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Blanket protection.
The article focuses on the court decisions related to journalism in Canada. The Court of Appeal in Ontario has issued contradictory rulings that result to a partial victory for press freedom and some understandable confusion about whether Canadian journalists have the right to protect a confidential source. It is noted that the nation's most influential appellate court has recognized that journalists may have to protect the identity of sources for them to do their jobs. According to justice John Laskin, the relationship between a journalist and a confidential source should be fostered for the public good. Furthermore, he cites that some matters of public interest cannot be investigated without confidential sources of information.
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It's easier to find legal information online.
The article offers information on the legal services offered online in Canada. There are more court records in Canada that are online and searchable for free, though the quantity and quality is uneven. It notes that each province has its own court databases, and almost all have their major courts online. Some of the interesting details on people are kept by the lower courts, such as the provincial or municipal courts. Almost all provinces have listed their courts on the same web page, however one has to visit each court Web site separately to do a search.
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It's time to put your writing on a diet.
TIPS ON TIGHT WRITING
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Keeping restraints on the messenger.
The article discusses the issue that relates to press freedom in Canada. Based from the reaction of the country's largest association of journalists, many would think that freedom of the press should come first even trumping the legal tools that policemen need to find out whodunit. It is stated that the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is dismayed by the ruling that orders to turn over leaked secret documents to police investigating former prime minister Jean Chrétien. Moreover, the CAJ has believed that journalists must have the right to protect the identity of their confidential sources. However, it is argued that a closer look at the facts of such case reveal that the judges have got the balance between press freedom and crime detection.
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Lost in Translation?
The article discusses the gap between the ethnic and mainstream media in Canada. According to census, many immigrants have arrived with education and capital to build their new life in the country. The author has observed that more media ventures are starting up in new languages to serve those arriving that include Farsi, Korean, and Cantonese. The author claims that there is very good journalism in ethnic media, however awareness and recognition of quality ethnic journalism is low. A study states that underrepresentation and misinterpretation of the country's multicultural reality in the mainstream English news media are as serious as in the past.
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On the outs with CTV.
The article focuses on the issue concerning the conversation between chief of staff Ian Brodie and reporters from CTV Television Network Ltd. in Canada. It states that the story behind the "NAFTAgate" leak is loaded with the kind of intrigue reporters do not talk much publicly, such as the relationships between reporters and politicians, as well as government leaks. Moreover, it cites that media outlets are tipped off about Brodie's conversation with CTV in an unusual way through a journalism class. Concerning the "NAFTAgate" story, it notes that Brodie has mentioned that presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has told Canadian officials that her rhetoric about re-negotiating North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is not a serious policy position.
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Pay attention to who's doing the talking.
The article focuses on the report of several journalists on the Canadian contingent in southern Afghanistan. As a result of media coverage generated by the controversial mission, it states that the Canadian military is named newsmaker of 2006. According to the author, parliamentarians are ill-versed in the staggering the complexities of the Afghan conflict. It notes that only a few Afghan experts have emerged to lend their weight to public discussions. As a result, the punditry has been polarized into two finger-camps namely the pro-mission and bring-the-troops-home-now varieties. Journalists have limited themselves to provide their audience with a worm's eye view of soldiering through the official restrictions of the Canadian Forces' embed program.
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Re-Thinking Media Criticism.
The article discusses media criticism. It has grown from a trickle of articles to a stream of books, and speeches decrying the yellow journalism of powerful press barons by the late nineteenth century. Such criticism has signaled a growing discomfort with the press and has acted as one of the first forms of media accountability. It is noted that criticism of journalism is a fluorishing industry, in such a way that it occupies the attention of many bloggers and occupies large portions of journalism Web sites. Moreover, news media is blamed for many things including the decline of democracy and the misinterpretation of minorities. It is argued that media criticism needs to bring forward constructive ideas for improving journalism.
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Responsible journalism.
