Plus: What kind of legacy did Conrad Black leave in Canadian journalism?.

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THE CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF JOURNALISTS FALL 2004 • VOLUME 10, NUMBER 4 • $3.95 L’ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE DES JOURNALISTES– Student Journalist Hong Kong Fellowship Exploring Hong Kong – Asia’s world city

IFC CCN MATTHEWS AD Fall 2004 Volume 10, Number 4

Publisher Nick Russell INSIDE Editor David McKie

Books Editor DEPARTMENTS Gillian Steward 4 First Word It seems as though we still haven't learned how to cover federal elections in this country. By David McKie Legal Advisor Peter Jacobsen 5 JournalismNet Search engines are improving the way journalists can find news. (Paterson McDougall) By Julian Sher 6 Writer’s toolbox Hard-pressed and deadline-conscious reporters are tempted to find people for their stories, Designer even when such a search is unnecessary.Writing coach Don Gibb has some advice on Bonanza Printing & Copying Centre avoiding the warm-body syndrome. Printer FEATURES Bonanza Printing & Copying 8 POLL MANIA Our addiction to polls skewed the coverage of the recent federal election campaign. Centre By Chris Cobb Editorial Board 11 MINORITY GOVERNMENT The country is unlikely to experience another federal election anytime soon, so members of Chris Cobb, ROULETTE the Parliamentary Press Gallery had better get on with writing about policies that matter to Wendy McLellan, voters. Sean Moore, By Anthony Westell Catherine Ford, Michelle MacAfee, 14 NOVA SCOTIA’S Political reporters in Nova Scotia have grown accustomed to reporting on that province's Lindsey Crysler, HIGH-WIRE ACT minority government. The legislative reporter for the Halifax Daily News, Brian Flinn,has John Gushue, some words of advice — and caution — for his colleagues in Ottawa. Rob Cribb 16 LACK OF ACCESS TO There is increasing evidence that the federal government is violating the rights of journalists Advertising Sales who use the federal access to information law. Journalists should fight back. INFORMATION John Dickins By Alasdair Roberts 18 SPIN CONTROL There's no denying that media outlets depend too heavily on spinmeisters for their news. The Administrative Director proof is contained in a new study. John Dickins By Trudie Richards and DeNel Rehberg-Sedo (613)526-8061 Fax: (613)521-3904 E-mail: [email protected] 20 PROFILE Kathryn Welbourn has been called "a strong, active, fearless newspaper editor" — but not by those who take offence to her stories. MEDIA is published three times By Jeff Green a year by: Canadian Association of DEPARTMENTS Journalists, 1385 Woodroffe Avenue., B-224 23 Photojournalism Maclean's chief photographer, Peter Bregg, has travelled the country and the globe using his lens Algonquin College to chronicle the human condition. He tells us the stories behind some of his most recent pictures. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2G 1V8 The superficial way in which we cover elections threatens to distance citizens even further 26 Ethics Reproduction without the written from politics. permission of the publisher is By Stephen J.A.Ward strictly forbidden 27 Ethics Whether you want to call it plagiarism or a breech of intellectual integrity, stealing the words of other people and calling them your own is a problem that media outlets and journalism Media is a publication of the schools must take more seriously. Canadian Association of Journalists. By Judith Ince It is managed and edited independently from the CAJ and its 30 Point of view Conrad Black always craved attention.And now, unfortunately, he's getting his wish. contents do not necessarily reflect By Gillian Stewart the views of the Association. Millions of people may be dying in Africa. But dying people aren't as visually exciting as 32 Foreign affairsc Canada Subscriptions: $14.98 bullets flying in the never-ending Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (GST incl.) per year, By Michelle Stirling-Anosh payable in advance 34 The Fine Print Warning: Don't say or do anything when dealing with the police that you are not prepared to have exposed, at some future date, for all to see. Indexed in the Canadian By Dean Jobb Periodical Index. Canada Post Publications Canadian 35 Workplaceor freedom of Two journalists reflect on how they were able to secure good jobs in a field that can be Mail Sales Product Agreement No. difficult to break into. 182796 By Chris Richardson ISSN 1198-2209

36 Computer-assisted reporting The push towards greater privacy protection could spell bad news for greater access to Cover Photo records in electronic form such as databases. Maclean’s/Peter Bregg By Fred Vallance-Jones 38 The Last Wordor freedom of The temptation to fabricate the people in medical stories may be heightened by the pressure on journalists to find real-life victims. By John Gushue FIRST WORD BY DAVID MCKIE The horse-race that produced the wrong winner The coverage of the recent federal election produced more of the same: stories that failed to take voters much past the win-loss column

he casual consumers of news could be To be sure, there were exceptions. My employer, what does that mean for our coverage of federal forgiven for being shocked on the evening of the CBC,did vow to stick to the issues.And for the politics? Will there be a continuous and tedious TMonday, June 28, when the results began most part, the stories and coverage avoided the deathwatch? Will coverage be dominated by filtering in from a hard-fought and sometimes- polls and projections of the Conservatives' margin breathless accounts of those inevitable internal nasty federal election. of victory, or the severity of a Liberal loss. negotiations between parties about what pieces of Just days before that evening's results, vulture- But the overall tone of the coverage, including legislation they will support, or tactics they may like media outlets began writing the Liberals' that of the CBC's, was influenced — some would employ to keep Martin and his crew honest? political obituary. Polls and seat projections were say tainted — by the polls. Stephen Harper even Brian Flinn,the legislative reporter for the giving the Tories a minority government. began believing the headlines, and the coverage Halifax Daily News,has been down this road Speculation was rife about Paul Martin's future. reflected that growing confidence, which came before, having covered successive minority The verdict seemed to be reached: his campaign back to haunt the now-humbled Conservative governments in Nova Scotia. Media magazine was a disaster; his days as a politician were perhaps leader. asked him to proffer some advice to his colleagues numbered. So we've come through another election in the nation's capital. Days before people went to the polls,many of the decrying the use of polls. But will it be any That advice can be summed up in one phrase: stories focused on the deals that the governing different when Canadians do it all over again don't waste your time circulating the Peace Tower, Conservatives would have to make with the Bloc within the next year, two or three, when Paul vulture-like, waiting for imminent death. He Quebecois, and whether such alliances were Martin returns to the electorate for a more suggests that journalists covering federal politics tantamount to breaking bread with the separatist decisive mandate? Who knows? find news in places that they've ignored in the devil. Reformists in the United States have repeatedly past. Places such as committee meetings. So, how do you explain the election night result? and vehemently lamented that country's poll- We move beyond the world of political coverage The explanation could be found in the Globe and driven coverage of presidential elections. Little to the business of journalism. Specifically, the Mail headline the next morning: "Ontario Rescues appears to have changed — in the U.S.or Canada. business of staying alive in the unforgiving world Martin." Or this Ottawa Citizen headline: "Tory-shy And it is with that sad reality in mind that the of newspapers. As we have seen with the travails Ontario gives PM a break." It was only on the eve of Ottawa Citizen's Chris Cobb kicks off Media of Conrad Black, survival is difficult. It takes the election that the Citizen declared in its above- magazine's exploration of the Canadian election business acumen,hard work,a bit ofluck,and an the-fold, front-page story: "Tories set to win 115; coverage with his sobering post mortem. He abiding love for the craft. Liberals, 106." writes: "To be charitable, it is possible that all the Those are among the qualities you'll find in To be fair, other media outlets also ran similar polls were accurate when the surveys were Kathryn Welbourn, a feisty publisher at the helm prognostications. conducted. However, when you're dealing with of The Northeast Avalon Times, a monthly that Take Maclean's, for example. Two weeks before horse-race polling, that isn't good enough." covers a small geographic region near St. John's, the election, the magazine ran a cover of a smiling Staying on the theme of politics, we look ahead Newfoundland. Jeff Green introduces us to Conservative leader with the superimposed, to the current Parliamentary session. As former Welbourn in his engaging profile of a woman who presumptive caption: "Prime Minister Stephen Hill bureau chief, columnist and journalism characterizes the Times as the "biggest friggin' Harper?" A week later, Paul Martin made an professor, Anthony Westell, points out, Canada gamble" of her career. appearance on the cover with the less-flattering has had a history of minority governments. "In Another publication that arguably started out caption, which read in part: "GOING GOING… the past half century,there have been six previous as a gamble was the National Post, which went Gone." minority governments," he writes. "Three were head-to-head with the Globe and Mail in 1998.We These headlines seemed to make sense because defeated in a vote of confidence in the Commons, have two very different treatments of the National the polls were predicting dark days for the once- precipitating an election — but in one of those, Post in this issue. mighty media darling Paul Martin. And media the government arranged its own defeat because The first treatment involves a study conducted outlets were taking those polls seriously. it wanted an election, and in another the by Trudie Richards and DeNel Rehberg-Sedo, To say that election coverage is driven by polls is government invited defeat because it was professors at Mount Saint Vincent University's a tired cliché.But even more tiring are the promises confident the opposition would not dare. So it public relations department. The two academics of media executives to reduce their reliance on polls could be argued that only once has a minority began wondering about the extent to which major and focus on substantive issues such as health care; government been driven into an election against media outlets in Canada depend on institutions in other words, a commitment to cover issues that its will." for their news content. Put less charitably, they contribute to the political knowledge of an So if, as Westell suggests, we're stuck with a increasingly disengaged electorate. minority government for the foreseeable future, Continued on Page 38 MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 4 JOURNALISMNET BY JULIAN SHER There are new and better ways to find news It's just a matter of using the right search engine

inding news is what journalism is all Sometimes, instead of a search by keywords, Let's say you come up empty — or you want about, and the Web keeps coming up with you just want to know what's out there about a more than a town; you want to find many of the Fnew and better tools to help you do just specific country, a health topic, an industry or small papers in northern Alberta.Then try ABYZ that. It's hard to keep up with all the latest even a company. IHaveNet.com gives you a Newspapers (at www.abyznewslinks.com) which developments, so here is a quick rundown of chance to stroll through a library of topics,instead allows you to find all the newspapers in a region, some of the hottest sites. of restricting yourself to keywords. Select any one a country, and even a state or province. of dozens of categories and sub-categories on the You'll find these and other tools at left-hand side margin of this site, and you get www.journalismnet.com/papers. NEWS SEARCHES instant news by topic. You'll find most of these sites on JNet's main Of course, the best tool is still Google News at page and also in JNet's Find News section at NEWS ALERTS news.google.com (which we looked at extensively www.journalismnet.com/news. in Media, Fall/Winter 2003,Vol. 10, No.2) with the Why not set up your own news clipping service? widest selection (4,500 news sources) and the In previous columns (please see Media, highest precision. Formerly available only in SEE THE NEWSPAPERS Fall/Winter 2003, Vol. 10, No.2 ) we looked at one English, Google News has now branched out into of the best of these services — Google News French, Italian, German and Spanish. You'll find Nothing beats folding the pages of your Alerts at www.google.com/newsalerts.For free, links to these languages at the bottom of the main favourite newspaper on your lap while sipping a Google will send you an e-mail when news Google News page. cup of coffee. Web sites for newspapers are great, articles appear online that match the topics you But there are new kids on the block worth but you can't really see what the paper actually specify.You can ask for as many as you want, and looking at as well: looks like. Two new sites give you a chance to do you can request that they be sent once a day or as that on the Web. news happens. Newsblaster from Columbia University is the most promising (at www1.cs.columbia.edu/ nlp/ Today's Front Pages (at http://www.newseum.org/ Ya ho o has a similar service at http://alerts.yahoo.com. newsblaster). The folks at Columbia have come up todaysfrontpages) is brought to you by the folks You can type in any number of keywords and also with a better way to search the news, instead of at The Newseum, an American foundation. It narrow down the publications, though I have never just a mishmash of headlines. Every night, the provides a snazzy quick look at the front pages found this service to be as efficient as Google's. system crawls a series of Web sites, downloads of more than 300 papers. A simple click also The major news organizations, of course, offer articles, groups them together into "clusters" takes you to that paper's web site. The papers their own news alerts. The New York Times has now about the same topic, and summarizes each are organized in alphabetical order by country, switched to a pay-for-use service, but it's still free cluster.The end result is a Web page that gives you but if you click on the link at the top at CNN (at www.cnn.com/EMAIL/) and the BBC a sense of the day's major stories, which means labeled "page list," you can select the world region (at www.bbc.co.uk/email). The BBC has also recently you don't have to visit the pages of dozens of as well. launched a new desktop alert system.Once installed, publications. You get story comparisons and the an alert box will appear on your PC whenever site also offers a timeline, indicating when the PressDisplay at (www.pressdisplay.com) offers an important story breaks. It's available for stories were updated. only a peek at the front pages for free.The rest you a free download at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/help/ have to pay for, but you get 200 newspapers from 3533099.stm. NewsInEssence (www.newsinessence.com) is a 50 countries. You can also search by country or You can also get fast news through a variety of similar "clustering" tool developed by Columbia's language, and the archives go back two weeks for news tickers — instant news that scrolls across rival, the University of Michigan. NewsInEssence most of the papers. your screen. That will be the topic of a future finds and summarizes clusters of related news Both these sites give you a graphic display of column. articles from multiple sources on the Web, the newspapers, but you can't search the In the meantime, you can get a list of some of including the CBC, CNN, and the International newspapers for keywords and they only have a the best at www.journalismnet.com/choose/ Herald Tribune.You can create your own clusters selection from various continents. newstickers.htm as well. So, if you want to find any newspaper Web site in the world — and look at newspapers as they Julian Sher, the creator and webmaster of Daypop (www.daypop.com) is trying to become appear on the Web, not in real life — the two best JournalismNet (www.journalismnet.com), does the Google of blogs, those increasingly-popular tools are Paperboy and ABYZ. Internet training in newsrooms around the world. Web diaries. It offers you the choice of searching He can be reached by e-mail at just for news, or just for blogs, or both. It also Paperboy (at www.thepaperboy.com) allows [email protected]. This article and many monitors hot words and trends in newspapers you to search by city or town: Just put in the name other columns from Media magazine are available and weblogs. (See other blog tools at of the town you want to search … and you get a online with hot links on the JournalismNet Tips www.journalismnet.com/blogs) result, most of the time. page at www.journalismnet.com/tips

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 5 WRITER’S TOOLBOX BY DON GIBB The warm body syndrome There are ways to inject your stories with people who add substance to the narrative

ust as I was writing this column, along came character — to get readers, viewers or listeners statistical story on divorce. Such a randomly an e-mail request from an old friend, Ottawa into the story. selected person might add only a predictable quote Jfreelance writer Randy Ray: There are options to giving a dull story life, but here and there. they require courage and a conscious effort to These stories are always the same: Mary has I am researching a story about retired avoid the routine. Here are a few thoughts. gone through a messy divorce,"but she is not alone" persons who have re-joined the workforce (see how often you find that sentence after a and who now work for their sons or DON'T SETTLE FOR THE OBVIOUS superficial introduction of the warm body). Or: daughters. Mary is "among one million Canadians who were In a recent discussion with a group of reporters, The retirees could be the owners of a granted a divorce in the last 24 months." someone asked how to enliven a story about business that was taken over by their children The discussion with the reporters produced a or retired persons who simply want some number of standard options — talking to divorce gainful employment … lawyers, priests, a visit to divorce court. The one I liked best took a back-door approach — This request for real people goes out daily in Stories are often interviewing a young couple contemplating newsrooms across the country. Every reporter is marriage about how they expect to overcome the looking for someone through whose eyes to tell better when odds. the story. Editors demand it. Reporters demand it told through the Still,the option most overlooked is to go with the of themselves. Find a face for the story. Be a news value of the statistics.Not every story benefits storyteller. eyes of those from bringing in the human element, especially Of course,this is admirable.Human interest — when a single person cannot represent the whole. real people — allows us to bring colour into our affected by the Audiences would be better served if journalists stories and add credibility. They "show" rather policies of big reported what the information means to them. If than "tell" readers the story. teachers are on a work-to-rule campaign, what Stories are often better when told through the business or impact does that have on parents and students? It eyes of those affected by the policies of big could mean they won't receive report cards this business or the statistics of big government. But the statistics of term,the field trip to Quebec is cancelled and after- deadlines and a demand to always have people in big government. school clubs are on hold. When you don't employ our stories can lead to settling for anyone who the human element, then look beyond the obvious breathes. Does anyone know someone who had But deadlines for the tension, conflict, relief or joy in your story. purchased a wedding dress over the Internet? Do Writers must make a conscious effort not to you know anyone who has thought of purchasing and a demand accept the obvious and patented human interest a wedding dress over the Internet? Anyone who to always have lead all the time. has dreamt of buying one via the Internet? Anyone who has used "wedding dress" and "Internet" in people in our CONSIDER SOMETHING OTHER THAN A PERSON the same sentence! stories can lead September's hostage crisis in Russia brought A Globe reporter used an inanimate object — home again how desperate we are to find real to settling for a car piston — as the thread through his story to people to tell a story. A TV reporter interviewed show the traffic delays at the Detroit-Windsor Russians living in Canada. None came from the anyone who border crossing after the events of Sept. 11, 2001. town of Beslan and none said anything that any Here is how he opened his piece: person — Russian or otherwise — wouldn't have breathes. said. They expressed shock and horror. They The journey of a humble piston added nothing to the story except their ethnic demonstrates how much the auto industry background. — and a major chunk of Canada's economy In spite of the importance of getting human statistics. We picked a topic — rising divorce rates — depends on a smoothly functioning interest into stories, we need to protect ourselves in Canada — and talked about having an hour or border crossing between Windsor and from trivializing the personal element and so to capture the human angle. Detroit. resorting to the same old formula in every story. So the obvious person for our example was The piston starts its trip at a Daimler- The closer we get to deadline, the more we are someone going through a divorce or recently Chrysler Canada Inc. factory in western tempted or forced to settle for any warm body to divorced. But it became pretty obvious that a single Toronto, then travels along Highway 401 and serve merely as a prop — a one-dimensional person could not illustrate such a wide-ranging across the border to an engine plant in

