Letters from the Editor in Chief

How do we protect the crucial role of investigative journalism?

Thu, 24 May 2007 09:37:47 -0500

In a 24/7 era when people can feel overwhelmed by the massive amounts of information that flood down on them each and every day — some of it important, most of it not — why does investigative journalism matter more than ever? Because it helps people, as citizens, better understand what is happening in their society and how they can best deal with it. That will be one of the themes this weekend at an important meeting in Toronto that brings together journalists, authors and documentary filmmakers from more than 30 countries.

Why the struggle of Arab journalists matters to us

Thu, 17 May 2007 15:18:57 -0500

In a week when Middle East tensions seemed to be at the breaking point, how is the world — including the Arab world — to know what truly is happening in the Gaza Strip? With Western journalists no longer able to function in Gaza without the probability of being kidnapped, international news organizations have been relying on Palestinian journalists. So it was more than ironic on Wednesday that Gaza’s remaining broadcasters became the centre themselves of a very harrowing siege that was shown live on television.

Why BBC's kidnapped Alan Johnston needs to be freed

Wed, 09 May 2007 10:28:43 -0500

As the political drama in Israel deepened, there was a special poignancy for many journalists last Thursday — designated by the UN as World Press Freedom Day — as vigils were held around the world in support of Alan Johnston, the BBC journalist kidnapped in Gaza more than seven weeks ago. There have been more journalists killed in the past year covering Iraq and the Middle East than ever before. But the plight of Alan Johnston has struck an exceptional chord among many in the Middle East and beyond, and it’s instructive to explore why.

Media debate over Virgina tech video

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 09:44:17 -0500

Last week, NBC News received in the mail a sick, horrifying multi-media ‘press kit’ from a mentally-disturbed young man who went on to kill 32 people at Virginia Tech University. On its evening newscast, NBC ran several minutes of excerpts. At the CBC, we did not broadcast any video or audio of this bizarre collection. CBC's handling of this issue has been criticized by some other media. That’s fine, and predictable. It's an important debate. The fact is that this is not about ‘censorship’ or ‘avoidance.’ It’s about ‘editorial choices.’

A story of victims and issues, not only the killer

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 13:26:20 -0500

So what will be the iconic image that will forever recall the massacre at Virginia Tech? Will it be the grandfatherly face of Holocaust survivor Liviu Librescu? Or the glowing smile of Canadian Jocelyne Couture-Nowak? Some sort of composite photo of the more than 30 innocent victims of this awful event? Or will it be the sullen image of the dark, demented killer?

Hostage videos as a weapon of war

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 10:48:44 -0500

There is something incredibly haunting about this latest ‘hostage video’ — obtained by CBC News in Khandahar last Friday — that has just emerged from Afghanistan. It is pure emotion from beginning to end. The emergence of this videotape became one of the major international stories this past weekend. It was reported on the weekend by hundreds of newspapers and networks across the world. But why didn’t the CBC broadcast the full video as part of its news coverage?

Issue of global warming isn’t going away

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 16:21:22 -0500

What do the Black Eyed Peas, the Beastie Boys and Foo Fighters have in common? They will be among the 100 musical acts who will give the fight against global warming the pop world’s imprimatur in a 24-hour “Live Earth” concert in July. As recent as several months ago, there were predictions in the media that public concern over global warming and climate change would eventually evaporate. Like a hummingbird — or so it was said — the public would fly to another flower. But events in recent days have indicated the opposite.

Vimy, The Great War — and today

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 13:29:49 -0500

So what’s the meaning anymore of the Battle of Vimy Ridge? Or The Great War? Why reach so far back to the past century to remember? Why do the battlefields of France still matter now? For anyone who marvels at the connection between history and today, this will be a very special weekend.

Seven major trends for today’s news media

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 09:45:28 -0500

The challenges facing today’s major news organizations are seemingly unlimited, and so are the multitude of strategies being employed by these companies to respond to them.The need for significant, even radical change is now widely-accepted in the industry — at least in theory — and the reasons for this were outlined in gruesome detail in the fourth Annual Report on American Journalism: The State of the News Media 2007, which is available online.

Is the era of YouTube politics beginning?

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 12:08:25 -0500

With an exciting election in Quebec and the prospect of a Canadian general election in the Spring, the era of YouTube politics taking shape in the U.S. presidential campaign is becoming particularly interesting. Will Canadian politics soon follow suit?

Will Parliament rescind the election blackout?

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 09:38:31 -0500

There has been no formal reaction yet from the Prime Minister to the controversial Supreme Court decision that has upheld the media blackout on early election night results. And no sense yet from him whether his government will ask Parliament to throw out the ban. Perhaps the Prime Minister is consulting that young Reform MP from Alberta, who ten years ago publicly opposed the blackout. Yes, that young man was Stephen Harper. One and the same.

The media’s coverage of Conrad Black

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 09:55:14 -0500

We don’t yet know what Conrad Black was thinking on the first day of his criminal trial as he gazed intently at the random mix of ordinary working class Chicago citizens who will make up the jury. But we are certain to find out eventually — and probably in his own words. Thousands of them. There is seemingly nothing about this man or this trial that isn’t going unsaid, unsung or unwritten. Whatever happened to the notion of media ‘overkill?'

From Astronaughty to Black Magic

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 16:02:24 -0500

In the past several weeks, there seems to have been an excess of media celebrity coverage devoted to the famous and near-famous. Although it has been most evident on American cable television, increasingly it has bled into the more conventional mainstream media. Is there something in the air? In this quiet time between the decline of 'Astro-nut' and the beginning of 'Black Magic,' I think it’s reasonable to take stock. To ask whether we have learned anything from this period. Whether anything will change. And whether we are on the brink of a new dawn.

Jailed Journalist a symbol of Internet Age

Fri, 02 Mar 2007 12:30:08 -0500

A young California video blogger few Americans have ever heard of has just achieved the notable distinction of being in prison longer than any other journalist in the history of the United States for defying a court order to turn over his work to the FBI. It is a case that raises important new questions flowing out of this burgeoning new Internet age of which we are now all part.

What is the future of newspapers?

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 09:37:11 -0500

As those of you who speak Swedish undoubtedly know, the world’s oldest newspaper in circulation — Sweden’s Post-och Inrikes Tidningar, founded in 1645 — has just recently dropped its paper edition and now exists solely as a web-only publication. These are challenging times for newspapers. As anyone in broadcasting knows, all news media are under siege these days from the growing number of competitive content providers — but newspapers are particularly so.