Archive
3 Apr

Public editor: No place for secrecy in Ontario Press Council decision against the Star

<p><img align="left" alt="" class="imagecache-thumbnail inline-image" hspace="10" src="http://j-source.ca/sites/www.j-source.ca/files/imagecache/thumbnail/images/Kathy English_17.JPG" title="" /><strong>By Kathy English, public editor of the <em>Toronto Star</em></strong></p><p>It is no secret that the Toronto Star opposes secrecy and demands openness of information about all matters of public interest.</p>

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14 Mar

CBC ombudsman: Perception of conflict of interest over Mansbridge and Murphy speaking fees matters

<p><img align="left" alt="" class="imagecache-thumbnail inline-image" hspace="10" src="http://j-source.ca/sites/www.j-source.ca/files/imagecache/thumbnail/images/Esther_5.JPG" title="" /><strong>By Esther Enkin, CBC ombudsman</strong></p>

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19 Feb

The Unknowable Country: What does Reporters Without Borders’ press freedom index actually mean?

<p><strong>By Sean Holman</strong></p><p>Last year, the country's freedom of information commissioners <a href="http://seanholman.com/2013/10/28/the-unknowable-country/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> for a modernization of the antiquated laws that are supposed to allow, but in many cases, now frustrate journalists' access to public records.</p><p>Indeed, <a href="http://www.law-democracy.org/live/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Nov-2013-Chart2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Centre for Law and Democracy, 55 other nations have stronger information rights laws than we do.</p>

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18 Feb

Public editor: Why the Star published secret Conservative party documents

<p><img align="left" alt="" class="imagecache-thumbnail inline-image" hspace="10" src="http://j-source.ca/sites/www.j-source.ca/files/imagecache/thumbnail/images/Kathy English_14.JPG" style="font-size: 10px;" title="" /> <strong>By Kathy English, public editor of the <em>Toronto Star</em></strong></p><div style="clear:none;"><p>There was a time, not so long ago, before the dawn of the Internet era, when the secret documents of politicians and public officials arrived in newsrooms in brown envelopes sent from anonymous sources.</p>

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18 Feb

Globe public editor: The PM and the floating hockey stick explained

<p><img align="left" alt="" class="imagecache-thumbnail inline-image" hspace="10" src="http://j-source.ca/sites/www.j-source.ca/files/imagecache/thumbnail/images/Stead_12.JPG" style="font-size: 10px;" title="" /><strong>By Sylvia Stead, public editor of <em>The Globe and Mail</em></strong></p>

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10 Feb

The Unknowable Country: What Postmedia’s torching of its parliamentary bureau means for the future of investigative reporting on the Hill

<p><img align="left" alt="" class="imagecache-medium inline-image" hspace="10" src="http://j-source.ca/sites/www.j-source.ca/files/imagecache/medium/images/Postmedia newspapers_3.JPG" title="" /></p><p><strong>By Sean Holman</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.postmedia.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Postmedia Network Inc.</a>'s decision to <a href="http://j-source.ca/article/postmedia-eliminates-parliamentary-bureau">torch</a> its parliamentary bureau last week will inevitably compromise the newspaper chain's ability to produce investigative public affairs reporting.</p>

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29 Jan

The Unknowable Country: Why aren’t more Canadians reading about politics?

<p><strong>By Sean Holman</strong></p><p>By most measures, you'd think the readers of the <em>Victoria Times Colonist</em>—my hometown's newspaper—would have at least a passing interest in politics.</p>

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27 Nov

The Unknowable Country: Why aren’t journalists pushing governments for more transparency?

<p><strong>By Sean Holman</strong></p><p>Award-winning CBC News producer <a href="http://www.ukings.ca/david-mckie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David McKie</a> rang the fight bell in a <a href="http://j-source.ca/article/opinion-canada%E2%80%99s-access-information-system-going-downhill-and-fast">column</a> published earlier this month on J-Source, saying journalists must “take the gloves off by pushing governments to be more transparent.”</p>

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21 Nov

Globe public editor: How do you define the middle class?

<p><img alt="" class="imagecache-medium-left inline-image" src="http://j-source.ca/sites/www.j-source.ca/files/imagecache/medium-left/images/Stead_6_1_1_14.JPG" title="" /></p><p><strong>By Sylvia Stead, public editor of <em>The Globe and Mail</em></strong></p>

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28 Oct

The Unknowable Country

<p><strong>By Sean Holman</strong></p><p>"Freedom of information is the expression of Canadians' core values. It is fundamental to the functioning of democracy."</p>

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