Anti-vaxxers are up in arms about negative media coverage of their cause. Considering the timing, this is a little surprising: measles, a potentially life-threatening disease especially for unvaccinated babies or people with suppressed immune systems, is on the rise, thanks to anti-vaccination scare tactics. Despite scientific evidence to the contrary, anti-vaxxers continue to perpetuate the…
When Maria Ressa learned, via Twitter, that she was among the group of journalists Time magazine recognized as “Person of the Year” — “Guardians” in the “war on truth” — her immediate thought was sobering, indeed. Continue Reading Toronto Star public editor: Filipino journalist Maria Ressa’s powerful defence of truth is truly inspiring
Living in the eye of a global media storm of coverage of an alleged serial killer for the past year, Karen Fraser has learned more than she ever could have imagined about today’s journalists and how they work. Continue Reading Toronto Star Public Editor: Lessons from the eye of a global media storm
(Disclosure: I’m the full-time paid publisher of Briarpatch Magazine, a volunteer board member of the Media Co-op, CEO of the currently inactive environmental consulting company Porpoise B Consulting, and freelance journalist. My partner is a designer for the CBC, not involved in content.) Derek Burney has been writing op-eds for the Globe and Mail since…
A few readers, graduates of St. Michael’s College, were upset with The Globe and Mail’s coverage of their school these past two weeks. Toronto police are investigating allegations of assault and sexual assault connected to the Catholic boys’ school after receiving multiple videos, and six students have been arrested. These graduates aren’t denying the news…
The attacks on the media continue south of the border, but in this country, I believe readers understand the importance of fair and accurate news coverage. What a few don’t really grasp (based on some of the complaints I receive) is the difference between a fact and an opinion. But before we look at what…
It is not news to tell you we are in the midst of a global crisis in media trust. While I find some consolation in the fact that recent studies tell us that Canadians trust their news more than do news consumers in other parts of the world, the overall data on trust in journalism…
In covering deeply personal issues, journalism is quite different from the often one-dimensional world of social media. It uncovers how the vulnerable are treated, the problems they face and what could be done to help them. Those articles depend absolutely on people willing to openly discuss their job losses, health setbacks, depression or the loss…
Conflicts, coups and catastrophes: These are the stories Canadians are most often told about the world beyond our borders. Media coverage of international affairs has long been driven by dramatic breaking news events while deep reporting on the ongoing issues affecting the developing world has been as scarce as the GDP of some of the…
Off the record, a source said; a senior government official said on background; according to an insider. How important are anonymous sources in reporting? Overuse or misuse can hurt credibility, but you need those insider voices for many stories to get beyond the press releases and speeches. They are crucial when the news can’t be…