Wednesday, 8 February 2023

Journalism in Nova Scotia

Stephen Wentzell: Rankin’s DUI story is big. How journalists tell the story could be even bigger

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As journalists navigate a scandalous story affecting the highest office in our province, remember that most everyone reading or listening to your coverage has been affected by alcoholism. Maybe some are battling alcoholism themselves. Reporters should keep this in mind as we seek accountability. Nova Scotians grappling with substance abuse are watching how we talk about this, and may make the difference between speaking up and seeking help, or suffering in silence.

(Not) helping Canadian journalism

Both Saltwire and Postmedia might not be in such dire straits if their management had not already made so many terrible strategic and financial decisions, including reducing the numbers of journalists they employ. But they receive generous federal funding, while small outfits like Briarpatch are not getting a penny, writes Dr. Fiona McQuarrie, author and Professor in the School of Business at the University of the Fraser Valley.

Tundè Balogun: On media reports on Mulgrave Park and white supremacy

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Tundè Balogun: For anyone reading this article who is not familiar with Halifax and Mulgrave Park in particular, they would think it is a ghetto with graffiti everywhere, and residents that don’t take pride in where they live. Thus the community needs outside help to clean the mess they themselves have created. If CBC’s editorial staff allowed an artist outside that community to speak about budgets and people being left behind, it would also be fitting to speak about a community totally shut out of a $30 billion project.

APTN’s Angel Moore: Being an Indigenous journalist is the same as being an Indigenous person, you just see the world differently

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More in our interview series on the state of journalism in Nova Scotia. I talk with APTN’s Angel Moore about doing journalism for a mostly Indigenous audience. “It’s not my job to change preconceptions. It’s my job to tell stories about the community for the community. However, when I’m writing a story, the potential negative comments and the racist comments on social media are always on my mind. I’m very aware and I’m very careful of that.”

Joan Baxter: I don’t think we are short of good journalists at all

I interviewed Joan Baxter, author of The Mill, and all round excellent reporter. We talked to Joan about bringing her African experience to Nova Scotia, what’s good and not so good about journalism here, the dangers of too much skepticism, the walls governments build around information, why give up your weekend to sit behind a computer, and much more. “That’s the very long story about how I got to be old and cranky,” Baxter said.