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 6 Trenton, Mich., southwest of Detroit. There, it Charlotte leaves the doctor's office and • Be sure to develop your human-interest becomes part of a 3.3 litre, V-6 engine that spends the next two days getting herself element beyond name, age and occupation. Let comes back across the border into Ontario to tested. She goes to the lab, the pharmacy and your audience get to know and be engaged by the automaker's Windsor Assembly Plant. the MRI clinic … She received prompt service those you bring into your story. … Three times the lower piston traverses everywhere she went … • When you use a person, don't eliminate her the world's busiest border crossing. Three Charlotte tells her husband over supper after the first three paragraphs. Let her times it runs the gauntlet … that evening how lucky they are to live in comment throughout the story on different Canada where the public health system takes issues or topics you raise. Make the person a In a story about a redundant building, you such good care of them. central part of the story,but be careful not to let could deal with the rich history,what it has meant the person dominate to the point where you to the community and the famous or infamous lose the theme or purpose of your piece. In people who have passed through its doors. In a other words, it's not a profile. medical story, your thread could be how the • Make sure your person is a perfect fit for the disease works its way through the body. The story theme. The person has to know what she disease rather than the person becomes the is talking about beyond clichés and character. generalizations. When Halifax was hit by Hurricane Juan in • Don't allow someone into your story simply September, 2003, a writer could have told the because you talked to him. Or worse, because story of a single tree to highlight the loss of you have no one else.A person who has nothing thousands of trees in this, the "city of trees." to say to advance your story should be omitted. • Ask yourself these questions: Does the person CONSIDER PLACE AS A FOCUS add to my story? Does the person help readers RATHER THAN PEOPLE see and feel the story? Does the person answer questions you would expect readers to ask? Do It is the "where" of stories that is too often I need this person? overlooked because reporters are mesmerized by • Try to avoid the standard open-with-the- the "who." person, end-with-the-person. It's a nice Readers need to know where they are in a technique, but it's better to bring the person in story and writers need to take more time to make throughout your story. Why? Stories often bog them familiar with the surroundings. Place can down in the middle with too many statistics be a colourful alternative to character. and too many talking head experts. A story about Vancouver's imbalanced city- wide electoral system used place to illustrate how U.S. writing coach Paula LaRocque once city council was dominated by those from the rich said: "Why assume that anybody at all is more side of town: interesting than an idea? The word 'humanize' doesn't mean simply to use something animate Anyone driving east along King Edward "Why assume that anybody at all is more instead of inanimate; the word means to Avenue notices that past Main Street, interesting than an idea? The word 'humanize' capture some human feeling, drama or splendour gives way to squalour. Lush, doesn't mean simply to use something animate condition. Sometimes facts and figures capture manicured gardens grow small and mangy. instead of inanimate; the word means to that drama." The centre-lane boulevard, with its towering capture some human feeling, drama or The simple fact is that reporters have to have fir trees, comes to an end and the street condition. Sometimes facts and figures the courage to avoid the perils of the warm narrows. Large stucco and wood-frame capture that drama." body human-interest angle. Even under homes shrink, as do their property values. deadline pressure, they must challenge Like a curtain drawn across the city, Main — U.S. writing coach, Paula LaRocque themselves to get beyond the obvious and, if separates Vancouver's haves from its have- necessary, let the facts speak for themselves. nots so abruptly that the two areas might as well be two different cities. She couldn't be more wrong. Footnote: My friend Randy sent out Charlotte, a fictional character who was about 50 e-mails. Initially, his request CONSIDER AN AVERAGE (TO created to make a point, was indeed lucky to produced four potential subjects. One man REPRESENT A DEMOGRAPHIC experience the rosy side of Canada's health- in British Columbia didn't want to be GROUP) OR A COMPOSITE care system … Virtually every health agency interviewed and another in Ontario wasn't Charlotte visited — or had a prescription to the right fit. "The folks in Quebec were It can be overdone, but I saw it used effectively visit — was delivered by the private sector. perfect — a mother who worked for her to illustrate a Kingston Whig-Standard story on daughter's gift store and a father who the extent to which Canada's health care system is WHAT TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU worked at his son's winery." Seems like good delivered by the private sector. DO USE A PERSON digging on a story that had a clear focus and The reporter could not have found one person people who were a perfect fit. to illustrate every element of the story, so she When you do have someone to illustrate your used a fictional character to take readers through story, be sure not to give the person short shrift. Don Gibb teaches reporting at Ryerson the health care system step by step. Her The person should be an integral part of telling University's School of Journalism. He, too, has "character" gave readers a quick and clear picture your story. Here are some suggestions on avoiding written the standard human-interest lead too often, of the public-private health care argument. the warm body syndrome: but is beginning to see the light.

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 7 FEATURE BY CHRIS COBB Poll mania Our addiction to polls skewed the coverage of the recent federal election campaign

Polls predicted a Conservative minority, even though most potential voters seemed to favour Paul Martin for prime minister. He was photographed here at the beginning of the campaign waiting for a television interview to start.

ederal election 2004 was not a stellar event the pollsters seemed ever ready to supply the its election coverage was not tainted by the orgy of for opinion polls. News media's need for the quick fix. polling that was occurring elsewhere. Fsuperficial ruminations of pollsters, and a The CBC decided to opt out of the horse-race However well intended, news organizations new breed of political soothsayer who claim to be stakes and although the public broadcaster's can't live in a bubble, especially during a federal able to predict the number of seats each party will motives were undoubtedly noble and in the public election campaign. It was an unusually complex receive, reached new levels of addiction for which interest, it would be optimistic to claim that even campaign for both journalists and pollsters.

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 8 PHOTO CREDIT: CP/Tom Hanson Reporters travelling with Stephen Harper — pictured here at a rally in Edmonton a day before the election — were puzzled by his apparent disengagement from the campaign in the final couple of days. News media, after all, were still considering him a serious contender for the prime minister's office in a too-close-to-call race. Harper obviously had a different picture of reality.

The electorate was faced with a new political to change the Charter of Rights because he whit of knowledge about survey research party led by a man they did not know and did not doesn't like what we've done about gay rights, understands.Yet in the lust for a screaming front- fully trust, while simultaneously angry at the abortion and all those other social issues that page headline in the midst of dull, repetitive corrupt antics of the ruling Liberals and quite define Canada … election campaigns, we readily and knowingly ready to boot them out of office. In short, there was a lot going on, and the invest these horse-race election polls — which Was Prime Minister Paul Martin to be trusted? electorate was anxious and confused. More than a party is going to win and by how much — with an He was part of the Chrétien crowd,after all.But he quarter of voters seemed to be undecided for the importance and authority they simply don't crushed the deficit, didn't he? And this guy Jack whole campaign and too many of the rest couldn't possess. Layton. He's got some good ideas but he's NDP make up their minds, and didn't, until the final Horse-race polls offer a brief, passing glimpse and you know how those guys like to spend. hours. A depressing number decided to opt out of what's happening in the minds of the ever- Conservative leader Stephen Harper seems like altogether. shrinking portion of the electorate engaged in the the only viable alternative to Martin, but he Opinion polls are snapshots of a brief period in process,but they can mislead as easily as they can wanted to send troops to Iraq and is threatening time and predictors of nothing, as anyone with a inform. Newsroom managers on tight budgets like them because they are inexpensive and for campaign-weary voters and innumerate journalists (are there any other sort?), they are Horse-race polls offer a brief, passing glimpse of relatively easy to understand. And if we faithfully what's happening in the minds of the ever-shrinking record that margin of error as being so many times out of 20, we can take comfort in having portion of the electorate engaged in the process, but validated the poll and provided our readers, viewers and listeners with the truth, the whole they can mislead as easily as they can inform. truth and nothing but the truth.

Continued on Page 10

PHOTO CREDIT: CP/Adrian Wyld MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 9 Continued from Pg. 9 per cent. For such accuracy, a pollster would need COMPAS was the most accurate media horse-race Poll mania to interview 100 per cent of potential voters. poll of all.COMPAS surveyed for news media later Although sampling error can never be totally than other firms, but the party's own pollsters eliminated, it can be minimized by ensuring that may have also captured the final reality. It's an illusion, of course, but as George Perlin, the sampling group is as representative of the Reporters traveling with Stephen Harper were a polling specialist and political scientist at total population as possible. Also lumped into puzzled by his apparent disengagement from the Queens University in Kingston,Ontario,suggested margin of error are the pollsters' own sins: poorly campaign in the final couple of days.News media, more than a decade ago, we journalists might worded and badly ordered questions, ill-trained after all, were still considering him a serious mean well but, "the degree of polling literacy is interviewers and mistakes in analyzing the data.) contender for the prime minister's office in a too- not high among journalists. We assume that Midway through Campaign 2004, media close-to-call race. Harper obviously had a reporters covering the stock market or some pollsters were offering up the very real prospect of different picture of reality. financial area have knowledge of the subject. That a Conservative majority government, which led to News media and pollsters have long had a doesn't apply to reporters reporting on polls." front-page stories speculating who might be symbiotic relationship that, for the most part, is Back then, margins of error were routinely included in a Harper cabinet. not always in the best interests of news omitted from stories because they were viewed by Later, polls predicted a Conservative minority, consumers. some editors as an admission that a poll may not even though most potential voters seemed to Simply put, editors don't like to pay too much be totally accurate. It's that word "error" that they favour Paul Martin for prime minister. The for their polls, so get what they pay for. Pollsters didn't like. inaccuracy and inconsistency highlighted two hold their noses and oblige, not because they As journalism entered the mea-culpa era and other stumbling blocks for pollsters: culling like the science, but because they want the admitting mistakes became a badge of honour respondents who are willing to be interviewed but exposure and apparent legitimacy that only rather than an admission of weakness, refuse to vote; and the timing of polls. news media can provide. That, in turn, leads to corrections began appearing across the land and These were both uncommonly huge factors in serious money contracts from industry and margins of error became fashionable. the 2004 campaign. government. None of that is news but it (The word "error" in margin of error is not a To be charitable, it is possible that all the polls continues to be reality. mistake in the accepted sense, but the were accurate when the surveys were conducted. One of the problems with superficial polling inevitability that opinions represented by any However, when you're dealing with horse-race during an election campaign is that the parties small sample of potential voters will never polling,that isn't good enough.It's significant that are spending copiously and constantly for deep accurately portray the opinions of every voter 100 an election-day poll conducted for Global by and detailed research. They have a significantly clearer understanding of what the electorate is thinking because they pay their pollsters to drill down into the crevices of public concern. Limited horse-race polling has some worth, agrees COMPAS president Conrad Winn, but news media either need to spend more on polling or use resources differently. "One horse-race poll a week may be valuable," he says, "but it seemed we had one or more a day.An occasional blood test is great but if you had the choice between more blood tests and some serious analysis, what would you choose?" During the course of the campaign,Winn says it's likely that all the published polls were accurate at the time the surveys were conducted. "But being accurate is not the same as being adequate," he adds. "They were not adequate because they didn't explore undercurrent of misgiving, anxiety or worry among electorate. There was only one detailed poll in the campaign — early on in the campaign.All other polls were variations on the horse-race question.When polls are inadequate as opposed to inaccurate, the blame has to be shared." And timing, agrees Winn, was crucial. "If the COMPAS-Global poll is valid," he says, "then the lion's share of all changes among voters took place within 24 hours of balloting."

Chris Cobb writes for the Ottawa Citizen,and for the past five federal elections has written about polling and other aspects of political communication. Cobb is also a member of Media magazine's editorial board.

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 10 FEATURE BY ANTHONY WESTELL Minority government roulette If members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery are counting on Paul Martin's minority government going down in flames, they had better read the history books

he Parliamentary Press Gallery likes nothing more than an election — unless it Tis a dramatic political crisis leading into an election: a lease on the front page or the top of the newscast for weeks, gigs as commentators, lots of chummy travel with the party leaders (preferably earning travel points), and reserved rooms in grand hotels across the country. That's why many in the gallery are delighted with the election of a minority government. They hope it will soon be defeated in a cliffhanger confidence vote, leading to another campaign, and perhaps even another minority government. Sorry, but it's not likely to happen anytime soon. In the past half-century, there have been six minority governments. Three were defeated in a vote of confidence in the Commons, precipitating an election. However, in one of those, the government arranged its own defeat because it wanted an election, and in another, the government invited defeat because it was confident the opposition would not dare. So, it could be argued that only once has a minority government been driven into an election against its will. In all three cases, the political circumstances were quite unlike those today. What more could Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe win in another election? Above, he is But, then, the circumstances are almost always photographed one day before the last election with 14-month-old Raphaelle Lambert who would rather different, and to grasp just how different and how retreat to the comfort of her mother's arms than cooperate for a political photo opportunity. minority government politics can play out, it's useful to take a quick look at the recent history of voting day with a cover assuming the Liberals had appear to attack the government, and came up minority government governments. won — one of the classic goofs in Canadian with an outlandish motion calling on the media history.The editors had not counted on the government to resign and hand them power. 1957 new Progressive Conservative leader, John There was no danger it would pass because the Diefenbaker, a Prairie messiah who set the CCF would not support it. Diefenbaker, however, The Liberals had been in power for more than country afire in the closing days of the campaign. contrived to accept it as serious and announced a 20 years when Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent The PCs won 112 seats, the Liberals 105, the new election in 1958. After he won in a landslide, called an election. His government had just CCF (forerunner of the NDP) 25, Social Credit (an Pearson's acid-tongued wife, Maryon, who had railroaded through the Commons legislation Alberta-based conservative populist party and a never wanted her husband to enter politics, enabling construction of a trans-Canada gas forerunner of the Reform party) 19. remarked to a friend: "It's a disaster.We even won pipeline, using closure ruthlessly to overcome Diefenbaker became prime minister at the our own seat." Opposition delaying tactics. There was uproar in head of a minority government, and prepared for the Commons; the Speaker was impeached for the next election, in which he hoped to ride his 1962 partisanship; and the editorial pages proclaimed popularity to a majority. But he had no reason to the death of parliamentary democracy. call an election … that is,until the Liberals played Diefenbaker had long since lost his enormous But when St. Laurent — the reassuring "Uncle into his hands. popularity when he called a regular election. He Louis" — went calmly ahead and called an Their new leader, Lester Pearson, was a former was an old-fashioned Western populist in a time election, it was widely assumed that the Liberals diplomat with little political experience. His of rushing modernity. would be re-elected anyway. Maclean's,then a advisers did not want an election until the party monthly, was so certain it went to press before had had a chance to reorganize, but they had to Continued on Page 12

