In Inuktitut, the word used for news is pivalliajut. Its literal translation is “things that are gradually developing.” For Jim Bell, editor of the weekly Nunavut newspaper, Nunatsiaq News, things always seem to be developing too gradually. This early November morning, for instance, he is fed up with the persistence of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in the… Continue reading The Conscience of Nunavut
Category: The Magazine
Anatomy of a Libel
It was a quiet Sunday evening early in May 2002 at the McQueen home in the Annex in downtown Toronto. Mark and his wife had just settled at the table, ready to enjoy their prime rib dinner, when the phone rang. It was the National Post‘s chief business correspondent, Theresa Tedesco. She was calling to advise… Continue reading Anatomy of a Libel
Growing Old Disgracefully
Edward Greenspon stands in front of a class of 25 journalism students. Dressed in a yellow shirt, striped tie, and jacket, he is dwarfed by the bulky wooden podium before him. It’s late 2004 and he is here to speak about newsroom leadership. Although he is the editor-in-chief of The Globe and Mail, Greenspon seems uncomfortable… Continue reading Growing Old Disgracefully
After Honderich
Giles Gherson stands in the middle of the sprawling and bustling Toronto Star newsroom. He’s waiting for a photographer from his former paper, The Globe and Mail, to take his picture. It’s early October and Gherson finds himself in the rather uncomfortable position of making the news, rather than being among the legions who write and edit it.… Continue reading After Honderich
Distrust, Disdain, Deceit
“Cover the riots,” instructed Lisa Gregoire’s editors. Her bosses at the Edmonton Journal had a clear idea of the stories they expected to see from the 2002 G8 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta. But when there were no riots to cover, Gregoire started producing articles with headlines such as “Calgary March Proves Critics Wrong,” and “G8… Continue reading Distrust, Disdain, Deceit