Canadian media approaches a ‘cliff’; subsidies not the answer, say industry analysts
Canada’s media ecosystem is ill-equipped to adapt to a digital landscape, and some of the solutions proposed by the federal House Heritage Committee would do little to address the root causes, warned one researcher at a conference put on by the think-tank Canada 2020 last week. “Legacy institutions are struggling everywhere,” Taylor Owen, a journalism […]
While reporters watch Trump’s tweets, famines kill hundreds in parts of Africa
WINNIPEG—In late May, the government of Canada announced its Famine Relief Fund. The fund was launched to galvanize Canadians into helping the estimated 20 million people facing starvation in South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, and other countries in Africa. The announcement generated a bit of attention: a brief mention in the TV and radio news, a […]
Torture allegations against Iraqis fighting on our side should cause Canadians concern
OTTAWA—Earlier this month The Toronto Star published an exposé complete with graphic photographs depicting horrific torture and abuse of prisoners in Iraq. What made the story and images so shocking was that this barbarism was not the handiwork of Daesh (also known as the Islamic State, ISIS, and ISIL) evildoers, but rather that the atrocities were blatantly […]
CTV’s Solomon is back, and he’s one busy guy
OTTAWA—Multitasking has become a nerve-racking reality for many journalists who must deliver the news, on deadline, across different platforms. Yet, Evan Solomon appears to embrace the challenge of ably straddling the worlds of TV, radio, and print journalism, without breaking a sweat. The 49-year-old Toronto native can be heard weekday afternoons on his 580 CFRA […]
Don’t blame Twitter for an atomic president
Like Albert Einstein exclaiming “Woe is me” on hearing of the bombing of Hiroshima, Twitter co-founder Evan Williams is shocked and appalled at what his invention has wrought. “It’s a very bad thing, Twitter’s role in that,” Williams lamented, in a recent New York Times interview, of the election of the current leader of the […]
‘Appropriation prize’ controversy a learning opportunity, say journalists, writers
PARLIAMENT HILL—From op-eds to Twitter threads, the issue of cultural appropriation in writing—of indigenous cultural in particular—has recently taken a spotlight among Canadian writers. Sparked by a controversial editorial in a magazine edition meant to showcase indigenous talent, it’s led to multiple people leaving their jobs, and sources say they hope the recent controversy sparks […]
Comey firing isn’t Trump’s Watergate
TORONTO—“In Firing Comey, Did Trump Unleash the Next Deep Throat?” This question was the headline of a story last week on The New York Times. Since Donald Trump’s victory last year, there are many politicians and pundits expecting the new president of the United States to fall under another Watergate scandal. Not me. The Watergate scandal […]
Open season on reporters must be confronted for democracy’s sake
OTTAWA—Any foreign correspondent from a country like Canada or the United States will, from time to time, find himself or herself in a dangerous situation. Danger can flare from many directions: a checkpoint in disputed territory, rogue troops invading a hotel looking for someone to abuse, drug gangs, military thugs, civil strife, riots, thieves, cities […]
Liberals spent more than $16,000 on Snapchat filters since coming to power
The Liberal government spent more than $16,000 on developing and placing Snapchat filters in both Canada and the United States to promote the federal government during special events, since its cabinet was sworn in on Nov. 4, 2015. Seven federal departments, agencies, and Crown corporations reported developing specialized filters for Snapchat—a popular social media platform that allows […]
Now in Defence minister’s office, former reporter Cudmore in ‘awkward situation’ as RCMP investigates cabinet leak, his story
James Cudmore finds himself in a “unique position” and “awkward situation” as a staffer in the office of the Defence minister but, as a former journalist, haven broken a story, shortly before his job changed, that’s prompted the government to call in the RCMP to investigate how the story got out. While those from the […]
