Category / Commentary

End of an era: Shocking amount of great talent leaves The Globe and Mail

It can’t do any good to lose the number and quality of people on the Globe list, writes former Globe staffer Dan Westell. But the media owners are desperate to find a…
Book review: Travels and Tales of Miriam Green Ellis: Pioneer Journalist of the Canadian West

In her new book, University of Alberta professor Patricia Demers examines the legacy of Miriam Green Ellis, an all-but-forgotten agricultural reporter from the Prairies who refused to be confined to the "women's…
Demand for local television news coverage still strong despite abrupt closing of CityNews Channel

The abrupt closing of CityNews Channel on May 30 came at an inopportune time for news consumers in the Greater Toronto Area, because it happened while appetite for local news coverage is stronger than…
Henry Morgentaler’s love affair with the media

Canada’s famous abortion doctor, who died last week, was a masterful subject for journalists, his biographer recalls. Catherine Dunphy argues although he was womanizer who loved many, the most important love affair in…
Letter to the editor: The NNAs do in fact reflect digital journalism

Last week, J-Source published an op-ed from Melanie Coulson who said the National Newspaper Awards need to make some changes to reflect journalism in the digital era. In this letter to the…
Opinion: The National Newspaper Awards don’t reflect journalism in the digital era

It is dinosaur thinking to consider yourself a newspaper, writes Melanie Coulson. You are a news organization, committing fantastic acts of journalism online, on tablets, on smartphones and social media. The inky print…
Review: A Thousand Farewells: A Reporter’s Journey from Refugee Camp to the Arab Spring

Two years after covering the Arab Spring, CBC reporter Nahlah Ayed's memoir has been released in paperback with a new epilogue chronicling the civil war in Syria and her return to Tahrir…
“When the public broadcaster is in peril” – An excerpt from Wade Rowland’s book Saving the CBC

"As “the mother corp” faces the potential loss of broadcast rights for Hockey Night in Canada, veteran broadcaster and media strategist Wade Rowland argues we have less than two years to find a way…
Moving tribute from Ottawa Citizen to Boston Globe

Ottawa Citizen's deputy editorial pages editor Kate Heartfield wrote a moving tribute to the Boston Globe saluting their coverage of the marathon bombing. Heartfield writes she toyed with the idea of sending them pizza…
Opinion: On Brian Burke, journalism and Internet anonymity

Brian Burke says anonymous bloggers have deliberately set out to ruin his good name. As his defamation suit against those bloggers goes forward, perhaps it is time to begin a discussion about…