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The sounds of silence: Postmedia buys Sun Newspaper chain and no one heard a thing

If a newspaper chain falls in the media forest, will anyone hear it?
In “Both Sides of the Street,” Ian Brown finds a microcosm of a changing city

What might have been a short article about the casualties of gentrification becomes a feature on class, family, isolation and belonging.
This week in Canadian FOI news

Does an election advertising law in Manitoba go too far? And why is the Harper administration hiding the cost of the country’s combat missions?
Book Review: Mission Invisible explores race, religion and news after 9/11

Mission Invisible concerns itself with the media representation of Muslim communities immediately after the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
In science reporting, when does background become baggage?

MLA and climate change scientist Andrew Weaver’s libel victory highlights the important role and challenges for subject-area specialists within journalism.
What story do we really want to be told about Canadian government?

Two recent books on the Harper administration come up with somewhat different answers to that question.
CBC Ombudsman: Everest College: It’s not one for all and all for one; criticism of one college doesn’t tarnish them all

The CBC ombudsman addresses concerns of a “drive-by-smear campaign” on Everest College.
Globe public editor: Why journalism must be careful about health and gender

Globe public editor Sylvia Stead discusses the need for journalists to be vigilant in their choice of language, words and labels.
CBC Ombudsman: Climate heat: Disputing the cause of climate change

CBC Ombudsman Esther Enkin points out that to provide dubious scientific information as a balance to satisfy people who reject the judgment of most scientific organizations and credible client scientists was false…
Who makes most of Canada’s FOI requests? Not journalists

Access-to-information requests in Canada have increased 391 per cent since 1997—but the media’s share of those requests has remained relatively the same.