Stanley trial highlights colonialism of Canadian media
Indigenous community members are doing the work to situate Colten Boushie’s life and death within the colonial context. Continue Reading Stanley trial highlights colonialism of Canadian media
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Journalists see 17 per cent jump in public trust
While many journalists will be seeing the trust figures as a Valentine’s Day gift from the Canadian public, it isn’t all hearts and roses for the beleaguered business in this survey. Continue Reading Journalists see 17 per cent jump in public trust
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Colten — Our relative, our warrior
“And when they ask, ‘Is that your relative?’ I will say, ‘Yes.’” (Sarah Rain) I remember the day Colten died. It was a hot summer day in Regina, Saskatchewan and I had enjoyed a leisurely summer, free of journalism work. I had decided to take a year off from reporting after my mother and sister…
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Using freedom of information to assist whistleblowers and those under duress
Some of my most challenging and rewarding access to information work has involved filing access requests with the consent of whistleblowers and individuals under tremendous duress. By way of background, Canada lacks strong whistleblower protection laws that give public (or private) sector workers free speech rights, adequate recourse to the courts, sufficient remedies against retaliation…
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Supreme Court ruling makes need for Competition Act reform urgent
History’s habit of repeating itself has once again hamstrung Canadian antitrust law when it comes to preventing media monopolies. This time, however, the Supreme Court of Canada has left the door wide open to further increases in our already world-leading level of media ownership concentration. The court’s decision three years ago to allow Tervita Corp., an environmental waste…
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The death of the homepage is much exaggerated
With a significant portion of the audience arriving at news sites via social media and search, the imminent death of the homepage is a common refrain. One senior digital manager told me he was expecting the “death of the homepage revolution” to hit his market at some point, but it hadn’t yet. He might be…
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Why trauma and mental health must be discussed in journalism schools
A foundation for resiliency needs to be built up before journalists are in the field. Continue Reading Why trauma and mental health must be discussed in journalism schools
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Year of reckoning looms for Canada’s newspapers
As 2018 dawns, it’s clear that Canada’s news media are in danger of lurching into the abyss unless Ottawa takes action soon. Enforcing our country’s anti-trust laws to stop the corporate consolidation and cutbacks in local news coverage would help to stanch the bleeding in the short term, but Canada’s Competition Bureau has recently shown little…
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The news industry has always needed government support: A look back to the 1800s
It turns out that newspapers in the 1830s had extensive government support. Continue Reading The news industry has always needed government support: A look back to the 1800s
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Instead of mourning local news, try paying for it
Canadians often mourn the loss of their local newspaper. But there’s a disconnect, because few Canadians actually pay for a local news subscription. Continue Reading Instead of mourning local news, try paying for it