It was a whale of a story. Trapped beneath the Arctic ice were three California grey whales. They were stranded by an early freeze that October 1988 and were breathing through a shrinking hole in the ice. They would surely die. However, an Inuit hunter soon spotted them and informed biologists back in the village.… Continue reading The Next Fix
Lost Horizon
The first anniversary issue of Vista had just hit the newsstand when its publisher, John Dunlop, quit. Dunlop, who launched “Canada’s Alternative Business Magazine” in November 1988, ha~ objected to recent cutbacks proposed by a planning committee. Three Magna executives, who had no publishing experience, arrived to look into the operation. They suggested fewer issues,… Continue reading Lost Horizon
”Your Cheque’s in the Mail…”
Times don’t change. “Writers, who are the core of the industry are given little consideration by most publishers. Their remuneration is extremely low and uncertain. Raising writers’ rewards should be a priority for government, not simply because doing so might increase the quality of writing, but mainly because simple justice demands action,” said a management… Continue reading ”Your Cheque’s in the Mail…”
What’s up Doc?
Canadian filmmaker Paul Cowan personifies the financial struggle of Canada’s independent documentary community. When Cowan failed to find $400,000 to make a documentary about Donald Miarshall Jr., but secured $2 million to produce the idea as a movie, he lent credence to what Canadian documentary maker Magnus Isacsson called a “crisis in documentary.” This crisis… Continue reading What’s up Doc?
Libel Law: The Chilling Effect
The journalist’s badge. That’s how Ron Adams, host of CBC Radio’s Media File, referred to getting sued. He was questioning Jock Ferguson of The Globe and Mail about libel chill. Lawsuit phobia, if you prefer-the notion that the threat of fighting legal actions, with their high costs in time and money, often inhibits aggressive reporting.… Continue reading Libel Law: The Chilling Effect
