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Toronto Star Public Editor: What’s the public interest in the future of Canadian media?

By Kathy English for the Toronto Star What happens if and when there are no news media? That is the critical question at the heart of an essential public conversation that began…
New book brings academics and journalists together to talk about journalism’s future

By Marlene Murphy “What kinds of journalism do we think are worth protecting, and what are we willing to do to protect them?” Christine Crowther said that was the starting point for…
Toronto Star Public Editor: The facts about fake news

By Kathy English for the Toronto Star There is nothing new about critical readers expressing their concerns about what they read in the Star in strong words. My in-box, and those of…
CBC Ombudsman: Privacy vs. The Public Good – Covering Personal Tragedy

By Esther Enkin, CBC Ombudsman The complainant, Paula Vallee, had a relative die in a car crash. While she herself was not contacted, she alleged the reporter was insensitive and insistent with…
Blessing or curse?

By Sydney Jones for The Signal On the morning of Halloween, 2014, adults disguised as ghouls and witches carried briefcases and purses as they walked to work, crunching across the leaves in…
Globe and Mail Public Editor: Journalism needs to focus on accuracy, fairness and independence

By Sylvia Stead for the Globe and Mail Words matter, accuracy matters, fairness matters, independence matters. With journalism under attack these days south of the border, journalists need to focus on the…
Toronto Star Public Editor: Democracy depends on confidential sources

By Kathy English for the Toronto Star It would be ideal if every person who has something important – and largely, secret — to reveal to the public through the media about…
The worrisome 13 per cent

By Francesca Handy for The Signal Midafternoon on a Tuesday, the food court in Scotia Square shopping centre in Halifax is full of people sitting alone. Professionals working in the area are on their lunch…
CBC Ombudsman: Bias by Omission

By Esther Enkin, CBC Ombudsman The complainant, Art Toft, thought that merely reporting about the closing down of an activist group’s space because the building was being torn down was unacceptable. He…
Toronto Star Public Editor: This is no job for the faint of heart

By Kathy English for the Toronto Star I would like to welcome Sophie Borwein to the ranks of us public editors tasked with the responsibility and privilege of holding news organizations to…