PHOTO CREDIT: Jacques Boissinot MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 11 Continued from Pg. 11 thus occupied, it should have been relatively safe clung to power with a two-seat edge over the Minority government roulette sailing for Pearson, who announced his intention Tories: Liberals, 109; PCs 107; NDP 31; the to retire in 1968 and took off for a rest in the Creditistes 15. He was cool to the Quiet Revolution in Quebec, Caribbean. Finance Minister Mitchell Sharp's In Larry Zolf's quip, Trudeau was transformed was anti-American when John F. Kennedy was budget had been approved in principle, and he from Philosopher King into Mackenzie King — popular, and was paranoid, always sniffing for was piloting the legislation through one evening that is, a wily politician. Trudeau was dangerously plots against his leadership. when the Tories ambushed him, rushing enough vulnerable, the god that had disappointed, while Pearson and the Liberals, meanwhile, had members into the Chamber to outnumber the across the aisle sat a new opposition leader modernized their party and their image. The available Liberals and defeat a clause. waiting for his chance. election reduced Diefenbaker to leader of a I was Globe bureau chief at the time. My friend Trudeau recognized that his new style of minority government, with 116 seats. The and close working partner, Geoff Stevens, was on politics had not worked and, if he was to remain Liberals had 99; Social Credit (which had duty in the gallery.He called me at home to tell me in power,he would have to play by the old rules, attracted Quebec nationalist support) 30 and the the startling news: the government had been promising whatever was necessary to win the NDP (which had succeeded the CCF in 1961, with defeated on its budget, and would have to call an NDP's votes while he rebuilt his popularity. Tommy Douglas as leader) 19. election. Diefenbaker became even more indecisive. He was about to file the story, but I asked him 1974 Senior ministers actually plotted his removal.The to hold off and hurried up to our office in the end came in 1963 when, during a crucial vote on National Press Building. Trudeau was ready.This time,he arranged to be nuclear weapons, he managed to lose the support I knew that defeat on a budget would normally defeated in the Commons and went again to the of both the anti-nuclear NDP and the cautiously be regarded as a vote of no-confidence, but voters. The charisma was back, and PC leader pro-nuclear Liberals. experience had given me another perspective. As Robert Stanfield made the mistake of proposing The election that followed was the only one in a young reporter, I had covered the "Mother of wage-and-price controls to beat inflation. Instead the last half-century in which a minority Parliaments" at Westminster, and had seen of being forced to defend his own record, Trudeau government was clearly forced into an election government bills defeated on several occasions — spent the campaign ridiculing Stanfield's plan that it lost. usually on a Friday afternoon when many MPs and won back his majority: Liberals 141; PCs 95; had left for the weekend — without any NDP 16; the Creditistes 11. 1963 disastrous consequences.The votes had obviously Having lost three elections in a row, Stanfield not been a test of confidence in the government. retired and the PCs chose a new leader, the Pearson and the Liberals won the subsequent So,I insisted that night in Ottawa that we take a amiable but little-known Joe Clark — or Joe election (Liberals 129; PCs 95; Social Credit 24; cautious line. Geoff and most other people in the Who?, as The Toronto Star famously called him. NDP 17), but with only enough seats to form a gallery and on the editorial pages did not share The NDP also had a new leader, Ed Broadbent. minority government. However, 20 of the Social my view. The following day, Geoff and I wrote With new faces across the aisle and a separatist Credit members were from Quebec, and they side-by-side columns on the two views. government in Quebec, Trudeau's own popularity became a separate party, the Ralliement des Not surprisingly, Pearson shared my view and was slipping and he toyed with retiring. When he Creditistes, largely rural and nationalist. hurried back from the beach.He was at his best,as decided to stay, he insisted he would fight the Diefenbaker's strength was in the West and the a diplomat and persuaded the Creditistes they had coming election on national unity, although the small towns, and his party was split between his not really intended to vote no-confidence. Their economy was in trouble. supporters and big-city Tories. He refused to step support was enough to carry a motion of down as leader, but his party did not want to fight confidence. The crisis was over. 1979 another election under his leadership.The Liberal The Liberals went on to choose Pierre Trudeau government should have enjoyed considerable as their leader and prime minister. He called an The Liberals lost a string of by-elections and momentum despite its minority, but almost at election in 1968, and won a comfortable majority. Trudeau put off the national election as long as he once it was diverted by the first of a series of The era of minority government — three in a row reasonably could. When he faced the voters in scandals. — seemed over. May of that year, he lost and Clark won, narrowly: But Trudeau could not satisfy the expectations PCs 136; Liberals 114; NDP 26; the Creditistes 6. 1965 of his fans who thought they had elected a radical, Clark thought he was surfing a conservative but discovered that he was a constitutional lawyer wave and announced he would govern as if he had Assured by Walton Gordon, the minister of with a systems-management approach to a majority, introducing a "pain now, gain later" finance and party chairman, that the Liberals government. budget which, among other things, raised the gas could convert a minority into a majority, a tax.He was in effect challenging the Opposition to hesitant Pearson called an election. But as a 1972 defeat him, which it did. campaigner, he was no match for Diefenbaker, He went to the country early in 1980, believing who made it sound as if the Mafia were running When Trudeau called an election after the he would return with a majority,and lost.Trudeau the government. customary four years,he did not help his cause by regained his majority. The Globe and Mail and other major dailies, running a campaign as he might have a tutorial. which had endorsed the Liberals in 1963,reverted With the vapid slogan of "The Land is Strong," he ANOTHER ROUND to their normal Tory position, and Pearson again declined to engage the opposition leaders, who came up short of forming a majority: Liberals were blasting away at unemployment. Instead, This brief history of minority governments 131; PCs 97; NDP 21; Creditistes 9; Social Credit 5. Trudeau went around the country educating shows they usually survive until both they and the Diefenbaker again refused to step down as voters about problems and choices as he saw Opposition are ready for another round. leader, and a civil war in the party produced a them. In this new Parliament,that won't be for at least leadership convention in 1967, in which Robert Stanfield and the NDP's David Lewis made a year, probably two. Prime Minister Paul Martin Stanfield emerged as leader. With the opposition headlines with attacks and promises.The Liberals needs time to build a record and dim the

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 12 Sources_AD

NDP leader Jack Layton, photographed talking to reporters a day before the election, would have nothing to gain and much to lose from an early election, which would look like a run-off between Paul Martin and Stephen Harper. memories of scandals past. Conservative leader One mistake in judging the intentions of the Steven Harper may seem to be poised on the edge opposition parties,or even in counting heads,and of victory, but he needs time to reassure voters it has happened (see above), and there can be an about his party's social conservatism. The NDP election nobody wants. Martin so far has not would have nothing to gain and much to lose demonstrated political skills. from an early election, which would look like a run-off between the Martin and Harper. Anthony Westell was the Ottawa bureau chief for I have not discussed the Bloc Quebecois The Globe and Mail from 1965 to 1969: national because it was not a factor in past minority affairs columnist for The Toronto Star from 1969 to governments, but what more could it win in an 1972; The Star's Ottawa editorial page columnist early election? from 1972 to 1987; professor of journalism at So, the media should forget about an early Carleton University from1969 to 1991; and school election and focus on policy issues. director for his last two years at the journalism One reservation: Heading a minority program. Westell has also won three national government, a prime minister needs to play a newspaper awards, and is a member of the clever game of politics. Canadian News Hall of Fame.

PHOTO CREDIT: CP/Andrew Vaughan MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 13 FEATURE BY BRIAN FLINN Nova Scotia’s high-wire act Reporters on Parliament Hill could learn about keeping minority governments in line from reporters doing just that in Halifax

inority government is beyond the experience of many members of the MOttawa press gallery. Some reporters on the Hill are too young to even remember the short-lived Progressive Conservative government of Joe Clark, let alone understand how it was covered. (Please see page 12) Here in Halifax, there was not a single journalist, politician or voter with experience to fall back upon when the NDP emerged from obscurity to tie the Liberals in 1998. During 150 years of democracy, Nova Scotia had never elected a minority government. Now on our second minority in six years, we're getting used to the political high-wire act. It's rarely graceful, but it's entertaining to watch parties feeling their way through the risky and unrehearsed performance. Here are a few hints of what journalists unfamiliar with minority rule will be in for,based on what has been unfolding on the East Coast. The time will come to ratchet up the deathwatch, but it's probably not at the beginning of a 1. THE END IS ALWAYS NEAR minority mandate. And it's not an activity that Conservative leader Stephen Harper, I used to work with a reporter who was pictured here during the recent election campaign, seems to have in mind. assigned to write an obituary for one of our more that the government could collapse this fall. Some Liberals had to turn to the third party to get colourful local politicians. A rumour was opposition MLAs are telling me they see little anything passed, and that allowed John Hamm's circulating that the old gentleman — who always benefit in forcing an election even next spring. Conservatives to look important and reasonable. looked sickly — was close to death. The time will come to ratchet up the In the end,it was up to Dr.Hamm to choose the When we got new computers at the Halifax Daily deathwatch, but it's probably not at the beginning timing for the government's defeat in the House. News five years ago,the obit was still an active file in of a minority mandate. In Halifax, we need two A fiscal conservative could ask for nothing the old system after the better part of a decade, but parties to decide on the right moment and the better than to campaign against a budget deficit. the retired politician was still being spotted at right issue to fight another election. Hamm encountered this winning condition in the several funerals each year, never his own. In Ottawa,it must be the consensus of three out Liberal budget of 1999, and it vaulted him from With a minority government, the temptation is of four opposition groups — the Conservatives, third place to first place. to tee up the political obituary with each bill, and Bloc, NDP and independent MP Chuck Cadman. The NDP appears to have learned from that especially each budget. I doubt the most The government could last for years. episode. Back in official Opposition, now behind important part of a reporter's job is to predict the the Tories, they sometimes support the future, but we do seem to devote a lot of time to 2. IT COULD GET A LOT WORSE government. For the first time in their history, the alerting voters about some upcoming day of party voted in favour of a budget last spring after reckoning. It's been fun watching Nova Scotian MLAs winning concessions. A deathwatch becomes tiresome for the learning that there are worse things than minority There is no coalition in Nova Scotia. Premier journalist, and must turn off the public if it goes government. Hamm has also made deals with the Liberals to on for very long. How many stories were filed Our first minority in 1998 saw the Liberals hold get legislation passed. The situation is far more about the impending departure of former prime onto power for 14 months while the New fluid than the 1998 minority government, and minister Jean Chrétien before he finally quit? Democrats voted against each bill.Cheated by one also more stable. Each party has a share in power. Reporters began writing that Nova Scotia seat from being asked to form government for the The governing Tories have by far the biggest share, Premier John Hamm's government was living on first time ever, the NDP wanted desperately to but the opposition parties are getting elements of borrowed time immediately after voters took return to the polls and finish the job. their agendas through the House. away his majority in August 2003. Now we're The trouble for them was that their predictable Defeating a money bill requires opposition learning to relax. Few take seriously the threat voting pattern gave the Tories the hammer. The parties to gamble their own shares of power when MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 14 PHOTO CREDIT: CP/Jonathan Hayward they know they could find themselves losing an chose to support the 2004 budget — probably the awkward corner by calling for radical gasoline election and giving a rival a majority. day it was tabled — it made no sense for the NDP regulations. to find fault with the government's spending plan. Committees have emerged as one of the best 3. OPPOSITION AIN'T WHAT IT With the leaderless Liberals in disarray and the places to watch minority government work in USED TO BE NDP saying mostly pleasant things, the budget Nova Scotia. During a majority regime, debate set a new standard for boredom. committees are often a snore. They tend to serve If Paul Martin is going to get even a single bill as alternate forums for opposition rhetoric, through Parliament, he has to make a deal with 4. SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF where compliant backbenchers rubber-stamp some opponents. After a generation of seeing government positions.During a minority,they are power increasingly coalesce in the PMO,the shift is During the slow demise of Jean Chrétien as opposition-dominated, and the new bosses use going to be dramatic. Other cliques will be prime minister, it was fascinating to follow the them to shape and even kill legislation. consulted on important decisions. increased coverage of the inner workings of the In one case last spring, Nova Scotia's The new dynamic will have an interesting effect Liberal caucus. The obedient drones who opposition parties ganged up to shelve a mild on those close to the prime minister who are used appeared to populate the back benches during gasoline regulation bill that would have sailed to the idea of governing as they choose. The effect the government's first two terms turned out to through committee if the Tories had been in could be even greater on the opposition parties be actual humans with their own ideas, points control. This was an outward sign of the that co-operate with them. of view and eccentricities. government's failure to build consensus on the It has been difficult to get used to the Nova This chronically dissatisfied crowd will play issue and gave us a taste of what will happen on a Scotia NDP as government collaborators. This an even more important role in a minority future money bill. used to be a small and noisy caucus led by Alexa government, because every vote counts and Minority government is all about muddling McDonough, who used the words "shocked and cabinet will have to keep caucus on-side while through.Among political parties,those that adapt appalled" so often they became a catch phrase for it's trolling for support on the opposition best will probably have the most luck; the same editorial cartoonists. benches. goes with those of us who are paid to explain Since the late 1990s, the New Democrats have The Nova Scotia government has less of this what's happening to the voters. The best stories become increasingly effective at research and dynamic — the Tory caucus includes only nine could come out of the least likely places. criticism in the Nova Scotia legislature. The media backbenchers, but they sometimes do speak came to rely on them as a source of stories and a out. Recently, three of them helped to write a Brian Flinn is a reporter with the Halifax Daily voice speaking out against the government.After it committee report that put the government in an News and a member of the Nova Scotia press gallery.

JOIN US FOR THE CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF JOURNALISTS NATIONAL CONFERENCE AND AWARDS GALA EVENING IN WINNIPEG

May 13-15 - Fort Garry Hotel

The CAJ is welcoming all journalists, freelancers and seasoned veterans to attend the National Conference May 13-15, 2005 in Winnipeg. The goal of this cross-border conference will be to help improve your writing and investigative skills. Don't miss this opportunity to meet other journalists, share information and network with some of North America's greatest professionals.

You're also invited to the CAJ awards gala evening, which will celebrate the best of investigative journalism for 2004!

Special room rates for all CAJ conference delegates have been arranged with the Fort Garry Hotel. For more information on the Conference, visit www.caj.ca.

The Manitoba gang looks forward to showing you a bit of Prairie hospitality.

See you in Winnipeg!

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 15 ACCESS TO INFORMATION BY ALASDAIR ROBERTS Singled out for special treatment Journalists should complain about unequal treatment under the country's federal access-to-information law

here's growing evidence that the federal their handling of personal information. This of an access requester, the reason for a request or government is systematically violating the provides another reason why the identity of the intended use of requested information." Trights of journalists under the Access to individuals using the ATIA should not be In practice, federal agencies regularly flout this Information Act (ATIA)— and possibly violating disclosed outside a department's ATIA office: it's a rule.As Ann Rees reported in the Toronto Star last their privacy rights as well. The common practice needless violation of your privacy. fall, several major ATIA offices routinely provide of disseminating information about the This view is generally accepted. In his annual ministerial and communications staff within occupation of citizens who make requests for report for 2000, Information Commissioner John their departments with lists of incoming requests information under the ATIA means that Reid warned federal agencies that the disclosure from journalists or members of political parties. journalists' requests can be pulled out for special of a requester's identity to ministerial and The name of the requester is withheld, but the — and often worse — treatment. category of requester — labelled as MEDIA or The practice also makes it easier for PARLIAMENT — is revealed, thereby disclosing government officials to guess the actual identity the intended use of the requested information. of requesters, perhaps in violation of the federal Media requests are likely to be tagged for special Privacy Act. treatment, including review by the minister's staff To appreciate the problem confronting and preparation of "communications products" journalists, you must first understand a little that anticipate controversies that might arise after about the law. The federal Access to Information disclosure. This process is sometimes known as Act provides Canadians with a right to "amberlighting". government documents, subject to certain Information about the occupation of requesters restrictions. The law does not say that some is also distributed throughout the federal Canadians are entitled to receive more government — to central agencies and other information than other Canadians, or that some government departments. Treasury Board policy Canadians are entitled to receive information requires departments to log details about new more quickly than others. It's the same right for ATIA requests into the Coordination of Access to every Canadian. Information Requests System (CAIRS), a For this reason (but not only for this reason), centrally-run database established by the the identity of a requester is not supposed to be Mulroney government in 1988, and overhauled by shared outside the office within each federal the Chrétien government in 2000. Although the agency that is responsible for processing ATIA specific identity of requesters is not logged, requests. The identity of the requester, his or her requests from journalists are again coded with the occupation,and the motivation for the request are In his annual report for 2000, Information keyword, MEDIA. all supposed to be irrelevant to the handling of the Commissioner John Reid warned federal Staff in the ATIA offices of the Privy Council request. agencies that the disclosure of a requester's Office, Treasury Board Secretariat and other As the 2002 report of a task force examining the identity to ministerial and communications federal departments have the ability to search the ATIA said, the law must be applied "fairly and staff so that they could brief the minister would CAIRS database, printing out details of incoming without bias. Neither decisions on disclosure nor violate the Privacy Act. requests. They can search by the "media" decisions on the timing of disclosure may be keyword, thus selecting only those incoming influenced by the identity or profession of the communications staff so that they could brief the requests that come from journalists.And they are requester." (I've added the emphasis, for reasons minister would violate the Privacy Act. When free to distribute their printouts of incoming that will be clear later.) senior government officials questioned the need media requests to other officials in their agencies. Another government study from 2001 to protect the identity of requesters in 2001, the A question for close consideration: Why does reinforces the point: "It would be a substantial task force charged with reviewing the ATIA anyone in the Privy Council Office need to know change in the principles of the Act to make the reminded them that this was a requirement of the that a new request to another government identity of the request or the purpose of the Privacy Act, not the access law. department has been submitted by a journalist? request a relevant consideration" in processing In sum,journalists have two rights — a right to One reason may be the desire of central agencies requests for information. equal treatment under the ATIA, and a right to to flag requests that are likely to have That's not all. Journalists, like all other privacy under the Privacy Act. These rights are "communications implications" that affect the Canadians, also have rights under the federal supposed to be protected by limiting the whole government, rather than a single Privacy Act.As the federal Privacy Commissioner distribution of irrelevant information about ATIA department. In 2002, a former Liberal Party has said, the right to privacy is a fundamental requests within government. As Commissioner insider told The Globe and Mail that the PCO's right, not to be treated lightly. The Privacy Act Reid said in 2001, ATIA offices must take "all "communications coordination" committee spent requires government agencies to be cautious in reasonable precautions not to disclose the identity much of its time "discussing ways to delay or

