I almost didn’t post a blog today. I had several ideas, all of them bad. And it’s the idea that’s the most difficult part of being a writer. Once an experienced writer gets a great idea, the words spill out like too much water overflowing a cup.
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As a news anchor (and previously an occasional reporter), I always tried to keep in mind that the subjects of news stories were real people. They were only human, and might be living their worst day as their name – or the name of a loved one – made the news.
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Something I’ve learned about writing is, it’s better to use specifics than generalities. And that being vague is the worst of all writing sins.
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It’s not really possible for journalists to be unbiased. Everyone has a bias. The goal for journalists is to overcome their bias for their work. They can do it. And I’ll show you how.
…When did being progressive become a bad thing? …
It’s possible that I’m falling out of love with my first love: media. Okay, you got me. My first love was Donny Osmond but that was unrequited so it doesn’t count. Media has mostly loved me back even when I thought I was unlovable. Media has kept me guessing, engaged, interested and energized. And it’s not even media’s fault that my feelings are changing. It’s the fault of its wild child, social media. …
It was tempting to write a scathing column about the coming end of Our London and other newspapers. …
“Increased geographic synergies”. Just typing that bullshit sentence makes my blood pressure spike. Yesterday, Torstar and Postmedia swapped nearly two-dozen newspapers for the sole purpose of shutting them down, and reducing competition. Hundreds of people will lose their jobs, including my friends at Our London, for whom I write a biweekly column. They have about six weeks left before the padlock goes on the door. …
A couple of weeks ago, The Toronto Star’s Public Editor nailed it in an editorial on an issue that’s been bugging me but I didn’t quite click the Lego pieces together as well as she did. The gist is this: there’s a misunderstanding about what fake news is. …
Journalists discuss ethics. A lot. We notice when someone’s lost their integrity and we constantly ask ourselves and each other if we as individuals and as a group, are maintaining our own. …
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A couple of years ago, I was hired by a local First Nations group to speak to their chiefs about media relations. They were finding it difficult to talk to reporters and to get stories reported accurately, and wanted some tips. I came away from that session with a tough realization: I had taken on a mild form of racism through osmosis in my years in media, and didn’t even know it. Â …
…you have a bunch of mugshots of wanted criminals on your computer! …
My journalist friend Dan, who teaches part-time at Western University, tells his students something very wise. He says, I can’t teach you how to use what’s next in journalism, because it hasn’t been invented yet. …
Behaving in an ethical manner should not have to be declared as a condition of employment. It comes from within, this knowing of the difference between right and wrong, although organized religion has done a bang-up job of trying to tie it to their ideologies. A child knows the difference. Adult broadcasters know the difference. Some of them just choose to ignore it. …
A story in the most recent issue of Rolling Stone (Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl is on the cover) painted a horrible picture of rape culture at the University of Virginia, and other US colleges and universities. …
It’s been several years now since I started writing a monthly column for Myaircheck.com. Â …
I hear from students on a fairly regular basis. Sometimes I can tell that a broadcasting pal has mentioned my name in the college or university class they teach because I’ll get a little trickle of emails all at once. I take them seriously and try to be thoughtful in my responses. …
Some days I really wonder if my industry has a future. Â Some radio newscasters are taking ownership of stories they haven’t checked out for themselves. Â Rampant laziness (apathy?) is running through journalism today and it’s almost acceptable in some circles. Â …