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CBC Ombudsman: Fairness in Ford Nation

By Esther Enkin, CBC Ombudsman The complainant, Jacqueline Bell, thought that repeated use of the name of one candidate, Michael Ford, and references to the “Ford dynasty” on the day of a municipal by-election to fill the seat formerly held by Rob Ford, violated the need for balance and fair coverage. She was concerned this…
Toronto Star Public Editor: When does The Star report race of suspects wanted by police?

By Kathy English for the Toronto Star A reader’s good question about the Toronto Star’s reporting of the race of suspects wanted by police raised relevant points demanding further inquiry. “I am curious about the application of the Toronto Star’s policy on naming the race of suspects,” the reader, who works in the field of…
CBC Ombudsman: Quoting in Context – Editing interviews accurately

By Esther Enkin, CBC Ombudsman The complainant, Frank Ramagnano, President of the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association, said he was unfairly quoted in a story about a female firefighter’s harassment and search for redress. He and other firefighters who wrote thought the story was unfair and condemned the whole fire service. There was no violation…
Globe and Mail Public Editor: Transparency with sources – and readers – is necessary

By Sylvia Stead for The Globe and Mail Last week, The Globe and Mail ran a feature in the Life section in a series called “It Happened to Me.” It was an interview with comedian Cathy Jones about experiencing the symptoms of vaginal atrophy. The story included an interview with Dr. Vivien Brown, an assistant professor in…
Globe and Mail Public Editor: The call for more Paralympic coverage

By Sylvia Stead for The Globe and Mail Sports readers always have strong opinions about the most important story, what demands coverage and how prominent it should be. Football across the country, hockey of course, baseball across North America, U.K. cricket, women’s golf, especially Brooke Henderson: The list goes on. This week the call is…
Globe and Mail Public Editor: This headline is not the full story

Reporters and editors need to be critical when writing the words that readers focus on most of all.
Toronto Star Public Editor: There’s no need for ‘false balance’ in news reports

Canada’s National NewsMedia Council affirms vital principles in dismissing complaint about New York Times climate change report.
CBC Ombudsman: A boycott is a boycott—The Greens and BDS

The complainant thought it was wrong to refer to the result of the BDS resolution passed at the Green Party Convention as “supporting a movement boycotting Israel.”
Globe and Mail Public Editor: At The Globe, Dr. doesn’t just mean medical doctors

The Globe style guide has clear rules for honorifics, but errors are sometimes repeated and compounded.
CBC Ombudsman: News, defined and refined

The complainant asked a very good question: What’s appropriate for a newscast?