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 16 PHOTO CREDIT: Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada thwart access-to-information requests." This task communications offices, or central agencies. But is made easier by the ability to filter media that may not be the end of the story.By disclosing TRACKING FEDERAL INFORMATION REQUESTS requests within CAIRS. the occupation of the requester, ATIA offices may The practice of identifying media requests provide enough information for other Since 2001, Professor Roberts has within departments and through CAIRS has a government officials to guess the identity of maintained an online database that clear effect: added delay. In a 2002 study that requesters — thereby producing a constructive allows Canadians to search for information requests submitted to federal examined the handling of two thousand ATIA violation of privacy rights. departments under the Access to requests by Human Resources Development Guessing the identity of a journalist is not as Information Act. But bureaucratic Canada, I found that media requests took three hard as it might seem. Recently, I tallied all of the resistance has proved an ongoing threat weeks longer to process, even after other factors stories in Canadian newspapers written over three to the database's existence. — such as the breadth of the request and type of years that were based on documents released Roberts says that his database information sought — were taken into account. under the ATIA. The majority of those stories (http://track.foi.net) is a "crude mirror" of Responses to media requests were also more likely were written by only a dozen journalists. This an internal government database, CAIRS, to be delayed past deadlines set by the ATIA. confirms what you may have already suspected: that was established by the Mulroney In a follow-up study soon-to-be published in the number of journalists who regularly use ATIA government in 1988. CAIRS allows the journal Public Administration,I examined is small. officials in central agencies to search for data on 25,000 ATIA requests handled by eight There are other clues that can reveal a media recent requests submitted by journalists to federal departments over three years. In five of requester's identity. Requests with a regional all federal government departments. these departments — Citizenship and interest are likely to be filed by a small pool of Central agencies can then tell Immigration Canada, the Canada Customs and reporters in that region. ATIA requests are departments that they want to review frequently filed by journalists who have written a documents before they are sent to preliminary story on the same topic a day or two requesters. In 2002, a former before. In addition, journalists may have recently Roberts makes a monthly request for made inquiries to departmental staff, and data on new ATIA requests that have been Liberal Party insider departmental staff may then connect those logged into CAIRS. Canadians can search inquiries to a later "media" request. his database, and ask for a duplicate set told The Globe and of records already released in response to I've conducted tests to test how easily a earlier requests. requester's identity can be identified. In one case, Mail that the PCO's Roberts says the process of making a I randomly selected a media request received by duplicate request should be quick and "communications the Department of Foreign Affairs that related to inexpensive. coordination" the development of a national identity card.Using Unfortunately, Roberts' own experience LexisNexis, I found that Joan Walters of the in getting CAIRS data has often proved committee spent Hamilton Spectator had written a story on that difficult. In the last two years, the federal topic the day before the request was filed.Walters Information Commissioner has begun six much of its time has also written other stories based on ATIA different investigations about the material. I contacted Walters, who confirmed the government's slowness in providing data "discussing ways accuracy of my guess. and its refusal to provide data in a usable to delay or thwart In another case, I selected a media request to form. the Department of Foreign Affairs that involved Roberts' latest troubles came in July access-to-information the Canadian government's lobbying efforts on 2003, when the government told him that the softwood lumber controversy. A LexisNexis it would begin providing the monthly requests." search showed that James Baxter of CanWest report as a PDF file made from scanned News had written several earlier stories on the pages. The format would have made Revenue Agency, the Department of Foreign subject. Baxter had also written other stories Web-posting difficult, and searching of Affairs, Transport Canada, and the Department of based on documents released under ATIA.Again, the data impossible. The government reversed its decision two weeks later, Justice — media requests were again likely to Baxter confirmed my guess. (He also noted that following unflattering news coverage in suffer additional delays. (Both studies are on my the request had been made on his behalf by the Ottawa Hill Times and complaints by website, www.aroberts.ca) Ottawa-based ATIA specialist Ken Rubin.Still,the users of the database. Here, then, is the bottom line. Official policy file was labelled as a media request.) Roberts says that the government can says that ATIA offices should not disclose the This technique was not always accurate. On the avoid these problems by activating a purpose for which a request is made, and that other hand, my tools were rough: I don't have the public-access feature that was built into a decisions on disclosure or the timing of disclosure detailed day-to-day knowledge that is available to 2001 overhaul of the government's CAIRS should not be influenced by the profession of the most ministerial and communications staff. It's database. However, the government has requester. In reality, things work very differently: also true that I — or any insider — could have balked at allowing the public to access the purpose of a request is, in effect, disclosed; undertaken this guessing game even if the CAIRS directly. and there is a close connection between the occupation of the requester was not known. But There are also signs that the CAIRS timing of disclosure and the profession of the the revelation of occupational data made the itself may be dramatically overhauled. requester. There is strong evidence that the right game much easier, by dramatically narrowing the Last January, Treasury Board Secretariat to equal treatment under the ATIA is routinely pool of suspects. asked other departments for its views violated. Journalists who are troubled by the federal about CAIRS, as the first step in an So much for the ATIA. What about the right to government's practices can take some important internal review of its approach to the privacy? We have no evidence that the identity of "coordination" of government responses requesters is disclosed either to ministerial staff, Continued on Page 38 to ATIA requests.

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 17 PUBLIC RELATIONS BY TRUDIE RICHARDS AND DENEL REHBERG-SEDO Journalists rely too heavily on spinmeisters And the proofofthis dependence is partially contained in a new study

ournalists have long lamented how public We followed Sigal's guidelines, when it came to combined equal 88.8%. The percentage of stories relations practitioners manipulate the news: defining sources. He had three categories: that originated from the reporter's initiative at the JPR types spin information in their favour,they Post was 11.2%. withhold information they don't want publicized, • Routine channels were official proceedings: At The Globe, 65.3% of the stories originated they work against reporters' deadlines rather than police and the courts, legislative committee through routine channels, and 21.5% from with them, and they sometimes even lie to gain meetings, news releases, news conferences, informal channels, for a total of 86.8%. At The advantage. speeches, information from "official Globe, reporter initiative accounted for 13.2%. And all of that, sadly, is true — some of the spokespeople" and the like. According to our survey, then, at the National time.You'd think, then, that journalists would run Post, almost 89% of the stories originated from the other way when they see a public relations official sources; at The Globe and Mail,the initiative coming. number was almost 87%. Not so. Journalists rely on public relations for (Just by way of comparison, in Sigal's survey, so much of their work that it's difficult to see the the numbers for both The Washington Post and relationship as anything less than a partnership of The New York Times combined, were 58.2% for convenience. routine and 15.7% for informal, for a total of Thirty years ago, an American media scholar 73.9%. Back then, enterprise reporting accounted by the name of Leon Sigal wrote a book called for 25.8% of the stories.) “Reporters and Officials”. At that time, he assumed "which stories make the news and which WHAT DO THE RESULTS MEAN? do not can affect what officials as well as citizens … know about current political developments." It's almost a cliché to suggest that the Fourth He also believed media reports "can often shape" Estate invigorates a democracy on behalf of government policy. citizens by the extent to which powerful interests Sigal surveyed The New York Times and The are held accountable. Sadly, it is also true that the Washington Post to establish just how frequently media often reflect, unchallenged, the interests of reporters relied on official sources — usually Thirty years ago, an American media scholar by the powerful, with the result that citizens are not public relations initiatives — for their news. the name of Leon Sigal (photographed above) as well-informed as they should be. In the light of significant changes in the media wrote a book called "Reporters and Officials". At We hear about how media outlets set the news landscape here in Canada, we decided it was an that time, he assumed "which stories make the agenda and determine what becomes news. As appropriate time to re-visit Sigal's methodology news and which do not can affect what officials Leon Sigal suggested, those choices quite likely and observations, but in a Canadian context. as well as citizens … know about current affect what citizens think, and what they think Leon Sigal examined the front pages of The political developments." He also believed media about. New York Times and The Washington Post.He reports "can often shape" government policy. The trouble is, from our perspective, it appears chose, at random, two weeks from each of the five official sources are in fact the gatekeepers.Almost years: 1949, 1954,1959, 1964 and 1969. • Informal channels were such things as 90% of the time official sources — and not media He selected the front page. From that process, background briefings, leaks, association outlets — determine the news agenda. Sigal gathered 499 stories from The Times,and meetings, interviews with other reporters or We are worried about the results of our 547 from The Post, for a total of 1,046 stories. information from other news sources. research, to date. Media scholar Lance Bennett For the purposes of our research, we accepted suggested that "the news provides, at best, a his assumption that the most important stories • Enterprise channels were the more original superficial and distorted image of society." He usually appear on the first page. We chose, on a ones: independent research, interviews continued: scientific basis, completely at random, the same conducted at the reporter's initiative, "From the tremendous number of events number of newspapers, over a five-year period, spontaneous events the reporter actually occurring each day, the typical news fare covers from the National Post and The Globe and Mail. witnessed, and the reporter's own analysis. only a narrow range of issues,from the viewpoints For obvious reasons (given that the Post began in of an even narrower range of sources." 1998), we chose five consecutive years. The years At the Post, reporters relied on routine sources Although Bennett was writing about the were 1998 - 2003. 72.2% of the time. They relied on informal American media, we believe the situation may be Our search yielded 152 stories from the Post,and channels 16.6% of the time. Both channels similar in Canada. As professor David Taras of the 149 stories from The Globe,for a total of 301 stories. connect to official sources. The two numbers University of Calgary put it, "media reporting

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 18 fixates almost exclusively on the views of political layout of the paper? Advertising? Was it because of concentration in the media, and this apparent and economic élites." photographs? Length of stories? Some combination increased reliance on public relations initiatives. There is some evidence to suggest that there is of the above? Previous surveys have suggested that the a tremendous disconnect between what media We would also like to establish how many of those relationship between official sources and the outlets and citizens consider important. That official sources related to stories tackling specific media demonstrated a heavy reliance on might explain, from our point of view, why subject areas such as politics and business. government,on executives,and on men.We'd Canadians say they don't mind paying higher It would also be interesting to establish what other like to establish whether that continues to be the taxes to maintain a secure social safety net. And kinds of stories,initiated by official sources,typically case.We'd also like to explore whether reporters yet content in the mainstream news media always appear on the front page.How many are stories about are becoming frustrated with the formula, and assumes that tax cuts are a good idea. Hence, labour, culture, social issues, or from a perspective what they might like to do about it. surveys repeatedly suggest citizens don't trust the other than an élite's vested interest? If you're interested, we'd like to hear from media, or their news. There are other official sources from whom we you. You can reach one of us at either: U.S. media critics Noam Chomsky and Edward hear a great deal less. These sources include [email protected] or Herman suggested that "the élite domination of the advocates who speak for workers, the homeless, or [email protected] media … occurs so naturally that media news poor children; or advocates who ask that businesses people, frequently operating with complete integrity be accountable for the environmental degradation Trudie Richards is the Chair of the Public and goodwill,are able to convince themselves that they cause, who lament the extraordinary rise in Relations Department at Mount Saint Vincent they choose and interpret the news 'objectively' and tuition fees, or who actually think taxes are not high University. Dr. DeNel Rehberg-Sedo is an assistant on the basis of professional news values." The critics enough for some of us. professor at the same institution. Rehberg-Sedo defined the "propaganda model," in which the These advocates are also public relations sources, recently completed a PhD in Communication from powerful have designed a media system intended to to be sure, but their voices are silent in the Simon Fraser University. Her primary research "manufacture consent." mainstream media. interest can be summed up in two questions: Whose It is arguable that news today is essentially In further research, it would also be interesting to voices are heard? And why are they heard? propaganda that is generated by the public relations determine if there was a time period, say when the industry to promote and protect the interests of the National Post first began publishing, when Editor’s note: The following is a partial status quo. investigative and enterprising reporting was more reading list of books that explore the themes of PR As you can understand,our research is in its initial prominent than it is today. We will be continuing our and the media: PR! A Social History of Spin,by phases.We want to explore other issues,such as:Why research over the next year. Stuart Ewen; Trust Us, We're Experts, by Sheldon it is that in Sigal's survey,he came up with over 1,000 We would like to survey reporters, and to Rampton and John Stauber; Spin Wars,by Bill Fox; stories; and yet,when we look at the same number of interview them, too, to see if it's possible to newspapers, the tally was 301. Was it because of the establish a connection between corporate Continued on Page 38

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MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 19 PROFILE BY JEFF GREEN The gamble that has paid off Kathryn Welbourn has been called a "strong, active, fearless newspaper editor" — but not by those who take offence to her stories

t took balls," Kathryn Welbourn quips before breaking into a loud heavy laugh."It "Ireally did but it has worked — so far!" The 41-year-old journalist is referring to what she affectionately calls the "biggest friggin' gamble" of her career. Four years ago, Welbourn, an award-winning magazine writer and radio producer, took a risk and did what at least some journalists only dream of — she started her own newspaper and became her own boss. At first, her 12-page monthly exclusively covered her hometown of Portugal Cove-St. Philip's, a growing bedroom community on the outskirts of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Within a year, though, Welbourn realized she needed to expand to cover other surrounding communities for a larger advertising base and better stories. She re-launched the paper and christened it The Northeast Avalon Times. Today, the monthly covers a huge geographic region, with nearly 15,000 residents, and includes six diverse municipalities, all of which face a "I'm still here. Most new papers last a year. I'm not in debt and it's always made some money variety of issues ranging from the rights of and it's got a pretty good reputation and I'm not making any moves until I'm absolutely ready." farmers to how to keep the fishery alive. The Times is the first successful newspaper in Independent, Current, Le Gaboteur and the award-winning and respected novelist and poet, the region exclusively producing hard news. Shoreline). writes about books. Welbourn is also Newfoundland and Labrador's The Times has emerged into a gutsy, feisty Then, there's Ray Guy — an icon in Canadian only female publisher of a community newspaper. publication that tackles major issues with the journalism — whom she brought on board two Moreover, she's also the editor, reporter, same stamina as a major news outlet. In fact, the years ago. Guy, winner of the Stephen Leacock photographer, copy editor and distributor. And, St. John's-based Teleg ram, CBC Radio and VOCM Medal for Humour,is known for his legendary wit she helps sell ads. News, a private radio station, often pick up on and satirical commentaries. On average, 5,300 free copies of The Times are stories initially covered in the paper. Welbourn says her columnists crank out some placed in local stores, gas stations and town halls "I have found that they've been okay in of the best copy she's ever read. She's particularly each month. Bundles are also placed in a handful crediting this paper for stories but I don't care," proud of having Guy as part of her paper. "It is a of stores in St. John's and at the provincial House says Welbourn. "What I really don't like is when thrill of a lifetime," Welbourn gushes."I think Ray of Assembly. they get a story in this area and I don't have it." Guy is the best columnist in Newfoundland and "It's a lot of multi-tasking. I'm the queen," But she says that rarely happens. possibly Atlantic Canada and I was absolutely Welbourn says, laughing. "I sound insane, but I'm Welbourn and her freelancer reporters (she's honoured when he said yes. He wasn't writing just quietly doing my thing." had several over the years) usually have the anywhere at that time." All jokes aside,she's the first to admit her job is region covered extremely well. They attend Under Welbourn's careful editorial eye, the hard work, but she's also quick to point out she municipal and school council meetings, public Times has become one of the most respected doesn't regret taking the plunge. Welbourn runs hearings and special events. papers in the province. one of the few independent newspapers still left in Welbourn is also proud of her contingent of "It is a great community newspaper; by far the the province since Transcontinental Inc., bought columnists. Memorial University researcher Bill best such paper in the province," says veteran Optipress, which owned a string of weeklies. Now Montevecchi writes a bird watching column; journalist Geoff Meeker, now a vice-president the giant owns most of the newspapers in the freelancer Ivan Morgan keeps on eye on politics; with CCL Milestone, a public relations firm in St. province, including two dailies, the Western Star the Whitaker family writes about farming; Doug John's. Meeker knows first-hand the heartaches and the Teleg ram. (Several other independents Bird provides the political cartoons and a strip of running a publication. He's former managing exist in the St. John's area including, the Sunday called "Pickle Harbour;" and Robin McGrath, an editor of the Newfoundland Herald,the

