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CJF J-Talk: Glenn Greenwald in conversation with David Walmsley

Toronto, Oct. 21, 2014 - Open source hero or every government's worst nightmare? Glenn Greenwald has championed making secret documents part of the daily news. Working with Edward Snowden to publish NSA secrets, Greenwald is a Pulitzer Prize-winner, lawyer and co-founding editor of The Intercept. He spoke with David Walmsley, editor-in-chief of The Globe and Mail, about power, secrecy and journalism's role in an era of digital openness at CBC's Glenn Gould Studio. Audio courtesy of CBC News.

CJF J-Talk - Native Advertising: Journalism's Saviour or Sellout?

Toronto, Oct. 2, 2014 - Native advertising. Branded content. Custom content. Whatever it’s called, these ‘advertorials’ are controversial, yet news organizations see them as the latest and best business strategy. Jill Borra, executive editor at The Globe and Mail; Cathrin Bradbury, executive director of content development at Star Media Group; and Scott White, vice-president of content strategy and business development at Postmedia Network, discussed paid content, the blurring of lines between editorial and commercial content, and retaining the trust of readers with moderator Ivor Shapiro, chair of the School of Journalism at Ryerson University.

Covering the Oil Patch

Calgary, April 24, 2014 - It is an age when the words "tar" and "oil" applied to "sands" can delineate opposing sides; when "Keystone" elicits every emotion except indifference; when a proud province becomes a global petro power and citizens debate the legacy of Big Oil. In  the middle of the conflict are the energy reporters of Alberta, some of whom have the additional challenge of covering the "home team."  How well are they doing the job? How do they provide balance in the face of a massive industry with powerful roots in their community? What is the view from afar? Jameson Berkow, western bureau chief for BNN moderated this panel with speakers Claudia Cattaneo, western business columnist for the National Post, Clifford Krauss, Houston-based national energy correspondent for The New York Times, Gillian Steward, Calgary-based journalist and teacher at Mount Royal University, and Deborah Yedlin, business columnist for the Calgary Herald.

Does the Press Gallery Matter?

Ottawa, April 9, 2014 - Members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery recently voted unanimously to "reserve the right to ask questions in all photo-ops and availabilities with the prime minister, cabinet ministers, and all parliamentarians, to fulfil our function as journalists in a democratic society.” The vote was a reaction to restrictions on access to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his ministers--and a revealing glimpse of how the ground has shifted on Ottawa political reporters. The regular Prime Ministerial press conference is a thing of the past. Senior bureaucrats hesitate to brief journalists. The PM and ministers take their message on the road or send it out on weekly video clips. Opposition MPs use the same techniques.

As a result, is the influence of political reporters on the wane in the face of shrinking resources, wide use of social media, and the distance Ottawa puts between government and reporters? Does the national media coverage of the government matter as much as it used to?

Tom Clark, chief political correspondent for Global News and host of The West Block moderated this discussion with Jennifer Ditchburn, senior parliamentary correspondent for the Ottawa bureau of The Canadian Press, Jason Kenney, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister of Multiculturalism, Senator Jim Munson, a former long-time member of the Press Gallery, and David Akin, national bureau chief for Sun Media and host of Battleground.

Vice: The New Establishment

Toronto, Feb. 27, 2014 - Suroosh Alvi, co-founder of Vice Media, talks with Anna Maria Tremonti, host of CBC Radio One’s The Current, about Vice’s journey from counter-culture Montreal magazine to New York-based media conglomerate, its unconventional approach to covering conflict zones, and plans to invest $50 million in their news operations over the next three years.
 

CJF J-Talk: Turning Digital Into Dollars

Jan. 23, 2014, Toronto - Traditional newspaper outlets are throwing up paywalls, pouring resources into digital, and increasing the amount of sponsored content—all in an effort to find a sustainable business model for journalism. The question is: What’s working? Canada’s top publishers Phillip Crawley, publisher of The Globe and Mail; John Cruickshank, publisher of the Toronto Star; Gerry Nott, senior vice-president of the eastern region, Postmedia Network; and André Pratte, editorial pages editor of La Presse, discussed revenue mixes and models in a shifting media landscape. Joshua Benton, director of the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University, moderated this discussion.

Celebrity Journalism: Guilty Pleasure or Real News?

Toronto, Nov. 28, 2013 - It's driving eyeballs to websites and media organizations love it. From Miley Cyrus to Gwyneth Paltrow, media outlets are betting--for better and for worse--that names in the news will sell. Is celebrity gossip real news or simply “click bait” in the digital universe? Malene Arpe, who writes the Toronto Star Stargazing pages; Alison Eastwood, editor-in-chief of Hello! Canada; Jonathan Kay, comment pages editor of the National Post; and Ben Mulroney, anchor of CTV's etalk discussed this phenomemon with Simon Houpt, senior media writer for The Globe and Mail.

The Coveted Journey: From Journalist to Bestselling Author

Oct. 22, 2013- Toronto
Linwood Barclay, the former Toronto Star humour columnist turned author of suspense novels, and Lisa Gabriele, the former showrunner at CBC’s Dragons’ Den who found success with an erotic novel first published under a pseudonym (now turned into a trilogy), talked about the journey from journalist to bestselling author in this discussion with The Globe and Mail's Books editor Jared Bland.

Gawking, Gossip and Crowdfunding: Is this the New Journalism

Sept. 19, 2013, Toronto - Gawker offers a blend of hard news, gossip and a cheeky tone. It’s also the site behind the controversial ‘Crackstarter’ campaign. John Cook, editor-in-chief, talks media ethics, coverage of Toronto mayor Rob Ford and crowdfunding in a conversation with Jeffrey Dvorkin, media ethics commentator and director of the journalism program at University of Toronto Scarborough.