J-Topics

Mar 18, 2011 - Posted by Dana Lacey

The Society for News Design has gathered together some of the most informative infographics produced by news organizations in response to the diasters in Japan. Also worth checking out: SND's "best of digital news design" winners.

Pros vs. joes

Feb 04, 2011 - Posted by Dana Lacey

During the chaos of the G20 summit, news came from many sources--some credible, some incredible. Has journalism degenerated into amateur hour? This week, we feature Michelle Medford's story from the winter issue of The Ryerson Review of Journalism.

The rise (and complications) of citizen photojournalism

Jan 25, 2011 - Posted by Dana Lacey

Considering how easy it is to manipulate a photo, should photos of news events taken by regular people be considered journalism? Jasmine Pazzano explains how two Canadian newspapers are tentatively embracing the citizen cellphone journalist.

Eight Canadian docs receive funding

Jan 06, 2011 - Posted by Dana Lacey

Eight Canadian documentary projects have been awarded cash and no-interest loans worth more than $200,000. These new additions bring the total of Shaw Media-Hot Docs Funds-sponsored documentaries to 62.

Pens and lens: Toronto Star reporters' best photos of 2010

Jan 03, 2011 - Posted by Dana Lacey

At the Toronto Star, there are reporters, and there are photojournalists, and there are "Two-ways" -- Jim Rankin, Dale Brazao and Jim Wilkes. They're the Star's answer to shrinking newsroom budgets: reporters that also take photos. Here's their best shots of 2010.

Scenes of a slippery death

Dec 21, 2010 - Posted by Dana Lacey

The death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, just hours before the 2010 Winter Olympics launched, sparked questions about sports safety—and a debate over TV footage choices. As Connie Monk reports, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council is ready to weigh in.

News flash: strippers smoke semi-nude!

Dec 14, 2010 - Posted by Dana Lacey

Do women on a rooftop in downtown Toronto have a reasonable expectation of privacy? What if they’re in their underwear? The question: where's the wall between private time and public space? Angela Hickman reports on Torontoist’s decision to publish -- and then unpublish -- photos of unsuspecting, nearly-naked strip club employees.

After 70 years, Brenda Starr leaves news beat

Dec 09, 2010 - Posted by Dana Lacey

The redheaded star of long-running comic strip "Brenda Starr, Reporter" will file her last story on Jan. 2. The news follows the departure of another redheaded comic star, Little Orphan Annie, who one reporter notes "ran out of tomorrows six months ago."

Always act normal: Photog explores conflict photojournalism

Nov 30, 2010 - Posted by Dana Lacey

The first rule of conflict photography: never let your boss know you’re anything but “normal.” The second rule: don’t get killed. Photog is a new media mash-up of true stories from conflict photojournalists, quoted verbatim but told as first-person events by the fictional Thomas Smith.

"I am not a decent person. I am a journalist." - War reporter David Axe

Nov 23, 2010 - Posted by Dana Lacey

Earlier this week Bill Nye the Science Guy fainted onstage during a speech. No one bothered to help him -- they were too busy tweeting the news to the world. Commentators immediately started spouting about the passivity of youth, but war journalist David Axe says it's just another case of journalistic objectivity.

Visual Journalism

Straddling the line between journalism and art, "visual journalism" uses tools like photography, video, illustration and multimedia to deliver the story through images, as told by visually literate journalists. In this J-Topic we follow news and trends on the visual communication side of journalism.

The evolution of images in the news business is the story of technology. Yet, from wood cut blocks in the early Illustrated News to modern digital photography and video moved around the globe within seconds of being captured, The image is still about creating visual impact by putting the viewer on the scene...and that doesn't change.

Greg Locke is a photographer and journalist with over 20 years experience in the visual communication news media. He is a contributing editor to NLPress in St. John's, Nfld. and co-founder of Editorial Photographers Canada.