Future of Journalism Initiative

Welcome to Day 3 of the #TruthInJournalism conference! First panel is moderated by Samia Madwar, with @mdimera, @karyn_pugliese and @siegel_susanna! @CarletonFJI @allybake @vivianefairbank

In 2015, @Pacinthe met two men who talked about how fraught the relationship is between Black communities and police. She played a part of that conversation for the #TruthInJournalism @JSchool_CU @CarletonFJI

Talking about being in Baltimore after the killing of Freddie Gray in 2015, @Pacinthe said one of the first places she went to was Gray’s own neighbourhood. #TruthInJournalism @JSchool_CU @CarletonFJI

@Pacinthe is sharing her experience writing about objectivity, racism and power in Canadian media (thewalrus.ca/objectivity-is…), and the role fact-checking played in her incredibly important story. #TruthInJournalism @CarletonFJI @JSchool_CU

Our keynote speaker @Pacinthe reads from her acclaimed 2020 @thewalrus article ‘Objectivity is a privilege afforded to white journalists’. #TruthInJournalism @JSchool_CU @CarletonFJI Read it here - thewalrus.ca/objectivity-is…

“When I started out as a journalist, I was advised not to be out as queer,” says @mdimera. #TruthInJournalism @JSchool_CU @CarletonFJI

“People like me have been told we’re not being objective. Can we use terms like “genocide in Canada” or “land-defenders”?” @karyn_pugliese #TruthInJournalism @JSchool_CU @CarletonFJI

“Who’s voices are we listening to? Who’s voice is being regarded as credible?” @siegel_susanna says these questions are crucial when talking about the vocabulary around objectivity. #TruthInJournalism @JSchool_CU @CarletonFJI

How has “objectivity” failed journalism? @karyn_pugliese points to #cdnmedia coverage of missing & murdered Indigenous women, @mdimera gives the example of how the Bruce McArthur killings of gay men of colour in Toronto were covered #TruthInJournalism @JSchool_CU @CarletonFJI

“Most newsrooms in #cdnmedia would say they use objective methods of reporting, yet we end up with very different results in terms of what stories are covered & how they’re covered,” says @mdimera. #TruthInJournalism @JSchool_CU @CarletonFJI

What’s the distinction between “objective assertions”, “objective facts”, “objective methods” on the one hand and “objective people” and “objective observers” on the other? @siegel_susanna breaks it down for the #TruthInJournalism conference! @CarletonFJI @JSchool_CU

We’re having this conversation around objectivity all over again because newsrooms are getting more diverse, says @karyn_pugliese. #TruthInJournalism @CarletonFJI @JSchool_CU

Last day of the #TruthInJournalism conference! @allybake getting us started. We have Samia Madwar moderating our final panel on journalism ethics and objectivity and with @siegel_susanna @karyn_pugliese @mdimera. @JSchool_CU @CarletonFJI

@ZoeSTodd amplifies @CrierNicolas’s message. “Communities are who we should listen to,” she said.

@CrierNicolas: “Integrity is key if you’re gonna be talking about people or situations you’re not a part of.” He adds it’s important to involve people who are part of said communities in the fact-checking process.

@carineabouseif, features editor @thewalrus, says having conversations about the fact-checking process prior to starting a story is essential to preventing harm.

How can fact-checking potentially be harmful or problematic? @taudette asks panelists @carineabouseif @ZoeSTodd @CrierNicolas

Following a question from the audience, the panelists clarify that while there is a power dynamic between reporters and sources, there’s also a power dynamic between editors and reporters. @SimonLewsen says publications have a large role in making this change. #TruthInJournalism

What are the ethics of sharing drafts with sources prior to publication? An often prohibited practice, @jadinengan @bgillesp @lisa_xsj @SimonLewsen agreed it’s something to consider when reporting on sensitive subjects and the source is an ordinary person. #TruthInJournalism

@bgillesp @jadinengan explain there is a fear among reporters that if they explained to people all the risks associated with being a source, they may back out. In their experiences, however, that’s more often not the case.