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 20 PHOTO CREDITS: Brian Jones Newfoundland Signal and the acclaimed Sunday money freelancing but still manages to bring small towns around here. It's a thankless job, so Express. home a decent "part-time salary" each month. often the only people who take it on are those who "It has been successful for two reasons: first "The paper pays everyone else freelance rates, see something in it for themselves,but not around Kathryn has kept her overhead down by keeping too, which should be higher but are not much here. Thanks to Kathryn, they are challenged and costs under control, in particular by doing much lower than other community newspapers," she it's improved the quality of the councillors and the of her work herself," he explains. "And second, by explains. "It also pays for the company truck and council as a whole." producing a top-quality publication that people computers." McGrath says Welbourn is not anti-council but want to read." Welbourn is proud of the praise, The mandate of her paper is to report rather she considers her friend a "strong, active, but says she never thought she'd end up running a objectively on the issues throughout the region fearless newspaper editor," who tries to make paper. while following decisions being made by municipal leaders accountable for their actions. Born in Montreal, she grew up in the Toronto municipal leaders. She says the towns in her area That huge passion for journalism and area and graduated from Ryerson University. She were never regularly covered by the mainstream storytelling has helped set Welbourn apart from worked for a couple of years with News North media until she came along. other reporters and editors, say several of her before moving to Newfoundland. She worked at "The thing about the Times is that it does real longtime colleagues. Roger Bill, former executive the Teleg ram for a while but was fired for news in a serious way. I think people care about producer of radio and current affairs with CBC in "insubordination," after she wrote a series of what's going on their little part of the world and Newfoundland and Labrador and producer with stories about insurance scandals. "The company they should," says Welbourn. "The stuff that the network's national flagship program Sunday called and threatened to sue," recalls Welbourn."I happens in your municipality is the stuff that Morning, has known Welbourn for more than a was told to be careful [but] I had made no affects you right away." decade. He's now the editor of Current,an mistakes thus far. I wrote another story.An editor Welbourn wouldn't be able to do small-town alternative monthly newspaper in St. John's. He put it on the front page because it was a very good stories if she was working for a large daily, says first met Welbourn when she was working as a story. A headline writer made a mistake in the researcher and documentary maker. He noticed headline.The managing editor,Bill Callahan,got a immediately that she's driven to tell thought- call from the insurance company saying they were provoking stories. suing and I got fired." Welbourn took the issue to "What I recall about her was her passion for the the Teleg ram's union lawyer. "I was given a nice story. Some people just go through the motions, settlement," she says. but Kathryn had some heat," says Bill. "I don't She got the inspiration for the paper after she think she has changed one bit since she started missed an important deadline four years ago. At the paper." the time, she was freelancing full-time, doing Bill admires Welbourn for having the audacity documentaries for CBC Radio and writing articles to launch her own publication."Owning your own for magazines such as Equinox and Harrowsmith. paper is something a lot of journalists dream She was also raising two young boys — a six- about, but not many take a run at," he says. month-old and a three year-old — with her husband Radio documentary producer Chris Brookes, Brian Jones, who is now the Sunday Editor at the who has partnered with Welbourn on a number of Teleg ram. Suddenly one day, Welbourn confesses, projects over the past 10 years, thinks she started she did what every journalist fears. her own paper because there's more "meaningful" "I missed a deadline. I realized that I couldn't journalism in small towns and because of her do that and I didn't want to become a person who desire for residents to understand the issues misses deadlines," she explains. "So I thought I affecting them. would try and start a paper on my own. At the "She has a strong commitment to a story," says time there were a bunch of little newsletters in the Brookes, whose St. John's-based Battery Radio, area that I cover, and they all kind of ended. So I has won more than 30 awards. phoned them up and made sure they were He says Welbourn often takes a strong position through." in her stories and then backs it up. "I first worked When she had enough ads to offset her printing with her on a radio piece she called 'Outport and production, Welbourn made the plunge. Kathryn Welbourn writes and edits The Outlaws,'" he says. Immediately it was a success, and the following Northeast Avalon Times from her home "Her view was that rural Newfoundlanders year she expanded the paper. Journalistically, she in Portugal Cove-St. Philip's which overlooks were being marginalised in favour of tourists,big- says, there were better and more important stories Conception Bay, Newfoundland. game and lumber operators, and powerful fishing to cover compared to just one community. industry interests. On the one hand, government Economically, there was just more money to be her longtime friend Robin McGrath, who believes was cutting back on social services and support to made covering the larger region.As well, no other she'd be constrained by time, commercial rural areas; on the other hand, it was regulating newspaper was serving the area, so there was a demands and political agendas. "Here she is in a them out of subsistence survival. I think what window of opportunity. small pond but she can go after the biggest shark outraged her was that people were being "I thought that if I were going to expand, I in the pool," McGrath says. She thinks Welbourn disenfranchised of their rights." better do so right now," she says."I knew it was an has always felt a need to tackle a story — no For her part,Welbourn says she's motivated by area that was growing and I felt that I better get matter how large or small the issues. covering issues that affect her family and my hand in there before somebody else." "She's compassionate and sensitive with neighbours. "I really love the place that I live in The Times is available free in local stores and bereaved parents, frightened seniors, irate and I'm interested in its development," she says. Welbourn makes money solely from advertising. pensioners, and utterly fierce with the town "I'm interested in how people feel about that,too." She has a solid base of customers who run their council, politicians, anyone with power," says ads each month. Welbourn says she made more McGrath."Municipal politics stinks in most of the Continued on Page 22

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 21 phone calls from angry readers taking issue with an article. "I had a lady, who was upset about something but didn't want to go on the record,say to me: 'Have you ever stuck your head out?' And, I said: 'Yes, my dear. I own a small-town newspaper,'" Welbourn says. "I try and handle the residents who live in a small town with kid gloves. A lot of them have never spoken to the media before and I have been fairly gentle with some of the councils. But they are all used to having a newspaper here now." And, Welbourn doesn't plan on disappearing any time soon. The Times is established now, she says, and her readers look for it each month. She doesn't feel threatened, either, by Transcontinental. In fact, she has a great relationship with the The 41-year-old journalist affectionately calls The Northeast Avalon Times company — it prints her paper. "the biggest friggin' gamble" of her career. "They've actually given me a discount," she says."They know that if there's a paper that's well- read and has reader loyalty,which my paper does, Continued from Pg. 21 That story led to a public meeting and lots of then you just can't come in and take it over. I've The gamble that has paid off angry shouting, which fuelled the council's been a steady customer and I always pay on time." decision to not speak with Welbourn. Her colleague, Roger Bill, doesn't think small But running a community paper hasn't been "Kathryn has been targeted by [the] town papers such as The Times are threatened by large easy. Welbourn has faced a bevy of challenges, council for applying serious journalistic chains. He says small independents give readers including raising enough capital to cover her standards to small-town reporting," adds greater choice."The Teleg ram is like Wal-Mart and printing costs, which average about $1,200 a McGrath. "They expected her to be bland and Kathyrn's paper is like a mom-and-pop, fish-and- month. She admits that being both a reporter and boring … instead of which she's called them to chips business. If it vanished tomorrow, I doubt salesperson for the same paper is a huge account for some of their practises and decisions. that the Teleg ram ads sales would register a blip," headache. She has had several salespeople over Since then,they've been downright uncooperative he says. the years but hasn't been able to nail down a and unkind." Welbourn says she plans on remaining at the permanent worker. Nevertheless, Welbourn says she takes those helm of The Times for at least the next few years. "You have to sell ads to fund the paper and situations with a grain of salt. She's experienced She's enjoying the position, her career and the that's the thing that I didn't know," she concedes. enough to let it roll off her back. There are days, type of journalism she's dong. She'd like more "There's always that tension in journalism though, when she does have a love-hate time to do freelance work. She recently did a between ads and stories." relationship with the paper. She's happy she's been one-hour documentary called "Out of Welbourn tries to keep both departments able to work from home and care for her two young Commission," which examined Newfoundland separate but says things can get awkward at times. children, but admits a home office can be tricky. and Labrador through the lens of the 1933 and Her rule, though, is to never compromise a story Then are the late nights editing and writing her 2003 Royal Commissions. She also had a feature for advertising. "I'd close the paper right away," stories; in one recent issue Welbourn banged out published in Chatelaine. But, she says she has no she says."I always hated that kind of conflict when 10 stories and her monthly editorial, plus copy- major plans to change the format of The Times working at newspapers. I'm not putting up with it edited every single sentence before it was laid out or sell the paper. at my paper." by a friend and then brought to the printers. "My policy has been slow and steady. I think Another obstacle has been trying to obtain The long hours usually leave her strained and that works," she says. "I'm still here. Most new certain details from the town councils the paper hollow-eyed. "I have to get the kids to bed and papers last a year. I'm not in debt, and it's always covers, that are not covered by provincial then I have to start [writing]," she says."I'm really made some money and it's got a pretty good freedom-of-information laws. "I find that just slow at night.So I end up getting up at five o'clock reputation and I'm not making any moves until appalling," Welbourn says. "Some of the councils in the morning and finishing." I'm absolutely ready." are just terrific [but] getting information out of Welbourn says mistakes are rarely made, "Besides," she says laughing,"I'm not that good some others is just virtually impossible." pointing out that The Times has only had to about having a boss anymore. I'm used to saying One council in particular has actually denied publish one official correction. "We printed the what I think. I don't know what I would do interviews with The Times and has boycotted the wrong year's budget in a story. I am simply very without the paper. I really don't. I'm thanking my paper after a story Welbourn wrote about a careful," she says. She says on average there's only lucky star, that's all." controversial decision made by the mayor. The one typo in the paper each month. She's quick to local politicians didn't like the serious, hard news credit her writers for submitting good copy. "I stories Welbourn wrote about their actions. only hire and use people who are professional and Jeff Green, a graduate of the University of King's "They thought I was going to write nice profiles I trust," she says. College School of Journalism in Halifax, is and happy pieces about the town," she says with a "Our rule to writers is no boring and no libel; so originally from Newfoundland and is currently chuckle. "In one of the first issues I wrote that the far,no major errors.Part of my goal is to put out the based in Charlottetown, PEI. His work has mayor had decided to make plans to perhaps kind of newspaper I like to read — a journalist's appeared in Downhomer,the Catholic Register move the town's war memorial, which actually newspaper that includes no factual errors." and Saltscapes. He was a freelance reporter for The belonged to the community, to the main road and In the end, though, it's worth it. She's usually Northeast Avalon Times for more than three years change it for a tourist attraction." satisfied when the paper comes out, despite the and has worked for VOCM News and CBC Radio.

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 22 PHOTOJOURNALISM BY PETER BREGG The words in pictures Maclean's chief photographer, Peter Bregg,has travelled the country and the globe using his camera lens as an electronic pencil to portray the human condition. Here, Bregg tells us the stories behind a few of the recent photographs he has taken

A machine gun fires blanks during a 48th Highlanders exercise.

WEEKEND WARRIORS Master Cpl. Clifford Farr, 26, drew the short C6,a general-purpose machine gun capable of firing straw and had to baby-sit Hawaleska and me for the up to 16 rounds per second. The night's darkness ast winter, Maclean's writer Danylo weekend. We were assigned to his tent, along with concealed the machine-gunner and soldier feeding Hawaleshka and I spent some time with three privates and a corporal. the ammunition. But when they opened fire, orange Lsome "weekend" soldiers of the 48th The tent was designed to sleep five.We slept side- bursts of flame from the weapon's muzzle lit us up Highlanders of Canada. by-side,occupying every inch of the tent.There were so that I could shoot the photograph without a flash. It was raining in Toronto when our buses left, seven of us. That made me wonder how crowded it There's no life like it,and at the tender age of 55,I but it was a blizzard around midnight when we was for the guys in other tents sleeping eight. think that life is best suited for the 20-somethings. arrived near Meaford, Ont., about 150 km We hiked on Saturday night to an area where we northwest of Toronto. positioned ourselves with a couple of soldiers with a Continued on Page 24

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 23 Sacha Trudeau is escorted by young men watching their neighborhood in the slums of Cité de Soleil, Port au Prince, Haiti.

BRIBERY IN HAITI As we arrived, we met a man named people who won't give him money. A bit of Fosseur, who told Sacha we had a choice to bravado to instill a little fear in the visiting n a trip to Port au Prince, Haiti, with make: to pay one person for "protection" while journalists. Maclean's writer Alexandre (Sacha) there, or pay many. So Fosseur became our As we prepared to leave, Sacha offered OTrudeau last fall, I visited Cité de Soleil, guide, along with a few of his henchmen. Fosseur $5, in local money. The young man the infamous slum. This is a shantytown where As we made our rounds, we attracted a balked. We increased the amount to $8. Our taxi drivers won't go. The police won't go there number of young thugs. One of them told us concession was enough for him to show his unless they have backup. his name is M.C. Couteau, and that he kills buddies that he was in charge.

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 24 CHILDREN RAISING CHILDREN

hey lost their parents to one of two scourges: genocide or AIDS. Now, many of TRwanda's orphans are living in households headed by siblings. The children of Rwanda have witnessed unspeakable horrors. During the 1994 genocide, many lost their families and were subjected to violence and rape. Some were forced to commit atrocities themselves. When the bloodshed ended, 95,000 had been orphaned. Added to that is the continuing death toll from AIDS. The result? Rwanda has one of the largest percentages of households headed by children: Nineteen-year-old Rosine Nzakarawita is a single mother whose parents and two of her sisters were 42,000 of them, accounting for some 101,000 killed by Hutus on the morning of April 8, 1994. She lives in a three-bedroom house just north of Kigali, children. Earlier this year, I spent time with the capital, with four siblings and her two-year-old son Didier. orphaned survivors of the genocide.

Orphans in Kigali, Rwanda, are now raising siblings as they reach adulthood following the genocide that saw their parents murdered. Some of them now have babies of their own. Twenty-two year old Paciphique is pictured in the foreground. Her 12-year-old sister, on the right, Maxine was preparing to make a two-kilometre trek to fetch water.

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 25 ETHICS BY STEPHEN J. A. WARD The moral imperative of better election coverage The superficial way in which we cover elections threatens to distance citizens even further from politicians uring a national election,the obligations of (c) to adopt an impartial "public stance" when not sufficient.Journalists also need to help society Canadian news media to citizens are in engaging in (a) and (b). deliberate about the facts that reporters uncover. Dplain view. Embedded in the campaign, These imperatives constitute the core of They need to promote reasoned, inclusive and journalists are the arteries though which the body responsible public journalism. Journalists should tolerant discussion of issues. politic communicates. attempt to satisfy (a),(b) and (c) within the limits The third imperative means that the primary The public stirs itself to consider and vote, and of journalism and their circumstances. allegiance of journalists is not to a specific cause even world-weary journalists experience a frisson The news media, of course, do many things or group, but to the public good, at large. of excitement as they report on this sea-to-sea-to- other than satisfy these weighty imperatives, such Journalists, whether they are news-making or sea democratic exercise. opinion-making, should adopt the public stance: Running beneath such noble feelings, however, to act as an independent public communicator is a darker reality. Increasingly, the public sphere who speaks to the public, for the public, and from labours under the weight of apathetic or the impartial perspective of the public good. The disillusioned citizens served by a ubiquitous, A national election aim is the democratic well-being of the public. entertainment-focused media. In such a climate, high-minded election talk of the "people's choice" is a major test not ELECTION COVERAGE and journalism's solemn "democratic duty" begins to sound quaint, nostalgic — perhaps just of political What would a commitment to these even illusory. leaders, but also of principles entail for the coverage of elections? Nonetheless, a renewed commitment to public Here are a few ideas: journalism and democratic engagement — old- the country's news The first imperative of truth-seeking implies fashioned or not — is the only way out of this that news organizations should reduce the malaise. leaders. An election parties' control and manipulation of election But, that said, where do we start with reforms, reveals whether the news. Coverage should not be heavily when the problems of public life seem so dependent on daily press releases or the staged enormous, amorphous and intertwined? news system, as a activities of leaders. Ignoring what leaders do One place to start,for journalists,is to ask what or say is not possible. But journalists must our fundamental editorial purposes should be. whole, has the protect their editorial independence by Once we have our normative bearings, we can resources, expertise rejecting manufactured news,critiquing claims evaluate election coverage as a special case. and conducting their own investigations into A national election is a major test, not just of and will to explore issues. political leaders, but also of the country's news The second imperative means not allowing leaders. An election reveals whether the news the issues fully, "horse-race" coverage, via opinion polls or system, as a whole, has the resources, expertise intelligently otherwise, to overwhelm the analysis of issues. and will to explore the issues fully, intelligently There is no escaping some horse-race coverage. and fairly. and fairly. After all, an election is a race. Two things are crucial: First, that reports question polls and THREE IMPERATIVES OF PUBLIC place them in context. Second, that the analysis JOURNALISM does not rehash the horse-race coverage. Journalists also should question the way in I call public journalism any effort by news as entertaining readers,viewers and listeners,and which leaders and major interest groups are organizations to serve the public with the providing sports scores. But these activities are trying to frame issues to their advantage. Here, information they need to be a self-governing not the essential democratic functions of a critical Socratic attitude is crucial. collective. The ethical purpose of public journalism. Journalists need to look for other angles on journalism can be summarized as the The first imperative states that journalists are issues, unearth contrary facts and be wary of conjunction of three imperatives: (a) to inquire to be truth-seeking inquirers into the most biased interpretations. They need to monitor factually and truthfully into important events in important events and trends of public life. They the diversity of their sources as the campaign an independent, verified and comprehensive should not squander limited editorial resources unwinds. manner; (b) to inquire into vital social and on a daily overdose of trivial stories. The second imperative insists that issues be political issues so as to assist reasonable public The second imperative indicates that the discussed in a manner that encourages wide- deliberation and to hold officials accountable; and provision of important information, by itself, is ranging, rational discussion, and reduces the

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 26 risk that emotional ranting and ideologues will During the last federal election,much of Global To these questions, I have no magic answer. I hijack the discussion. Coverage of complex Television's "bus" coverage was unenlightening, cannot predict, in an era of profit-driven media, issues should not be reduced to the predictable and patronizing. Often, it amounted to the anchor whether the practice of public journalism will partisan comments of dominant groups, or to a exclaiming, live, something to this effect: "Gee, decline or revive.I do know that ifpublic shouting match between talking heads. look at us, out here with the hoi polloi." journalism declines, then election coverage will Moreover, the discussion of issues should not To practice true public journalism takes suffer and journalism will lose its soul. be equated with unfair commentary money, resources, careful planning and In the end, probably nothing less than major masquerading as "attitude" or "edge." Public intelligence.It requires a commitment throughout reform of both the news media system and our journalism favours commentary that is clearly the year, not just during elections. The need for democratic institutions will re-invigorate distinguished as such, and has the force of facts public journalism never takes a holiday. democracy. Good journalism and an engaged and logic — not the force of bombastic opinion or public are partners in this dance of democracy. sarcasm. ARE WE DREAMING? They will thrive or wither together. Election coverage, in an attempt to appear If these are the stakes, then our task is clear. connected with ordinary Canadians, can easily Despite this tour of the ethical landscape, we Journalists have a collective responsibility to degenerate into a faux public journalism. return to our departure point — those doubts defend those principles, which articulate the best For example, one is not practicing robust about a darker reality. The realist will ask two elements of our craft. public journalism by constantly inviting questions: What are the chances that audiences to call your phone-in line with their newsrooms are going to invest heavily in such Stephen J.A. Ward is a columnist for Media "reaction." A news organization is not necessarily high-minded journalism? And, worse still, how magazine. He also teaches at the University of "connected" because it spends thousands of do we know that the majority of the public will British Columbia's School of Journalism. He is on dollars to rent a bus for its TV anchor, who then support it? sabbatical this fall as visiting professor of ethics at drives into the scary wilds of small-town Canada. Are we dreaming? the Free University of Brussels.

