Journalist’s fake death is troubling
OTTAWA—On May 29, Ukrainian officials announced that Arkady Babchenko had been shot and killed at his apartment. A dramatic photo was released showing Babchenko’s body lying in a pool of blood. Babchenko is a Russian journalist who had been vehemently critical of the Kremlin, and of President Vladimir Putin in particular. Naturally enough, regarding his […]
Trudeau gambles his promise, his progress, our planet
CHELSEA, QUE.—What a colossal mistake Justin Trudeau has made in buying the Kinder Morgan pipeline. He not only imperils his re-election chances in 2019, he risks squandering the small, progressive steps his government has taken over the last few years: reform of the criminal justice system, the beginning of practical remedies for struggling Indigenous communities, […]
Trump has been largely successful in feeding public skepticism about the fourth estate
OTTAWA—Earlier this month, the planet commemorated World Press Freedom Day, launched by the United Nations in the last century. The recognition, proclaimed by the General Assembly in 1993, coincided with the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, a statement by African journalists about the importance of the free press. The UN says the day is […]
Tories take top prize in parliamentary basketball tournament that raises $26,500 for kids charity
We don’t know what’s going to happen in 2019, but at least on the basketball court the Conservatives bested the Liberals. Team Tory took the trophy from the two-time champion Grits at the seventh annual Parliamentary Basketball Tournament to benefit Christie Lake Kids on Sunday. Four teams—consisting of politicians and staffers from the Liberals, Conservatives […]
Wynne’s Ford-as-Trump portrayal could backfire
OTTAWA—In politics, as in sport sometimes, a rally cry based around desperation can be a powerful motivational tool that changes a game or series. Many times we have heard an NHL hockey coach say of his players: “they have to play as if their backs are against the wall.” Then the team in question goes […]
The systemic subterfuge of Trump’s news firehose
In the days when the news cycle was still a cycle and not a vortex, the cliché among critics and many alumni was that the White House press corps was constrained by spoon-feeding. They were tethered by proximity, competition, and the obligations of access to the administration’s political agenda, from daily thematic policy roll-outs to […]
Ambrose’s ex-chief of staff lands new Queen Street job
Garry Keller, the former chief of staff to interim Conservative Party leader Rona Ambrose, has taken up a new job as a vice-president at government relations firm StrategyCorp. “Really pleased to be joining the excellent team @StrategyCorp in their Ottawa office as a vice president. Looking forward to working with a great group of smart […]
Risking her life, Montreal reporter writes alternative narrative of Rwandan genocide
In a new book published just before this week’s 24th anniversary of the start of the Rwandan genocide, Montreal-based freelance broadcast and print reporter Judi Rever is challenging the dominant narrative of the genocide, despite threats she says she’s received meant to silence her. The oft-told story of the genocide is that for about 100 days […]
Users deserve more blame in Facebook data-mining scandal
With the outrage and fury about the recent revelations around Cambridge Analytica’s breach of Facebook data, some calming is in order, with a view to putting the blame where it belongs: on subscribers. This is not first time Facebook has been breached. It seems that users are sufficiently addicted to social media to risk being hacked, […]
What Canadian media and government can learn from Black Panther movie
The fact that Black Panther has grossed over $1-billion at the box office reflects the deep yearning among racialized communities to see themselves positively portrayed in the media. “Those of us who are not white have considerably more trouble not only finding representation of ourselves in mass media and other arenas of public life, but […]
