The interweb: friend or foe of journalism?

The media landscape is changing. For centuries, newspapers maintained the status quo of the subscription-based news service. Reporters wrote stories, newspapers churned them out, people bought the papers and everyone was happy by dinner time. Then the internet came along.

The internet didn’t destroy the demand for news. No, that still remains in full force. Instead, the internet changed the economic game of news. And according to Clay Shirky, “there is no general model for newspapers to replace the one the internet just broke.”

So why are newspapers around the world stopping the presses for good? “It’s the original sin of newspapers: putting their content online for free,” says Melissa Wilson, the student lounge editor for J-Source. After all, if you’re good at something you won’t give away your services for free.

As of now, the internet has two advantages when it comes to news: delivery speed and accessibility. But the trade off is a compromise in quality.

“Content is king on the web right now, and unfortunately there is not much quality content out there. Once online media reaches the same level of fact checking, credibility, and reporting quality of traditional media, then we could be looking at the Golden Age of journalism, said Thien Huynh a columnist for 24 Hours.

The print industry can’t keep fighting the battle of reporting facts. There needs to be a shift towards exclusive content. Papers need to offer something their internet counterpart can’t. Unfortunately, no one knows what that is yet.

A new kind of hall monitor

The Canadian government needs to act, not react, to address the issue of crime in at risk neighborhoods. It’s a recommendation that not only benefits the sake of the children of these neighborhoods, but all Ontarians.

Take C. W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute for example. The school’s been in the media spotlight in the last three years but for all the wrong reasons. Thousand-and-seven marked the year where 15-year-old Jordan Manners was shot and killed by an unknown gunman.

The school would make more headlines a year later after a 16-year-old was stabbed and taken to Sunnybrook Hospital with serious injuries.
The school has become a catalyst in the efforts to have armed and full uniformed Toronto Police Officers stationed in schools. Roughly two years have passed and an evaluation report was released mid-November of 2009 with high praises for the program.

However, what the evaluation fails to address is the rising budget of the police force in the city’s budget in relation to the overall decrease in crime in the last decade. Coupled with the fact these police officers replaced school social workers, the School Resource Officer initiative is a knee jerk reaction to a problem with deeper roots.

O Canada! Our home and naked land!

Every New Year brings a sense of renewal. New resolutions and nouvelle resolve are everywhere but for those with less ambition, January the 1rst just means new TV shows. But are Canadians getting new content, or are just foreign TV shows with a slapped on Canadian label? Case in point: How to Look Good Naked Canada.

The show’s only two episodes in, but the original concept dates back to 2006. Originally airing in Britain, How to Look Good Naked takes women, of all shapes and sizes, uncomfortable with their physical appearance. These women then go on a self- esteem building adventure, style is improved, tears are cried, and emotional heart strings are pulled.

So how does the Canadian counterpart differ? Other than changing the venue and hosts (British fashion consultant, Gok Wan with former eTalk reporter Zain Meghji), there’s no difference. How to Look Good Naked Canada is a show with a noble premise but it’s also an example of foreign TV dressed as a Canadian show. But that’s not surprising since the production company, Insight Ltd, has produced shows like Canadian Idol, Project Runway Canada, and Deal or No Deal Canada. Does anyone else see a pattern here?

The legislature v.s. the luge

The doors at Parliament Hill are closed. They've been closed as of December 30th after Prime Minister Stephen Harper prorogued government. The PM says the temporary suspension of parliament is necessary as it gives the government time to reflect on the economy and the upcoming Winter Olympics.

The Economist on the other hand sees the suspension as more personal than business for the leader of the Conservative Party. The publication calls Harper, "a competent tactician with a ruthless streak," accusing of proroguing Parliament just as his party came under fire for alleged involvement in Afghan prisoner abuse.