ETHICS What’s in a name? Whether you call it plagiarism or a breech of intellectual integrity, Judith Ince argues that schools of journalism must take more steps to tackle the issue

n epidemic of plagiarism felled journalists and ethics to re-examine the issue.These scholars quotations.Failing to use quotation marks around across the continent last year. Other investigated the personal characteristics of a direct quotation is considered plagiarism even Aprofessions were not immune from the cheaters and developed strategies that might if,somewhere else in the article,reference is made disease, either; stories of journalists stricken with deter them. to the original source. dishonesty jostled with others about plagiarizing After almost three decades of research, much Paraphrasing seems to perplex some, but the pastors, politicians, students and university empirical evidence reveals that academic fraud basic rule is that in addition to giving the original presidents. declines only when a systems-wide solution is source credit, a paraphrase must abandon the As a journalism student, I watched the found to confront it. Editors, publishers, and J- phrasing, vocabulary and voice of the original casualties pile up with morbid fascination, but as school instructors may benefit from addressing author. a former university instructor,I was astonished by intellectual dishonesty as a problem requiring the Plagiarism gives the following examples of how little the media — or the sometime reporters attention of the entire institution. acceptable and "unacceptable paraphrases, using who taught at my J-school — seemed to Plagiarists in both the media and academia are an extract from Lizzie Borden: A Case Book of appreciate the motivations of cheaters and the adept at self-justification, and the most common Family and Crime in the 1890s", by Joyce potential solutions to the scourge of intellectual — if least believable — excuse I have heard is "I Williams, et al. dishonesty. And, no one seemed ready to swallow didn't understand that what I was doing was The original reads: the systemic medicine that might eliminate plagiarism." journalistic dishonesty of all kinds. If this is true, then universities and newsrooms "The rise of industry, the growth of cities, Although journalism schools and news are doing a poor job of explaining it. Plagiarism,a and the expansion of the population were organizations would likely agree with the ethics pamphlet produced by Indiana University,is pithy the three great developments of late guide of The Washington Post, which describes and clear: "Plagiarism is using others' ideas and nineteenth century American history. As plagiarism as "journalism's unforgivable sin," words without clearly acknowledging the source new, larger, steam-powered factories they also tend to characterize it as a uniquely of that information." became a feature of the American landscape individual failure of moral fibre. Universities Heeding this definition should make plagiarism in the East, they transformed farm hands tended to take a similar view until an explosion of easy to avoid. Writers should provide a source for into industrial laborers, and provided jobs cheating in the 1980s prompted experts in both direct quotations and paraphrases. organizational behaviour, psychology, education Quotation marks should be used to denote direct Continued on Page 28

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 27 Plagiarism, a pamphlet produced by Indiana University, is pithy and clear: "Plagiarism is using others' ideas and words without clearly acknowledging the source of that information."

Continued from Pg. 27 But here's a paraphrase that credits sources Linda Klebe Treviño, who teaches business ethics What’s in a name? and uses the author's own words: at Penn State University,says people cheat in their professional lives "for the same reason they cheat "Fall River, where the Borden family in other parts of their lives — usually because for a rising tide of immigrants. With lived, was typical of northeastern they think it will help them to get ahead or industry came urbanization the growth of industrial cities of the nineteenth century. because they feel that they are under pressure." large cities (like Fall River, Massachusetts, Steam-powered production had shifted Aaron Bolin, a psychologist who has researched where the Bordens lived) which became the labor from agriculture to manufacturing, academic dishonesty, says journalists, students centers of production as well as of and as immigrants arrived in the US, they and academics who plagiarize are likely commerce and trade." found work in these new factories. As a motivated by two of the seven deadly sins, greed result, populations grew, and large urban and sloth: "They want to get more articles But this paraphrase is actually plagiarism: areas arose. Fall River was one of these published but they don't want to work." manufacturing and commercial centers Research by Bernard E. Whitley, Kevin L. "The increase of industry, the growth of (Williams 1)." Blankenship and Patricia Keith-Spiegen at Ball cities, and the explosion of the population State University has sketched out a psychological were three large factors of nineteenth Writers who use a person's theory, research, profile of college cheaters, and it's not a pretty century America. As steam-driven opinions or ideas must credit them. Likewise, picture. As a group, these students are ready to companies became more visible in the graphs, maps, statistics, drawings, diagrams, justify dishonesty ("I didn't hurt anyone"), eastern part of the country, they changed tables, or any other information that is not normalize it ("everyone does it"), and view deceit farm hands into factory workers and common knowledge must be attributed.So what is as a pervasive social norm. Unsurprisingly, they provided jobs for the large wave of common knowledge? Facts that are known by also have a prior history of cheating. Dishonest immigrants.With industry came the growth most people, and available in many different students expect success, and believe it will bring of large cities like Fall River where the sources do not need attribution. Examples of them huge rewards. But their behaviour outside Bordens lived which turned into centers of common knowledge where sources do not need to the classroom would seem to set them up for commerce and trade as well as production." be given are: "Paul Martin is the prime minister of failure: college cheaters abuse alcohol and drugs, Canada, a country of almost 30 million people." steal, take risks while driving, and are personally Plagiarism notes this passage violates the rules of While some journalists, students, or less reliable than non-cheaters. academic honesty because no credit has been given instructors may plagiarize because they have a But a student's moral evaluation of academic to the original source, and the writer has only frail grasp of the concept, most are motivated by deception is even more important than these mixed up sentence order and changed some words. a constellation of personal and cultural factors. personality factors in predicting who will cheat.

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 28 PHOTO CREDIT: Gauntlet/Chris Tait In research done at Arkansas State University, have found that academic integrity policies that Klebe Treviño says,"Teachers who make a point of Bolin assessed students' perception of academic are developed by representatives of all interest addressing academic integrity expectations in fraud by asking them to evaluate statements groups on campus — administrators, staff, their classes influence students in a positive way. about it. Self-reported cheaters were likely to faculty and students — are most effective. The Most students want teachers to set standards and agree with such statements as, "Students should best integrity policies contain a statement about hold cheaters responsible. Teachers can become go ahead and cheat if they know they can get away ethical role models for their students." with it." In addition, Whitley and Keith-Spiegel urge This view is often endorsed by the broader After almost three instructors to create a classroom that is warm, culture, Bolin says. "Our culture has changed and supportive and fair: these environments have it's seen as acceptable to cheat. It's a downward decades of research, been shown to encourage ethical behaviour.When spiral: the culture says it's acceptable, and that students feel disrespected, overworked and reinforces cheating, which reinforces the cultural much empirical unfairly graded, they are more likely to cheat by attitude that says, 'if you're going to compete, evidence reveals that using the justifications of vigilante justice. "The you've got to cheat.'" prof. gives us way too much work and marks Despite the disheartening spectacle of students academic fraud declines unfairly, so why should I play by the rules?" and professionals who plagiarize, editors and J- only when a systems- Donald McCabe and Gary Pavela, directors of school deans can reverse the slide into ethical the Center for Intellectual Integrity at the Kenan muck by taking some relatively common-sense wide solution is found Institute for Ethics at Duke University, observe actions — ones that have also been demonstrated that, "Faculty members who ignore or trivialize to work. Treviño outlines the strategies that to confront it. academic dishonesty send the message that the reduce dishonest practices. "Make everyone core values of academic life, and community life (students, faculty, administrators) part of an in general, are not worth any significant effort to honour system that becomes baked into the the importance of honesty, detail the specific enforce." Two years ago, McCabe found about half culture of the school. This takes ongoing effort practices that are dishonest, and document the of the 2,500 faculty he surveyed had ignored at and commitment from all involved." responsibilities of students, faculty and least one suspected incident of cheating, while By promoting integrity as an institution-wide administrators in upholding the honour code. only a third included information about issue,many colleges have been able to curb Instructors play a vital role in breathing life academic dishonesty. Whitley and Keith-Spiegel into integrity policies by discussing them. Linda Continued on Page 38

AVOIDING PLAGIARISM: INTELLECTUAL INTEGRITY ACADEMIC AND JOURNALISTIC RESOURCES AND HINTS INTEGRITY SOME HINTS RESOURCES The Center for Academic Integrity: Provides • Keep meticulous records when doing information about encouraging and research in order to give credit to the PLAGIARISM maintaining intellectual integrity. appropriate source: differentiate your own www.academicintegrity.org/ index.asp insights into the topic from your sources' Plagiarism. An annotated bibliography by ideas, and enclose direct quotations in Sharon Stoerger, MLS, MBA, www.web- Ethics Resource Center: Practical materials quotation marks. miner.com /plagiarism on individual and organizational ethics. www.ethics.org/ • Credit all sources, whether directly quoted or Plagiarism: What it is and How to Regognize paraphrased. and Avoid it,Writing Tutorial Services,Indiana Center for Study of Ethics in the Professions University. www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/ (Illinois Institute of Technology). A • When paraphrasing, rely on your memory, plagiarism.shtml compendium of media ethics guides and not the original text. This ensures that you systems for instituting them is available at have thoroughly grasped the information in Avoiding Plagiarism. Purdue University www.iit.edu/departments/csep/PublicWWW/ the original, and reduces the chance your Online Writing Lab. http://owl.english.purdue. codes/media.html words will be a close echo of your source's. edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html The PressWise Trust. www.presswise.org.uk. • Scour paraphrases to ensure that they only Avoiding Plagiarism: Mastering the Art of Includes a searchable database of international retain the information of the original-but not Scholarship. Student Judicial Affairs, codes of ethics for journalists, as well as the same phrases or sentence structure as University of California, Davis. information on how-and why-to implement the original. Comparing the original and the http://sja.ucdavis.edu/ avoid.htm one. paraphrase helps. Guide to Plagiarism and Cyber-Plagiarism. Ten Principles of Academic Integrity by • Common knowledge is something most University of Alberta. www.library.ualberta.ca/ McCabe and Pavela, www.collegepubs.com/ref/ people would not have to look up in a guides/plagiarism/ 10PrinAcaInteg.shtml reference book. Conversely, it's information that would be found in many different Academic Dishonesty: An Educator's Guide, by sources. Most guides suggest that if it's in Bernard E.Whitley, Jr. and Patricia Keith-Spiegel three to five commonly available (eds.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2002. publications, it's common knowledge.

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 29 POINT OF VIEW BY GILLIAN STEWARD Revisioning Conrad The once-mighty newspaper baron craved attention. Now he's receiving it — but for all the wrong reasons

t has become an article of faith, a credo of sorts. Call it what you will but it's now a given, Iparticularly in downtown Toronto, that Conrad Black's National Post elevated the practice of newspapering and journalism in this country to such lofty heights we should get down on our knees and thank the gods,for we will never see the likes of such brilliance again. That's certainly the message relayed over and over again by publishers, editors and journalists quoted in Ego and Ink, Chris Cobb's detailed account of the launching of the Post and the subsequent newspaper war that gripped Toronto and even managed to shake up Ottawa a bit. But it seems a tad too early to come to such firm conclusions about Conrad Black's influence on Canadian newspapers and journalism. The recent rash of allegations that point to Black's "righteous and aggressive looting" of his flagship company — Hollinger International Inc. — casts a new light on his media ventures. And since Black was at the helm of the National Post for only three years,he didn't really have time to leave an enduring legacy. When he abandoned ship in 2001 and left his loyal oarsmen to fend for themselves, it became a much weaker newspaper. There's no question that the three years during which Black spent lavishly, recruited aggressively and bragged constantly about the Post are remembered fondly by a lot of journalists, particularly those who whirled at the centre of the vortex. Since Black was at the helm of the National Post for only three years, he didn't really have time But in hindsight (which is getting clearer all the to leave an enduring legacy. When he abandoned ship in 2001 and left his loyal oarsmen to time), one has to wonder if the outcome was fend for themselves, it became a much weaker newspaper. worth all the millions of dollars spent by the Post, story.Thus,once-proud,and independent,local And what about the Post itself? It may have as well as the millions spent by The Globe and newspapers became little more than outlying been a dream newspaper for some journalists but Mail and the Toronto Star to combat the Post (by bureaus for the National Post. it has never attracted enough readers or, more Cobb's estimate a total of almost $1 billion). This mattered little in downtown Toronto, importantly, advertisers, to make it financially The Post almost succeeded in matching the which was always the main battleground of this viable. And while there is obviously a segment of Globe's circulation and edged ahead of it in British brief, but dirty, war. But what did it really the population that likes the hard-right editorials, Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba. But the Globe accomplish in the end? columns and story angles that are the Post's never had brisk circulation in those provinces and Are Canadian newspapers and (journalism in trademark, is that segment large enough to keep the Post had the advantage of sister publications general) better off because of it? Or have they all the paper going? in Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton and Calgary been weakened by Black's self-indulgent Clark Davey, former publisher of the Ottawa that could flog the Post (often free of charge) to spending spree? Will they be cutting back on Citizen, and a fan of the Post in its early days, their subscribers. budgets for years to come in order to recover from thinks it is positioning itself outside the This was promoted as a bonus for subscribers the binge? And what about the rest of the mainstream market. "It's right-wing edge has but it diminished the local newspapers, which newspapers in the Southam/Hollinger/CanWest gotten even harder," he says. "It's just full of came to be seen as the little sisters of the chain? Profits from newspapers such as the outright support for (George) Bush and the generously funded national publication. Edmonton Journal and the Calgary Herald were Republicans." As well,reporters were often instructed to write poured into the Post instead of into their own Indeed, the Saturday after the Republicans' for the earlier Post deadlines so it could break the operations. national convention in New York, the Post's main

