The Power and the Story
Journalists not only cover stories, they often shape them
Journalism is about power. From the stories we choose to cover, to the way we present them, to the conflicts between writers and editors-every aspect of the industry assumes some type of control over our audience, our subjects and ourselves. More and more, journalists are seen as sources of information, “experts” on whatever subject they […]
The Native People’s Choice
The student's in Western's native journalism program face a dilemma: jump into the mainstream or devote their talents to the community
The Program in Journalism for Native People at the University of Western Ontario changed Juanita Rennie’s life. The intense, 12-month course prepared her and six other graduates of PJNP’s first class for entry-level media positions. Rennie, then a 40-year-old mother of six and grandmother to three, graduated in 1981 knowing exactly what to do next: […]
One Side to Every Story
The bad news is that more and more 'good news' really isn't news at all
The item was legitimate news, there’s no argument about that. And it was also legitimately placed, well down in CFTO’s early evening line-up. If there was something “wrong” with the item, the viewers never knew it. But something was indeed “wrong.” The story, as introduced by newsreader Tom Gibney and narrated by reporter Jim Wicks […]
The Voice of Another Village
How did Now show that an alternative weekly could survive and prosper in the Toronto of the '80s? By getting down to business
“We had the advantage of being extremely naive-had we known anything about publishing, we never would have started the paper.” Edwin Fancher, co-founder of the Village Voice. The Great American Newspaper, by Kevin Michael McAuliffe. “We were convinced we could make it work as a business. It seems a bit ridiculous when we look back […]
A Non-Explosive Issue
W5 established that Canadian uranium was helping to fuel the American war machine. It also established that when it comes to scandal, Canadians tend to prefer tuna
Had the story been ready on time, it would have kicked off W5’s 19th season opener on CTV. It was-or at least it had the ingredients of-a very good piece of journalism, one of those coveted stories that makes news as it breaks news. The only reason it did not open W5’s new season last […]
Fact Do Not Speak for Themselves
Looking over the pallid prose that poses as print journalism in this country, it seems to me that most news and feature stories that get published contain a good deal less than meets the eye. We must do better. It is simply no longer enough to arrange facts into logical sequences, or to report events […]
Making It Hot for the Sun
The charge was 'racism.' The countercharge was 'censorship.' And when the opposition grew as fast as the Little Paper itself, both sides ended up shedding a lot more heat than light
Toronto is having a nice day. Despite the time of year-it’s July 24th-the air is as fresh as the sky is blue. Later on, it will get hot, but at least it won’t be humid. Which is always a blessing, especially for those who crowd into buses, streetcars and subways to begin their daily journeys […]
Peake’s Performance
(FLASH) “Right hand a bit lower on your bum Suzie.” (FLASH) “That’s it, head up, smile.” (FLASH) “Good now turn a little to your right and show us what you’ve got.” (FLASH) “Fantastic!” The studio on the second floor of the Toronto Sun building is small, dark and cool. But the air is filled with […]
Strolling to the Rescue
The journalists at Metroland's 17 papers believed that their future lay with unionization. What they didn't figure, however, was just how long it would take for the future to arrive.
The management team begins to file in at 9: 15 on this warm October morning. By 9:30 a.m. half the room is full. The only two women in the crowd almost disappear into the sea of more than 30 men who sit anxiously in their grey and navy suits. They are the editors and publishers […]
Monitoring the Media
After some static The Media File is coming through loud and clear
Vince Carlin sat in Studio T, deep in the heart of the CBC radio building in Toronto, smiling patiently. Across the table, Trent Frayne, sports columnist for The Globe and Mail, and Brian Williams, sports anchorman for CBC, exchanged one-liners while fidgeting with their headsets. In the background, the voice of Edmonton Journal sports columnist […]
