Canadian Broadcast Standards Council’s (CBSC) most recent decision reaffirms that getting the story right is more important than getting it first. Broadcast by NTV in St. John’s, NL on April 26 during the 6 p.m. NTV Evening Newshour, the report contained inaccurate dates regarding a murder and sentencing. NTV acknowledged the errors and apologized, explaining that the incorrect information reflected a rush to get the story to air. While unintentional, the CBSC found NTV in contravention of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ (CAB) Code of Ethics and the Radio Television Digital News Association of Canada’s (RTDNA) Code of Journalistic Ethics. Read more here.
CBC News, Current Affairs and Local, is making climate change a priority area of coverage under the banner “Our Changing Planet,” before and after this year’s 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Oct. 31 to Nov. 12. The public broadcaster has designated climate as a national beat and placed it under the editorship of a new senior producer, Anand Ram. A dedicated international climate reporting team will also be established with increased prominence on the CBC News website and app.
Cogeco is reiterating its commitment to climate action and its goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The first telecommunications company in Canada to have its targets approved by the SBTi, Cogeco’s is aiming for a 65% reduction in emissions from its operations by 2030 (compared to 2019 levels).
Connection 2021, the Ontario Association of Broadcasters (OAB) virtual conference, Nov. 3-4, will focus on how television and radio stations can “thrive and survive” in a challenging time for the industry. Chris Byrnes, the event’s conference chair for the last decade, says when OAB reached out to its member stations across the province, the message was loud and clear that broadcasters are looking for tools to help them cope as businesses slowly emerge from COVID-19 restrictions. Choosing to host a virtual event has allowed OAB to tap a wider range of speakers, with the two-day event including sessions and panel discussions targeting staff from sales to brand management, promotions, news, and production. Read more here.
Canadian Journalism Foundation’s (CJF) J-Talks Live webcast on Thursday, Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. ET, will discuss recent hateful targeting of journalists – predominantly women of colour – and how for columnists, who share their opinions for a living, this isn’t a new issue. Featured will be newspaper columnists Daphne Bramham, Vancouver Sun; Shree Paradkar, Toronto Star and Elizabeth Renzetti, The Globe and Mail, exploring contemporary challenges faced by columnists, in conversation with Anna Maria Tremonti. Register here for the free virtual event.
The Toronto Star is supporting the Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB), a pioneering non-profit newsroom based at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, with a further $100,000 contribution. The IJB, which launched last fall in partnership with the Dalla Lana School’s journalism programs – the Fellowship in Global Journalism and the Certificate in Health Impact, brings together professional and student journalists, academics, researchers and media organizations to tell deeply reported stories in the public interest. The Toronto Star was the founding media partner of the IJB, conceived by Star investigative journalist Robert Cribb. To date, nearly 20 IJB investigative pieces have been published in the Star.