The article discusses the essence of responsible journalism. Under existing defamation law, there is no margin for error or allowance for the expression of views reasonably held. Because media's defences are limited, journalists should prove facts and allegations are true comment, or are made in a privileged forum or document. Moreover, it cites that people can also consent to be libeled, but subjects of stories seldom incriminate themselves to the point where defence is possible. It is noted that the risk of being unable to prove the truth of controversial matters is bound to discourage the publication of information the public has a legitimate interest in hearing.
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The art of introspection.
The article explains why media outlets are uncomfortable writing about themselves. The author believes that media outlets and journalists are unwilling to examine themselves critically to avoid submitting their own work, tendencies and flaws under the same lens. It states that some of the problems as well as challenges that beset journalists can be viewed as a career-ending proposition. It notes that some media outlets have raised issues that should have received wider attention and broad-based discussion. It also argues that few journalists are holding news outlets to account and challenge readership as well as viewer numbers. Moreover, it suggests that media criticism must be more than examining the behavior of individual journalists.
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The CBC versus Health Canada.
The article reports on the issue that involves Canadian Broadcasting Corp.'s (CBC) battle with Health Canada over the adverse drug reporting system, CADRIS. It is inferred that CBC has used the data as the basis for two major investigative series on drug reactions among young and seniors. Moreover, Health Canada has released many of the fields in the database, and the decision has dealt only with the field that indicates the province of the person who has reported the adverse reaction. It has felt that releasing the province field has increased the chances that a person whose adverse drug reaction is recorded in the database, which can be connected by means of some of the details in the database.
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The same as it always was.
The article focuses on the symbiotic relationship between journalists of the periodical "The Hill" and politicians in Canada. It states that media and political class have sometimes joined together, and some reporters have even acted as unofficial communications advisors to their political friends. The issue of former chief of staff Ian Brodie is a more subtle and modern example of the journalist-political operative relationship. The issue has placed Bodie to a new kind of situation, where he is exposed by reporters whom he has trusted as opposed to a political operative doing a bit of media manipulation. Reporters have been susceptible to close relationships with the people they cover, and several have been unable to resist getting close too deeply.
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Thirty years of the CAJ.
The article highlights the thirty years of active service of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ). In June 1978, a group of 20 reporters have got together and published a brochure that proposes the creation of a new organization called the Centre for Investigative Journalism. It is a centre that tries to end the isolation between investigative reporters across the country, and provides expert legal advice to journalists or their employers. More than a decade later after it was established, it was renamed to Canadian Association of Journalists. It states that the organization that the interests of the journalists who are passionate about holding powerful forces to account are not always congruent with the interests of the institutions where they happen to work.
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Trouble at The New York Times.
The article focuses on the issue concerning the financial statement of the New York Times Co. in 2007. The author believes that the company's financial problems could affect journalists. It is noted that the most important numbers are the audited financial statements that have three parts which are income statement, balance sheet, and the statement of cash flows. The company's total revenues reached $3.2 billion, which is lower compared to its revenues in 2006 and 2005. The company's income statement shows that revenues, net income and profit margins are all declining.
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War's first casuality.
The article discusses the issue concerning the expenses of the Canadian government to the war in Afghanistan. It states that the Department of National Defence (DND) has intruded on academic financing and has spent millions of dollars sponsoring scholars to offer up agreeable commentary. The DND policy reads that to receive money, the Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) must support activities that give evidence of contributing to the country's national policies. It argues that if CDA's activities are neutral and unbiased, or question the government policy, the DND would refuse to pay. According to the author, the manner in which DND spends money to elicit friendly comment by Canadian scholars is disturbing.
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Where's the apology?
The article focuses on the issue concerning the stories written by several journalists on torture survivor Maher Arar. It argues that most Canadian writers are unwilling to challenge, question, or criticize the nation's media establishment. The reporters are expected to defend their work and respond to the challenge that they not only apologize to Arar for falsely labelling him a terrorist, but that they reveal the scoundrels who participate in a campaign to destroy him. Reporters and editors are anxious for the dishonorable episode in Canadian journalism and their undeniable roles in it. More importantly, it is noted that the two public institutions namely Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) and TVO have played no role in discrediting Arar.
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