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 30 PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Bregg editorial page featured a hymn of praise to George It's galling to discover that when the Post was about Black's alleged devious, self-serving ways, Bush by columnist Andrew Coyne; Elizabeth harping on about former Prime Minister Jean it's difficult to believe anything he says. Nickson's breathless paean to Fox News' coverage Chrétien and his alleged wheeling and dealing Since Black is so tied to the Post,even though of the convention, especially when compared to with a hotelier in his riding, its publisher was he has nothing to do with it anymore, his legacy the (sneering) CBC coverage; and a rant against all supposedly helping himself to shareholders' may indeed be darker than originally envisioned. anti-Americans by Robert Fulford. money. And I couldn't help but feel for former Will it ever be known as anything else but The rest of the newspaper doesn't offer much to Post editor,Kenneth Whyte,when I read in Cobb's Conrad's vanity project? Will it ever be able to leaven the hard-edged ideological rigidity."It used book how important "democratic accountability shake the association with Black? to be an odd mix of the serious and the quirky," in Ottawa" was to him and the newspaper. Clark Davey says it probably doesn't much says Davey. "They used to actively recruit young, Democratic accountability is important but matter to the average newspaper reader. But a out-of-the-box writers, but I don't see that friend of mine — a news junkie, but not a happening now." journalist — says most people she knows still And with so many of the Post's stars — Christie think Black owns the National Post. To them, it's Blatchford and Roy MacGregor to name but two Black's newspaper. — now writing for The Globe, The Star or I can't help but think that in the long run we Maclean's, the newspaper just doesn't have the will look back on the great newspaper war as a draw it once had. skirmish that did great damage to newspapers I can't help but think of Alberta Report,the and journalism in Canada. Whether or not the notorious newsmagazine that tilted far right and Post survives is the least of our worries. Whether eventually went under. Like Conrad Black, Ted Black's successors, the Asper family, can Byfield, the founder and hands-on editor of reinvigorate the newspapers they bought from Alberta Report, is a legendary, iconic figure. He him also remains to be seen. didn't have the money Black has (or had), but he But there's no question that Black's duplicitous stuck with the publication through years of tough ways will haunt the newspaper industry for some sledding.And yet, Alberta Report could never rally time to come. enough subscribers and advertisers to make a go Of course, this is far from the last word on of it. Even in Alberta. Conrad Black.There is a new Monty Pythonesque Towards the end of his first book — Shades of documentary called Citizen Black,a made-for-TV Black: Conrad Black and the World's Fastest movie, and a new book by Richard Siklos. Growing Press Empire — Richard Siklos writes: Another book, Lord Black: The Biography by "Words are Conrad Black's currency, selected with Montreal writer George Tombs, has already hit precision, and delivered with force." the stands and been excerpted in the CanWest Since Black granted Siklos several interviews, newspapers.In addition,Globe and Mail business he is quoted at length talking about himself.And reporters Jacquie McNish and Sinclair Stewart are it's true, no matter what he says, he verbalizes it finishing up a book about Black. with verve underscored by the meticulousness of a He should be pleased. He always did crave lots, wordsmith. Perhaps this is why he mesmerized so and lots, of attention. many journalists, and others: he spoke their language. There's a quote attributed to Black on the front READING LIST: cover of Ego and Ink, that perfectly illustrates the point: “the Post gelignited the fetid little media log- Ego and Ink: The Inside Story of Canada's rolling and back-scratching society in Toronto!” National Newspaper War by Chris Cobb. We now know Mr. Black knew more than a McClelland & Stewart, 2004, 350 pages, $34.99 thing or two himself about back scratching and logrolling. The recently-released report by U.S Shades of Black: Conrad Black and the World's Securities watchdog Richard Breeden,prepared on Fastest Growing Press Empire by Richard Siklos. behalf of the remaining directors of Hollinger McClelland & Stewart, 1996, $19.99. International, details the many and varied ways in There's no question that Black's duplicitous which he allegedly helped himself,and his friends, ways will haunt the newspaper industry for Shades of Black: Conrad Black, His Rise and dip into the piggy bank at the expense of some time to come. Fall by Richard Siklos. McClelland & Stewart, shareholders. 2004 (November), $36.99. The convoluted but brazen ways in which Conrad Black seems to have made a mockery of Black and his right-hand man David Radler it. Lord Black: The Biography by George Tombs. apparently sucked up Hollinger profits are mind- In fact, Black has made a mockery of much of BT Publishing, 2004, 380 pages, $39.95. boggling.And to think, all this was happening as what the Post did in its early days. It appeared to Black, and so many others at the Post,righteously be the official organ of the "unite-the-right Life in Progress by Conrad Black. Key Porter, bragged about how they were going to shake up a movement" but Black told Cobb that he was never 2002, $32.95 complacent media and thereby make Canada an that keen on using the newspaper to promote a infinitely better place.As if they were doing us all new political party.He also regretted that the Post Big Black Book: The Essential Views of Conrad a big favour and that without them we would came to be perceived as pro-American and anti- Black and Barbara Amiel by Maude Barlow. remain adrift in a sea of muddled ignorance. Canadian. Trouble is, now that we know more Stoddart Publishing, 1998, $18.95.

PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Bregg MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 31 FOREIGN AFFAIRS BY MICHELLE STIRLING-ANOSH Some thoughts about why we tend to ignore Africa Media outlets should rethink the way they cover the world

was prompted to voice this opinion from my right (or else), there is lots of action, some of it Jerusalem, describing how the sheer volume of base here in Israel about the lack of coverage very predictable. You don't have to (it's actually foreign press in Jerusalem is completely Iof the humanitarian disaster in Darfur, preferable NOT TO) do any investigative disproportionate to the problem. Sudan, when I read a brief circulated by Tikkun reporting. For this, you're paid well and magazine, a publication that calls itself a considered to be a hero around the globe. “Israel, in quiet times, plays host to one of "bimonthly Jewish and interfaith critique of Darfur is a harsh, big and dangerous place — the largest foreign press contingents in the politics, culture, & society." a region about the size of France. (Israel is the world, with some 350 permanently The magazine's article protested the size of the U.S. state of Delaware.) Darfur offers accredited news organizations stationed in unbalanced coverage of this African tragedy boring visual imagery. Unlike the many rooftop Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. According to the compared to the on-going, tit-for-tat Israeli- venues in conflict zones in Israel and the Israeli Government Press Office, an Palestinian conflict. The article reasoned that territories, it's not likely that one will be able to additional 700 journalists flocked to the the "American economic interests" may be a find a safe stand-up point wherein the country at the height of the 1987-88 partial explanation for why there is so much cameraman can pull focus past the reporter to Palestinian uprisings. That influx coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian situation. amounted to one foreign correspondent for In large part, though, the article boiled the every 6,100 Israelis. That is the equivalent unbalanced coverage down to the of roughly 36,000 foreign correspondents disproportionate number of foreign press based suddenly descending on Washington, D.C.” in Jerusalem. I initially wrote an op-ed piece about this argument for the Calgary Herald.It Well, we know there are not 36,000 foreign was a big surprise to me that the Herald cut this Dying people are correspondents in Washington or Darfur. important argument out of my original article Isn't it time the media addressed this (which I am sure few people are aware of — boring on TV … By inequitable coverage? Isn't it time — especially even those in the media). contrast, intifada-style in these days when terrorists gleefully use the So I'd like to take another crack at it with this media as a tool to propagate fear world-wide — column for Media magazine. fighting is visually for the media to be a bit more responsible…and Global news coverage, especially television perhaps a bit more flexible? coverage, should be much more diversified and exciting. far-reaching with all the new technologies. It BE RESPONSIBLE “should”be able to generate responsible world reactions. Editors? Is the story always headline news, or But let's look at how lopsided things are in the are you trying to justify that expensive bureau in media world today. Jerusalem (or wherever)? An estimated 70,000 people have died in Reporters? Who is using you? Example: The Darfur and more than one million people have the janjaweed actually killing or raping BBC Radio World News recently reported on been displaced from their homes. Hundreds of someone in the background. mass demonstrations in Sudan in which thousands are still at risk. Dying people are boring on TV — they just “thousands” of people demonstrated against Yet what gets more ongoing media coverage? lie there. You can't get a good sound bite from a foreign armed intervention. The reporter said The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in which a dying, starving Darfurian who doesn't speak that “many” of the people decried the United fraction are dead, few are displaced and nothing English and can't breathe. States and they were prepared to die for Sudan if is new. By contrast, intifada-style fighting is visually the U.S. intervened. Jerusalem is a global media hot spot. It's a exciting, especially those low-angle, point-of- Excuse me. How do you quantify the term very clubby yet exotic spot with most of the view shots from below and behind a tank and “many” when there were “thousands” of comforts of home. But it's an expensive bureau towards a group of small boys throwing rocks at demonstrators? And if this was a demonstration to operate and you've got to get some ratings the big tanks and armed soldiers (David and organized by the government of Sudan, weren't and some return on investment (ROI). These Goliath — archetypal drama). All those TV media outlets just puppets for the Sudanese realities skew the coverage. people eagerly go off to videotape and report on government? The BBC blithely fell into that Jerusalem is a terrific place for a journalist or events that the home bureau “has to” broadcast government's PR trap and at the same time camera crew. When you go out to report, the in order to justify having a reporter/crew there. continued publicizing the old saw about the army protects you, the Palestinians give you one Thomas Friedman eloquently described the United States being a global meddler that is only of their people to make sure you file their story media imbalance in his book From Beirut to chasing power and money.

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 32 If you believe that, just check out the site of on Main Street.And get your sales force to find educators so that we teach our children to the U.S. Agency for International Development responsible sponsors with global interests who think about the world they live in. (USAID) and read what it has to say about want to bridge cultural gaps in the world. Darfur. The USAID site has this to say about the Encourage viewers to learn more by WHY BOTHER? conflict: “According to the United Nations, the publicizing relevant web site addresses crisis in the western Sudanese region of Darfur ( http://sora.akm.net.au/index.php; The answer is simple. We live in a global is currently the worst humanitarian and human http://www.usaid.gov/locations/sub- village and journalists have the power to make rights catastrophe in the world.” saharan_africa/sudan/darfur.html) and make it a better place to live. use of existing Web site materials in your own BE FLEXIBLE broadcasts. Why not create co-operative news- Michelle Stirling-Anosh is a TV producer/writer study programs with local and regional living in Israel. It is expensive to operate bureaus around the world. There aren't very many “real”journalists who are willing to go to difficult and dangerous assignments like Darfur; the likelihood of death or kidnapping has shot up dramatically with the expansion of terrorism. So as a compromise why not use technology and other sources far removed from the region to report about new developments? If it's okay to have on your 6 o'clock news some “report” by a local in your city (or other “man-on-the-street-turned-celebrity” ploy), maybe broader global news coverage could also come from real people working in aid organizations, given the simple, high-tech communication tools that exist today. Perhaps there can be a “pool” of technological resources by major western networks to be distributed equally to global venues. The incoming reports could be packaged as a weekly/bi-weekly global news tour. This type of program might use travelogue-type imagery to heighten viewer interest, but alongside would package the “hard news” from the reporter-citizen-aid worker on the ground. To say that these reports would not be “objective” enough is a bit of a joke since every editor and reporter inserts his or her own subjectivity into their reports anyway — at least we would have real reports from people who are really there and who don't cost a lot of money. The news agency could provide a donation to the aid group in return for the service.

BE EDUCATIONAL

Provide “news.”A few short lines about who is dead or what blew up does not always make for real content. The media have tremendous power to influence the world for the better — and that puts an onus upon reporters, editors, producers, news bureaus and broadcasters to use their power to communicate useful information. Don't cop out with talking heads. Instead of investing in overseas bureaus, maybe invest in some innovative news production that does catch the eye of the viewer An estimated 70,000 people have died in Darfur, Sudan, and over a million people and that does make the story of Darfur almost have been displaced from their homes. Hundreds of thousands are still at risk. as relevant to him or her as the traffic accident Yet what gets more ongoing media coverage?

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 33 FINE PRINT BY DEAN JOBB Be wise with your words Your conversations with police could find their way into court. So make sure your actions stand up to scrutiny

ew journalists have heard of the Any information you exchange with a police said she has adopted that credo as she researches Stinchcombe ruling, and that's not source — no matter how informal the setting or her latest book, on the case of accused B.C. serial Fsurprising — the case has nothing to do trivial you may consider the information — could killer Robert Pickton. with media law.Yet it has plenty to say about how wind up as evidence in a court case or in the But abstinence is not always an option. A journalists do their jobs. hands of a defendant with a score to settle with journalist investigating organized crime or a R. v. Stinchcombe is the Supreme Court of the media. major political scandal is unlikely to get very far Canada's landmark 1991 ruling on the disclosure The law of disclosure gave Edward Greenspan, without cultivating good police sources.Reporters of evidence to defendants in criminal cases. The the lawyer for embattled lobbyist Karl-Heinz on the crime or court beat deal with the police on court has decreed that a person charged with a Schreiber, the RCMP records he used last fall to a daily basis; it's the only way to keep tabs on crime has the right to see any information the attack investigative journalist Stevie Cameron investigations, searches and arrests. police have collected — witness statements, The Stinchcombe ruling does not mean that investigators' notes and logs, forensic reports and journalists should avoid the police. It's our job to the like — that may be relevant to the charges. ask questions, and no one will be surprised if a A wide net is cast, and information that points report surfaces that shows reporters were to innocence as well as guilt must be disclosed. In Any information you pumping the police for information about a case. the words of one of the court's follow-up rulings The real risk is in sharing information, even on the issue, the Crown has a “constitutional and exchange with a police information that's already on the public record, ethical duty to disclose all information in its source — no matter with police or other investigators. possession reasonably capable of affecting the There are solid ethical reasons to avoid helping accused's ability to raise a reasonable doubt how informal the — or appearing to help — the police. It's the concerning his innocence.”The goal is to uphold reason media organizations shell out tens of every citizen's Charter right to make full answer setting or trivial you thousands of dollars in legal fees to challenge and defence to charges, ensuring defendants are may consider the search warrants and subpoenas when the not ambushed with a surprise witness or kept in authorities come after journalists' notes and the dark about evidence that might exonerate information — could tapes. As Nick Russell notes in his textbook them. Morals and the Media,“journalists do not exist to Such trial tactics were once common.But in the wind up as evidence make the work of the police easier” and it would late 1980s, a Nova Scotia inquiry into Donald be “highly detrimental for the media to be seen as Marshall Jr.'s wrongful murder conviction — in a court case or in the an arm of the law.” which was based in part on the suppression of hands of a defendant Last April, a committee of the Canadian evidence implicating the real killer — Association of Journalists produced a code of recommended new laws to require disclosure. with a score to settle ethics for investigative reporters, which calls on When Ottawa was slow to comply, the Supreme journalists to maintain “strict independence” Court took matters into its own hands and used with the media. from the police, justice officials and governments. its Stinchcombe ruling to make disclosure the law An exception is made if a journalist becomes of the land. aware of an “impending public risk” and, like any As journalists who cover the courts can attest, other citizen, has a duty to warn the authorities. disclosure has become a major battleground in over her dealings with the police during the But few journalists will ever stumble upon a many criminal cases, as defence lawyers demand Airbus investigation. Other journalists have terrorist plot or get wind that a murder is about to more information and judges are called on to endured the discomfort of having their actions be committed — information that would decide what evidence is relevant and what is not. and motives questioned in the courtroom, based obviously fit the definition of an “impending Police forces keep meticulous records of what they on police files disclosed to the defence. Some of public risk.” For any other dealings with the find as an investigation unfolds and,if charges are the reporters who investigated allegations of police, the lesson of Stinchcombe is simple: don't filed, the defendant has a right to see who was sexual misconduct by Gerald Regan found say or do anything that you are not prepared to interviewed and what each person said.This right themselves on the hotseat a few years ago when have exposed, at some future date, for all to see. of disclosure applies to other types of the lawyer of the former Nova Scotia premier — prosecutions that may involve a company charged Greenspan again — put the police on trial. with polluting a river or a stockbroker accused of Cameron spoke to a symposium at the Wolfville, N.S.-based freelance journalist Dean insider trading. University of King's College School of Journalism Jobb teaches media law and investigative reporting And that's why journalists need to understand in Halifax last spring and offered journalists some at the School of Journalism, University of King's how the Stinchcombe ruling affects the way they blunt advice: "Never talk to the police." (Please see College in Halifax. He is writing a legal guide for deal with police and other investigative agencies. Media magazine, Spring 2004, vol. 10, no. 3) She Canadian writers.

