Stars and Stripes: how entertainment journalism forsakes homegrown stories in favour of U.S. ones
From celebrated indie bands to acclaimed actors and directors, Canadian artists are making us proud. So why are our dailies still obsessed with Americans?
A rumoured Lady Gaga-Katy Perry feud. Johnny Depp to quit acting? American singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth writes a cheeky song about disgraced politician Anthony Weiner. These are just some of the stories I wrote last summer during my six-week internship in the arts section of the National Post. During my final week, I finally […]
In-house plagiarism: is it ever okay to steal another reporter’s words?
When a Toronto Star intern copied chunks of a colleague’s article, it became clear that many journalists were confused about how to use internal material
On October 28, 2010, Toronto Star staff reporter Daniel Dale wrote a clever lead for his article about vanity licence plates: “You may be a Budweiser-guzzling ex-cop stripper who worships Buddha, carries a pistol, uses Viagra and supports Barack Obama, fine. Just don’t you dare mention any of those facts on your licence plate.” On […]
Staying Alive: how the Town Crier started dancing to its own beat
Going independent saved a Toronto community newspaper and moved its writers closer to its readers
“The rumours of our death were exaggerated,” announced the Town Crier in its September 2013 issue. The Toronto community newspaper’s parent company, Multimedia Nova, had gone into receivership in May, but five former employees bought and resurrected the publication by the end of July. “It’s always been our view the Crier could sell its advertising […]
Can Kickstarter and Indiegogo deliver a new way to pay for journalism?
Crowdfunding is tempting for reporters with ambitions greater than their financing, but it’s not for everyone
When CBC moved into Hamilton, Ontario, local journalist Joey Coleman couldn’t compete. He decided “I’m done. I am going to stop covering news.” That meant saying goodbye to a readership gained from work with Maclean’s, The Globe and Mail and The Hamilton Spectator. But when people offered to fund him themselves in the fall of […]
Journalism’s empty calories: why some personal essays leave us feeling guilty
When writers turn to their own lives for subject matter, they can make a quick buck and save editors time and hassle. But what about readers?
One of Hazlitt’s most popular pieces is also one of its most hated. Last July, the Random House of Canada online publication ran “How to make love in America,” a 3,619-word personal account by Sarah Nicole Prickett about her transience in her 20s. The piece had no interviews, no research and no original reporting. It […]
How the Newsmaker of the Year Becomes the Controversy of the Day
The annual announcement from The Canadian Press is always a story—and if Rob Ford is this year’s pick, some people are sure to be outraged
In mid-November, Andrew Lundy, director of digital at The Canadian Press, sent an internal email to about 20 bureau chiefs, department heads and news editors asking them to come up with nominees for Newsmaker of the Year. A week later, he had a list of 18 candidates, including Rob Ford, senators, Chris Hadfield, Alice Munro, […]
Does political neutrality really mean journalists can’t act in self-defence?
Even when meddling politicians go after CBC’s independence, reporters and producers are often reluctant to stand up for themselves
Last spring, the Canadian Media Guild (CMG) began working the phones. For two days, union staff called academics and journalists, seeking speakers for a press conference and signatories to a letter they’d drafted. Proposed federal legislation, ensconced in omnibus budget Bill C-60, would allow the government to get involved in collective bargaining at Crown corporations, […]
Camera, Set, Activism! Ideology goes to the movies
With no place for politics in mainstream film reviews, several Canadian journals explore the messages in the medium
By Amelia Brown When Adam Nayman wrote about the Swedish version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo in 2009, his editor at Eye Weekly wasn’t happy. The review criticized the movie’s “fake feminism,” arguing the brutal violence against a woman was rendered moot after she beat the perpetrator even more viciously. But the editor wondered whether these criticisms […]
Fade to black: Is it over for the newspaper film critic?
Times are tough for those who write about movies for a living. Their numbers are dwindling while the internet is full of amateur reviewers. And that’s bad news for the pros and their readers
By Miro Rodriguez Peter Howell celebrated his 13th birthday at Toronto’s Glendale Cinerama in 1969 watching 2001: A Space Odyssey. It’s still his favourite movie. The next year, he used the money he earned delivering the Toronto Telegram to buy a book called The Making of Kubrick’s 2001. “Whatever early instinct I had to be a movie critic was […]
If local news will be the saviour of Canadian journalism, what are you going to do about it, broadcasters?
With the Local Programming Improvement Fund set to dry up next year, television networks must find ways to cover news outside big cities without blowing the budget. But cheaper isn't always better
By Harriet Luke Last month, convicted killer Kyle Halbauer talked to reporter Dan Zakreski about how he started dealing cocaine. The exclusive CBC Saskatchewan interview was a revealing look at Saskatoon’s drug trade and it’s the kind of in-depth story that managing director John Agnew would love to do more often. But the report was possible […]
