Conflicts, coups and catastrophes: These are the stories Canadians are most often told about the world beyond our borders. Media coverage of international affairs has long been driven by dramatic breaking news events while deep reporting on the ongoing issues affecting the developing world has been as scarce as the GDP of some of the…
Off the record, a source said; a senior government official said on background; according to an insider. How important are anonymous sources in reporting? Overuse or misuse can hurt credibility, but you need those insider voices for many stories to get beyond the press releases and speeches. They are crucial when the news can’t be…
The complainant, Bodgan Gawroński, objected to an interview with historian Jan Grabowski on CBC Radio programme Day 6. He thought it was biased and that Mr. Grabowski represented an extreme position, blaming the Polish nation for the crimes of the Germans during World War II. The interview concerned the new Polish anti-defamation law and the…
The headline, published in the newspaper and online this week, reported on yet another victim of the terrible toll of Toronto’s deadly streets: “Elderly pedestrian killed at crosswalk,” it stated. Peter Pellier, a longtime Star reader from Oakville then posed a valid question to me about why the headline labelled the victim as “elderly.” It…
The complainant, Ira Zbarsky, objected to a story covering pro and anti-Kinder Morgan pipeline demonstrations. He said they were framed as equal. Programmers agreed with his assessment shortly after the story went up, and it was rewritten. He was not satisfied and wished to know how it happened and what consequences there might be. Here’s…
The complainant, Christopher Budgell, wanted to know why Sunday Edition host Michael Enright was able to attend the Canadian Institute for Advanced Legal Studies’ week-long lecture series in Cambridge, England. He thought it inappropriate for a journalist to be there and was a conflict of interest. He also wanted to know who paid his expenses.…
Readers, do we understand each other? As consumers of news and information, do you have a clear sense of the how and why of journalism and its role in a democracy? I would like to believe a clear understanding does exist between journalists and our audiences. But according to a fascinating report released this week,…
The complainant, Isi Erez, thought Carol Off showed her personal feelings through an angry interview with an Israeli politician. Tone is somewhat subjective – the interview was probing but I did not detect anger. The questions were challenging but did not violate policy. COMPLAINT You found an interview Carol Off did with Sharren Haskel, a…
Two greatly admired and creative people died by suicide this week: On Tuesday, designer Kate Spade, known for her colourful handbags and clothing, and today, chef, traveller and television personality Anthony Bourdain, who opened our eyes to the great and offbeat tastes and cuisines of the world. These tragedies offer an opportunity to speak openly about…
The complainant, Eric Wredenhagen, Registrar and CEO of the College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia, thought an analysis piece regarding the deficiencies in reports about disciplinary actions from various health care colleges was opinion and not analysis. He also said the reporter did not properly identify the purpose of her inquiries. The report failed…