By Paul Gillin Next spring, colleges and universities will graduate thousands of new journalism students. They’ll go forth into newsrooms across the country to practice the skills that have served journalism well for over a …
Year: 2007
Public interest, private grief: The media’s role in the Robert Dziekanski case
When I was sent by the Vancouver Sun to cover the November 17, 2007 memorial service for Robert Dziekanski, the Polish immigrant who died last month after being Tasered by RCMP, I steeled myself for …
The reporter’s battle: Objectivity and independence on the frontlines in Afghanistan
On his most recent visit to Afghanistan in June, Jas Johal met a 27-year-old soldier from Kingston, Ont. The soldier was married with a two-year-old son and expressed dedication to his mission. The two clicked …
Lost in translation: The dilemmas of reporting in French — in Vancouver
By Francis Plourde “You have two stories, one about a group of Chinese protesters for the independence of Tibet in front of the Vancouver Public Library, the other one about a stolen trash basket in …
The Death of the Reader
by Amanda Stutt Somewhere out there, the people who thought up Craigslist are sitting pretty. It’s no secret that the independent, interactive online services site dealt a blow to the lucrative classified ads sections of …
Could a news war between America and Iran become a physical war?
By Mahmood Ahmadi Afzadi Fox News says Iran should be bombed. This doesn’t surprise me, given that channel’s track record in Iraq. What worries me, however, is that the hawkish channel has just begun saying …
Testing the limits and consequences of free speech on university campuses
The new editor-in-chief at the The University of Western Ontario’s Gazette, Canada’s oldest student newspaper, is starting the school year equipped with a clean slate of ethics and a fresh approach to campus journalism. The paper, …
Rick Mercer: Political satire or PR?
Satire should make you laugh and squirm. Today, the word conjures up images of Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert or the creators of South Park, artists who are renowned for deriving hilarity and controversy out of …
When Colour Matters: Depictions of South Asians in the mainstream media
The day the RCMP foiled a large-scale plot to bomb Toronto was a day of rude awakening for Canadians. It was a day when many realized that Canada is not a neutral ground, immune to …
Social media poses digital dilemmas for journalists
In the hours following the Virginia Tech shootings in April 2007, people caught up in the tragedy turned to social networking sites, blogs, e-mails and other digital technologies to express themselves. On one particular site, …