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 34 WORKPLACE BY CHRIS RICHARDSON Breaking into the field Two journalists reflect on how they created opportunities to find good jobs

hen my girlfriend finishes medical school graduates. The others either have degrees “You'd be crazy to follow my career path,”she school, she is virtually guaranteed a in different fields or no degrees at all. So what do says.“It has been a little idiosyncratic and it’s not Wwell-paying, steady job for the rest of you have to do to get a job in journalism? like I'm living in Rideau Hall.” her life. After J-school, though, it's a completely Greg Fulmes and Deirdre Hanna are two Despite the long hours and the lack of adequate different story. Canadian journalists who have struggled through financial compensation, the two journalists seem As most people in the field know, finding a hard times to get where they are today. They content. Standing out enough to get hired in the journalism job in Canada — especially a well- talked to me about their experiences breaking first place,then continuing to excel even after they paying, steady one — is a considerably difficult into the field and have some advice for students found jobs, seem to be what has helped them task. Between Victoria and St. John's, there are and recent graduates hunting for jobs. succeed. thousands of journalism students, with hundreds Deirdre Hanna, currently the editor of Salon Paul Woods, director of human resources at of them graduating every year. This makes it easy magazine, juggled two jobs “more or less The Canadian Press, says experience is what gets simultaneously” after she graduated with an art history degree from Queen's University. By day, she worked in public relations and administration for a modern dance company. By night, she wrote for NOW magazine. Photojournalist Greg Fulmes says he has worked "more seven-day, 100-hour weeks" than he cares to remember. He is now the night/weekend photo editor for the Calgary Herald. After graduating from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology's journalism arts program, Fulmes got his start working for a chain of weekly and biweekly newspapers in southern Alberta. “During that time, I spent five months following a couple through their first pregnancy,” recalls Fulmes. “I was fortunate enough to have been there documenting their journey when their son was born. During that photo essay, I went from being a news photographer to a photojournalist.” After Fulmes had worked on his student Deirdre Hanna, editor of Salon magazine, is portfolio in Alberta and Hanna's stories were Photojournalist Greg Fulmes says he has pictured above in a photograph she had shot published in a few magazines, both began their worked "more seven-day, 100-hour weeks" for a first-person feature on women's hockey careers in journalism working long and often than he cares to remember. He is now the she wrote for the April 2004 edition of difficult hours. The hard work paid off. night/weekend photo editor for Saturday Night. Soon after Hanna's dance company contract the Calgary Herald. expired, she continued working full-time for NOW for media outlets to fill the positions they have magazine. She heard about an opening at the people in the door. “It doesn't matter whether with the top few candidates, but it also leaves magazine from an artist she was interviewing for a you're a first-year student or (a many not-so-lucky J-school grads wondering story. “I sent the publisher a polite and timely letter graduate)…People with a passion for where they went wrong. along with my glossy magazine clips (from previous (journalism) are generally the ones who have a To anyone thinking about entering the freelance work) and got the initially once-a-month large amount of experience,”Woods says. business, the numbers can seem overwhelming. gig,”she says.Then she became the magazine's full- Writing and editing at student papers is the According to the Web site schoolfinder.com,there time art editor. “I was too darned tired to notice typical leadership experience he looks for when are currently 71 journalism programs for post- exactly when I became a real journalist. I just did.” hiring. Woods has been in the business for 24 secondary students in the country. These include Hanna says the key to her success was finding a years and has seen all sides of the occupation. He 21 bachelor programs, 48 certificate/diploma niche to develop her skills.“Somehow, I hit on the says it was his strong editing skills and ability to programs and two masters' programs. brilliant notion of becoming an art critic,” she work under constant deadline that helped him Journalists and editors I've talked to say says. “I decided to specialise and give myself a slightly more than half of their colleagues are J- beat to cover. Continued on Page 38

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 35 COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING BY FRED VALLANCE-JONES Let’s keep it a secret Governments' slavish devotion to privacy chokes off information that really should be public

he last time I wrote in this space I was about commercial.The court left the door open; it might on, our access is to remain as it has always been, a case in Ontario's Divisional Court with view a request made in the public interest to a static paper record. Timportant implications for data access in differently. In her 2003 annual report, tabled in the Canada. A Toronto collection agency was fighting On the other hand, the court seemed to accept legislative assembly in June, Ontario's with MPAC, the Municipal Property Assessment without much question MPAC's argument that information and privacy commissioner Ann Corporation, for access to an electronic copy of the bulk release of the data would constitute an Cavoukian once again waded into this issue. assessment roll for the province. unacceptable invasion of personal privacy. Noting that before the Toronto Star case, her The roll contains, among other things, the In their decision, the judges wrote: "The office had attempted to restrict access to such assessed value for taxation purposes of every commissioner ordered MPAC to hand over to registries and she called on the Ontario property in the province, as well as the names of government to address this issue. the property owners, whether the owners "If the entire content of these registries is readily support Roman Catholic or public schools, and accessible in electronic format, the personal so on. information of citizens can be easily retrieved, An adjudicator with the office of Ontario's searched, sorted, manipulated and used for information and privacy commissioner had purposes that have no connection to the original ordered the records released,saying he was bound purpose for which the information was collected," by a previous Divisional Court decision directing she wrote. the City of Toronto to release a database of "Our Acts [Ontario has parallel municipal and political contributions to a Toronto Star reporter. provincial acts] need to be amended to deal with But MPAC asked the court to review the order. this issue, and that can only take place after the While collection agencies don't have the best various interests are identified and balanced reputation, and a request for the entire provincial appropriately." roll to pursue bad debtors seems on its surface Alberta already prohibits access to any records repugnant, I felt the principles at stake went far derived from public registries,and a few years back beyond such base emotional reactions. This was the Canadian Association of Journalists joined with an important test case in the ongoing struggle for other public interest groups in an unsuccessful the access to public data. effort to block an amendment to Manitoba's act Alas, the court disagreed and in May it ordered banning bulk—i.e., electronic—disclosure of the data withheld. It was just one of a couple of personal information in public registries. disappointing court decisions about that time; A move to bring in a similar provision in another decision clamped the lid on a series of Canada's largest province would almost certainly drug-approval records that had previously been be sold on the basis of protecting individual routinely available from Health Canada. "If the entire content of these registries is privacy, but the effect would be to deny the public readily accessible in electronic format, the In the assessment case, the three-judge panel and journalists access to important sources of personal information of citizens can be easily reasoned that while there is a specific statutory information. retrieved, searched, sorted, manipulated and authority in Ontario that allows for the paper We could be left without the ability to properly used for purposes that have no connection record to be viewed at municipal halls, no such scrutinize political contributions or to analyze to the original purpose for which the authority exists to force MPAC to release the assessment records to find slum landlords. information was collected." electronic version. Ideally, if something is public, it should be The decision is both good and bad for those of — Ontario information and privacy public in all forms. Otherwise, we are left with the us interested in access to the electronic versions of commissioner, Ann Cavoukian profoundly unfair situation whereby records public registries containing information about collected at public expense for public purposes individuals, which also include land titles records, (Security Recovery Group) an electronic record are only available to those with enough money to corporate filings and political contribution records. containing the personal information of millions pay for them, either by taking the time to scan or On the one hand, the court ruled on specific of Ontarians, essentially free of charge." copy paper records, or buying the electronic and limited facts, rather than making broad and The court said that in the circumstances,MPAC versions at whatever price agencies such as MPAC general findings. It continues to accept that there was within its rights to refer requestors to dictate. are circumstances under which bulk versions of municipal halls to view the paper roll. At the very least, any restrictions must include the registries can be released. In essence, the court accepted the notion that exemptions for legitimate journalistic inquiry. A And the court also made it clear that the even though this information is and always has move to clamp down on public registries would identity of the requestor could make a difference, been public, the form that it takes makes a represent the largest rollback to date of traditional noting that in this case the purpose was purely difference. Even though technology has marched access rights.

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 36 GOING TOO FAR I much prefer the approach of U.S.states,which TO PROTECT PRIVACY deem all such records public unless they are Canada already has some of the most specifically, by name, exempted. This approach restrictive privacy laws in the world. While allows for the protection of information that privacy itself is something none of us would should be withheld from the public, and the question, Canada's laws go far beyond keeping release of the rest. The push towards broad, all- We could be left private lives private. encompassing privacy protection in Canada has without the ability From the beginning, lawmakers chose the most led to what we face with public registries. restrictive definition for privacy protection, Don't make the mistake of thinking it will stop to properly deeming any information about any individual to with the electronic versions. Once those are safely be out of bounds.The laws contain some exceptions sealed off, it will only be a matter of time before scrutinize political to that broad definition. However, the exceptions we see calls to tighten access to the paper tend to be applied and interpreted narrowly. The versions, perhaps by limiting their use to specific contributions benefit of the doubt always goes to bureaucrats who purposes. Don't be surprised to hear an official or to analyze administer freedom-of-information laws, who say, "No looking at the assessment roll unless you argue that personal details, and even information can prove you are doing it to support a property assessment records that could help lead to the identification ofan tax appeal." individual, should be withheld. This doctrine of intended use already pervades to find slum Equally distasteful is the fact that journalists the rationale that supports greater privacy, and if landlords. Ideally, are sometimes unable to obtain information taken to its extreme would make many things about criminal matters that have already been reporters do impossible. if something is dealt with in court, because that would reveal Journalists and news organizations would do details of a person's history with the law. well to pay attention to Ontario's privacy public it should Similarly, we are not allowed to know which commissioner and participate in this debate be public in property owners aren't paying their taxes,because before it is too late. that would reveal details of their financial history. all forms. This slavish devotion to privacy chokes off Fred Vallance-Jones is a reporter at information that really should be public. In my The Hamilton Spectator and webmaster mind,criminals and scofflaws are not owed a debt of CARinCanada.ca, which launched of privacy to shield their activities from public September 20. Contact him at FredVallance- scrutiny, yet that is what the law allows. [email protected].

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MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 37 Continued from Pg. 4 activity sheet," an internal document that shows their peers. Students rise to the challenge of The horse-race that produced the wrong winner which offices within the department were being fair but tough judges, and can be effective involved in the processing of a request.Journalists educators on the importance of academic wanted to know how frequently outlets such as could also request the "processing file" for an integrity, according to McCabe and Pavela. the National Post and the Globe and Mail fall prey earlier request, as well as "communications Although many news organizations have to spinmeisters, arguably the real controllers of all products" prepared in response to that request. statements of ethical conduct, many more do that is fit to print or broadcast? According to the Over time, federal agencies have developed not. Even so, as the research on academic study, still in its initial stages, the answer is sophisticated — and sometimes opaque — dishonesty shows, an arbitrary, demanding, disturbing,but sadly not that much different from procedures for minimizing the disruptive unsupportive and top-down environment — the what' s happening in the United States. potential of the Access to Information Act. kind of newsroom that many reporters say they The second treatment involves Conrad Moffat Elsewhere, I've argued that federal officials have work in — breeds contempt for whatever rules Black, a man Media magazine profiled in its created an "internal law" on access, under which are in place. And every time another Angèle inaugural edition.The National Post has also been media requests for information routinely receive Yanor or Jayson Blair is exposed as a plagiarist or in the news of late because of the shenanigans of second-class treatment. The media community a fabricator, the public's already considerable the paper's former owner, a.k.a. Lord Black of needs to develop more sophisticated techniques contempt for our profession solidifies. Crossharbour.In her analysis of Black's continued for dealing with these threats to openness. But if the experience on college campuses is fall from grace and his legacy in Canadian relevant for journalism, the way out is clear: the journalism, Gillian Steward concludes that Alasdair Roberts, a Canadian specialist on access crimes of unethical journalists must be recast as "since Black was at the helm of the National Post to information, is an associate professor of public not only individual moral failings, but also as an for only three years, he didn't really have time to administration at the Maxwell School of Syracuse opportunity for the entire system — publisher, leave an enduring legacy. When he abandoned University. His Web address is www.aroberts.us. editors, journalists, personnel managers — to ship in 2001 and left his loyal oarsmen to fend for interrogate its commitment to an ethical culture, themselves,it became a much weaker newspaper." and to the expenses in time and money that will Continued from Pg. 19 That's an opinion, along with many others support it. Journalists rely too heavily on spinmeisters expressed in this edition of Media, that some would — perhaps should — throw open for Judith Ince graduated from Langara College's Spin Cycle, by Howard Kurtz; The Media discussion.So we encourage your feedback,as it is journalism certificate program this spring. She Monopoly, by Ben Bagdikian; News: The Politics of healthy for us to be debating these issues. does freelance research, and writes on education Illusion, by Lance Bennett; Rich Media, Poor Feel free to tell us what you think about the for The Tyee. Democracy: Communication Politics in Dubious pitfalls of political coverage, Lord Black or Times,by Robert W.McChesney; Reporters and anything else you read by contacting me at: Officials: The Organization and Politics of [email protected] Continued from Pg. 35 Newsmaking,by Leon Sigal; Power and Betrayal in Breaking into the field the Canadian Media,by David Taras ; Democracy's Continued from Pg. 17 Oxygen: How Corporations Control the News,by move up. “You either have it or you don't,” says James Winter. Singled out for special treatment Woods. Websites: Centre for Media and Democracy He says most people get in through summer steps. The first is to ask the Information (www.prwatch.org); Spinwatch, the C e n t r e ' s hiring at CP,which takes six to 10 people out of a Commissioner to investigate the apparently equivalent in the U.K. (http://www.spinwatch.org/) couple of hundred applicants each year.Reporters systemic mishandling of media requests. It isn't with lots of story ideas and the ability to execute necessary to prove that your own request has been them are the ones who “make a good fit,” says mishandled. Section 30(1)(f) of the ATIA gives Continued from Pg. 29 Woods. the Information Commissioner a broad authority What’s in a name? Hanna attributes her success to a few simple to investigate patterns of behavior that appear to things. “I worked hard, met deadlines, always undermine rights established by the ATIA. The expectations for academic integrity in their returned phone calls, and remembered to say remedy would likely be a ban on the practice of course outlines. 'thank you' on the many occasions when sources divulging the occupational category of requesters, Fostering an ethical culture is one part of the helped me. I was never afraid to state my mind either within departments or through CAIRS. equation, Treviño says, but the other part is with confidence and conviction,”said Hanna. A second step: Ask the Privacy Commissioner appropriately responding to ethical breaches. It “I became a writer because I had a vocation, to investigate whether the disclosure of is important to respect the rights of the accused rather than a journalist pursuing a career occupational information is tantamount to the violator, she says, because "the person who trajectory. Had I chosen the latter path, I would disclosure of a requester's identity, given the engaged in the alleged misconduct has a right to have lived a very different life.” circumstances and other knowledge available to procedural justice — a carefully conducted This column is for answering your questions government officials. The Privacy Commissioner investigation and careful consideration of the about breaking into the field of journalism. Please also has broad authority to investigate such facts. But, if misconduct is found, it is in the best send your questions and/or ideas for the next issue complaints. Unless government agencies can interest of the rest of the school community to to Chris Richardson at [email protected] show a legitimate interest that is served by the deal with that misconduct with sanctions that disclosure of occupational data,the remedy might are appropriate to the seriousness of the Chris Richardson is a student representative in again be a ban on the distribution of such violation, including dismissal if the violation is the Toronto chapter of the Canadian Association of information. egregious." Journalists.He is also an active member ofthe Journalists who use the Act can also monitor Colleges that have been most effective in organization Journalists for Human Rights. Chris is how departments handle their requests. ATIA combating dishonesty have students sitting on a second-year journalism student at Ryerson requests can include a request for the "ATIPflow committees investigating ethical breaches by University's school of journalism.

MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 38 LAST WORD BY JOHN GUSHUE Rethinking the human element It may seem profane to say so, but sometimes science-based journalism tries too hard to be reader-friendly

've never met Brad Evenson, but I did read his Let me make this point clear: I am not in any and arrange interviews with the authors and work … at least,that is,until the National Post way condoning plagiarism or fabrication. It's a others who can comment on it. Ifired him. poor excuse to say workloads and deadlines can For years, editors and producers have been This summer,the Post abruptly announced that lead you to invent your own sources. pushing reporters to find human faces to make Evenson had engaged in that dark stain of the But the episode made me wonder why we feel their stories more accessible. This makes a lot of craft, fabrication. such an obligation to add that human element to sense, especially when stories are dry or The Post, in a brief "note to readers," institutional. underscored that no names and comments from But how often have I seen medical reports in the medical profession had been falsified. which the supposed human element is nothing Instead, Evenson appeared to have made up more than an unrelated ornament to the story, or ordinary people with various health conditions,or a storytelling technique that contributes at least taken actual comments he found online surprisingly little? I have to confess I've been as and attributed them to sources that didn't exist. If we do guilty of doing this as anyone. I'm as rattled as anybody about fabrication and I think part of this is a fear of letting scientists plagiarism, but the Evenson affair led me to think choose to cover speak for themselves, or at least by themselves. It about another, and rather benign, element of may also have to do with our anxieties about reporting that doesn't get discussed very much: some new research, tackling material we're not sure we understand. our preoccupation with finding ordinary people let's not be afraid Let's also consider just how much time and for stories that involve science or research. effort go into finding these sorts of elements, as Here's a scenario I'm sure you've often seen, on to let the story unconnected as they often turn out to be.I'm sure air, read in print or heard on the radio. The story I'm not the only one who has sent out a blanket opens with a little colour, involving a person or a stand on its own e-mail to friends and coworkers, appealing for family coping with a medical affliction, whether help to find someone, anyone, to talk about a common or rare. from time to given illness. (Please see Don Gibb’s column on Then follows a clip or quote, often of a generic time. If an page 6) nature; for example, "The pain can be intense." Don't get me wrong: I'm not arguing that we Then comes a bridge — a line of text or voiceover ordinary soul should avoid putting lay people in health that takes us to what the story is really about, journalism. Far from it. In fact, much of the best namely the facts of some research that has just fits into the medical journalism is done well beyond the lab, been published in a particular journal. and involves the human drama of sickness and It's a template,and I'm familiar with it,because storytelling for health. I've used it plenty of times over the years, in print all the best The thing is, those kinds of stories are usually and broadcast. unconnected to the process pieces that are A critical look will often show that the ordinary journalistic generated by research published in scientific person at the beginning of the piece bears no journals or presented at conferences. Instead, direct connection to the research itself,apart from reasons, these stories require a completely different being a mere hook. approach, in which the subject, truly, is the Several years ago, I made my living writing go for it. subject. primarily about medical research. You get to My point is that if we do choose to cover some know, or at least know of, other writers in the new research, let's not be afraid to let the story same area, and that's how I came to watch for stand on its own from time to time.If an ordinary Evenson's byline. soul fits into the storytelling for all the best I found that Evenson had a pointed style, one journalistic reasons, go for it. that obviously caught his editors' eyes,as his work But searching for a human face that adds often got splashy play in the Post. a story, even when it so often proves to be mere nothing of journalistic value is a sign that The Post did not reveal which of Evenson's window dressing. something ails the story. stories contained fabrications. Nor do we know Much of the medical research that gets why he was tempted, as it has been suggested, to reported comes under embargo, through services John Gushue lives in St. John's, and works for lift comments he had read in Internet chatrooms such as EurekAlert.The deal is that journalists are CBC. He has written medical and health stories and the like, and attribute them to sources he given access to research a few days before it's over the last 15 years. Gushue is also a member of concocted. published, or enough time to read the material Media magazine's board of directors. MEDIA, FALL 2004 PAGE 39 OBC

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