bombing and a Conservative candidate. But Bruce Cheadle, of Canadian Press, reports:
"A Conservative staffer near the reporter prompted the crowd of about 500 into sustained, aggressive applause that lasted more than a minute, drowning out the reporter's repeated efforts to get a response from Harper.
The crowd eventually surged to its feet to shield the prime minister from the line of inquiry, while staffers led cheers of "Harper!""

CBC Ombudsman weighs in on decision to exclude May from leaders' debate

Apr 01, 2011 - Posted by Lauren McKeon

CBC Ombudsman Kirk LaPointe has added his voice to the Elizabeth May uproar. While LaPointe has decided not to conduct a review into the Canadian broadcast consortium's decision to exclude the Green Party from the televised leaders' debate, despite what he called "hundreds of complaints", he does have a few choice words for the consortium.

Election 2011: Carleton University launches election blog

Mar 29, 2011 - Posted by Dana Lacey

Carleton University's School of Journalism and Communication has relaunched its election blog, Political Perspectives, first introduced for the 2008 federal election.

2011 election coverage underway

Mar 29, 2011 - Posted by Dana Lacey

We’re off and running - sort of. The federal election campaign period began with the prime minister refusing to talk to journalists. But there’s no stopping the pesky press pack when election fever hits. J-Source has begun tracking the coverage. A recent post calls on journalists to look beyond the ‘coalition accusation’ and dig into the issues. Some early bird observers are calling this Canada’s first social media election, with newsrooms are inviting citizen journalists on board.

For ink junkies, McGill University launches the first installment of its newspaper
content analysis later this week. The Laurier Institute’s popular federal election tracker is up and running, with plenty of numbers already crunched. Throughout the election, share your observations, tips and election angst with your J-Source community. The Town Hall, Canada’s journalism blog, awaits you.