• J-Source

    State of Media report includes warning

    The 2009 report on the state of the American news media has been released online.The press-release summary of the massive report — running to nearly 180,000 words — is here. The full report is here. The report, by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, addresses eight major sectors: newspapers, online, network; cable,…

  • J-Source

    Foreign correspondence not so “foreign”

    “Foreign correspondence” is not as “foreign” as it used to be, reflects the India correspondent for the New York Times of the impact of global online media on concepts like “here” and “there.” Coverage that’s available universally is followed most passionately by those being covered, writes Anand Giridharadas, adding: “And the implications for foreign correspondence…

  • J-Source

    Poll: Is a local newspaper important?

    The Globe poll online as of Sunday evening): Do you think it’s important to have a local newspaper?No, online media can fill the gap — 18 per centNo, I don’t read my local paper 11 per centYes, a newspaper keeps me informed 46 per centYes, a newspaper holds government accountable 26 per centI suppose journalists…

  • J-Source

    Is democracy written in disappearing ink?

    That’s the title of a massive, must-read piece in the Globe and Mail about the decline of journalism. The sub-title says, “… if print is a dinosaur, what will take up its traditional roles — informing the public, animating civic culture and holding government accountable? For all the wonders of online media, so far no…

  • J-Source

    Media literacy

    This is one of the best journalism ideas I’ve heard all year: The U.S. Stony Brook University proposes to hire and train 50 laid-off journalists to teach a new discipline, “news literacy.” They’ll begin this fall at dozens of U.S. campuses, teaching non-journalism majors about the importance of news to democracy. A media giraffe piece…

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    Jon Stewart vs Jim Cramer

    Jon Stewart, the comedian on the Daily Show whose satire has achieved the bizarre reputation of being some of the most responsible U.S. “journalism,” has lately attacked the performance of the financial media, especially CNBC, as incompetent in their reporting of Wall Street, the 2008 economic collapse and sub-prime mortgage crisis. Stewart and CNBC host…

  • J-Source

    Reader’s Digest English chief laid off

    Reader’s Digest Canadian Operations announced the lay-off of Peter Stockland, VP and Editor-in-Chief, English Magazines. The company said in a news release Stockland’s position will be replaced by his former French counterpart Robert Goyette, who received a promotion to VP, Book Editorial and Editor-in-Chief, Magazines. RD said the move is part of its recession plan…

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    Aspers and CanWest get reprieve

    Canwest Global Communications Corp. won a reprieve on some of its debt problems until April 7. The company will use the time “to negotiate borrowing terms on its debt with senior lenders and said it was working with noteholders and other stakeholders to recapitalize the company,” reported the CanWest-owned National Post. The company had a…

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    Re-imagining journalism

    The online magazine The Tyee is running a series on journalism by Steve Anderson, co-ordinator of Canadians for Democratic Media and the Stop the Big Media Takeover campaign. Anderson’s first piece, “Why Big Media Is Failing,” blames Canada’s media crisis on “the highly concentrated media ownership in Canada combined with the deepening bottom-line mentality of…

  • J-Source

    Quebecor leaves CP

    The Canadian Press, already embroiled in restructuring, took a major blow from Quebecor Inc., which announced it will pull out of the news co-operative in mid 2010 to cut costs, and grow its own in-house news agency, said reports. Quebecor — owner of the Sun Media and Osprey chains — is CP’s biggest media member…