Last August, 13-year-o1d Gary Rangasamy arrived at Scarborough General Hospital from his home in Guyana for a special surgical procedure to reduce the size of his right arm. It had grown to more than twice its normal size, a result of neurofibromatosis, better known as Elephant Man’s disease. The boy’s operation presented the media with… Continue reading Cheques and Imbalances
Category: Spring 1986
One Side to Every Story
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… Continue reading One Side to Every Story
The Voice of Another Village
“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… Continue reading The Voice of Another Village
The Chinese Have an Image For it
Our attention is first commanded by a sound vaguely resembling a gong. A flash of deep blue follows, and a graphic movement unfolds. It’s 7 p.m. and time for Peoples China to sit down to watch the news. There’s no glamor here, no middle-aged beauties like Jan Tennant, no sexually provocative types like the late… Continue reading The Chinese Have an Image For it
The Public Right Not to Know
In the vast majority of cases, court coverage presents few problems for reporters. Once a trial or hearing commences, virtually anything said by the judge, lawyers, and witnesses on the stand can be reported verbatim, without fear of retribution. Like Parliament and the legislatures, what is heard is “privileged,” which means the laws of libel… Continue reading The Public Right Not to Know