Series: Winter 2007

Scott Bullock puts his hand to his ear and mimics a telephone conversation: “Oh, I’ve got a great idea for a magazine!” “Great, when are you planning on going to print?” “Next week!” Bullock mimes hanging up the phone. “Click,” he says, deadpan. The impromptu dramatization was sparked by our discussion about the value of… Continue reading Circ Stud

A few hours before dawn, police lights began flashing on the Deerfoot Trail, just west of Calgary Heraldheadquarters. Rick Mofina arrived within minutes. He got out of his blue Jetta, grabbed a notepad and headed toward a police inspector who was waiting for the medical examiner. Mofina’s tired eyes betrayed the effects of the night shift.… Continue reading Fiction in Journalism

Let the Sun Shine In “You’re right on time,” he says, opening the door to his second-floor apartment in Toronto’s west end. Although his scalp is bare and he’s wearing glasses, he’s nothing like the “bald-headed, squinty-eyed gnome” he described himself as over the phone. Instead, wearing a white dress shirt, navy sweater vest, khakis… Continue reading Social Studies 101

Sorry, but there’s no crying in journalism. Sorry, but there’s no part-time position available, it’s 24/7 or nothing. Sorry, but this is a tough job, and you’re just too nice. Sorry, but… The first thing I have to say is that, while I am a female and a journalist, this is not one of those… Continue reading Sex in the Newsroom

The world’s journalists have a problem, and it’s murder. The international death toll of journalists is reported to be increasing at a staggering rate, according to an extensive report released by the International News Safety Institute (INSI) earlier this month. The INSI, a non-profit coalition of media organizations, press freedom groups, unions and humanitarian campaigners based in… Continue reading Dying for Good Journalism