The CBC’s coordination of the TV coverage of Pope John Paul II’s 12-day visit to Canada last fall, touted as the biggest media event of the decade, could have drawn considerable criticism. But most of the stations that had to rely on the public network were surprisingly uncritical. This harmony existed from the outset. When… Continue reading Mass Appeal: Papal Visit a Media Bland Out?
Win, Place, Show: Poll Reporting as Bookmarking
Reporting public opinion polls is a firmly entrenched element of election campaign coverage. But whether polls influence election results is the subject of a continuing debate. Alan Frizell, codirector of the Carleton School of Journalism poll, told The Toronto Star that after the 1980 federal election the school did a poll asking people why they… Continue reading Win, Place, Show: Poll Reporting as Bookmarking
All in the Family: Faith, Hope and Old-Time Religion
Family Canada Publications Inc., a Winnipeg-based company, determined to close what it calls a “huge gap” in the Canadian magazine market, plans to launch Family Canada, a monthly “profamily” general-interest magazine, this September. FPC is owned by the Family Institute of Canada, a two-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to “reinforcing JudeoChristian ethics and the strengthening of… Continue reading All in the Family: Faith, Hope and Old-Time Religion
The Yea Team
Pat Marsden was obviously perturbed by my line of questioning as we sat in his office at CFTOTV in Toronto. His face was beet red, sharply contrasting with his white shirt and natty blue suit-the same face that has been closely associated with television sports in Canada for 28 years. I had just asked if… Continue reading The Yea Team
The Electric Circus
A mid-November Thursday after, noon in the reception area of Citytv’s trendy downtown Toronto studios, ensconced in a funky old black-painted building that once housed a chocolate factory and, later, the Electric Circus discotheque. Two young receptionists sit behind the desk snapping bubble gum as they watch Billy Idol flash his flesh on Toronto Rocks,… Continue reading The Electric Circus
