journalism

Open letter to The Muse

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This email was sent out Sunday morning [April 1, 2012] to members of The Muse and the Canadian University Press.

My fellow Musers,

It was with great anger and sadness that I received a phone call from Jessie last night [Saturday, March 31] informing me I would not be given a position with our newspaper next year. While my qualms about the ridiculous nature of our hiring policy have been publicly known all year, I would have never guessed that such a blatant example of their failings would be presented this year. I was unfortunate enough to be interviewed by our current Editor-in-Chief and Business Manager, who seem to be unable to put the events of NASH – which I did nothing wrong at, and represented us proudly at – behind them. For these reasons, I was passed over for not only the Editor-in-Chief job, but for ANY job at the paper next year.
You have all worked with me this year, and you know the passion I have for journalism. You also all know that I am willing to help at any time, and that I am friendly in the news room and outside of it. My commitment to The Muse is unwavering, and I made that clear in both the EIC interview, and the interview for other positions. This hiring process has not selected the best individuals for the job, but the people who got along best with the EIC and Business Manager, and answered their beck and call. This became painfully obvious to me over the past week with this round of hiring.
The reason I was given for not being hired for the EIC job was that JMB took more of a leadership role with the referendum. The referendum had nothing to do with journalism, and was a PR event best left to our Business Manager, but I still helped a little with it. Journalism is not about getting students to vote for us. Journalism is about bringing the information to students, and writing stories geared towards. Journalism is about digging for information students need to know, but are not being given by the institutions that should be transparent. The battle of Paul with both MUNSU and MUN PR are evidence of that. Unfortunately, Paul also had to battle with the “leadership” of the paper on occasion, which is counter-productive. Our pro-MUNSU feature earlier in the year, and having Michael Walsh as part of “The Muse” in his column reek of too close of a relationship with student government. We got far too buddy-buddy with them during our referendum as well, which is something that shocked me.
This paper doesn’t need cheerleaders, it needs grunt who are willing to knock on doors and put their feet to the pavement for stories. I do both of those things, and I love doing them. This email isn’t a missile aimed at the hiring committee. It is however, a statement of how botched the hiring was, and how we did not get the best employees for the job due to politics.
Explain how someone with a year inside a professional newsroom, a year as an assistant editor, two years as Editor-In-Chief, who also freelances for Canadian Press did not get ANY job within our newsroom. Searching for answers? He is my brother.
Also think about how someone who has worked with magazines, newspapers, news wires, online news sources, television, blogs, and every form of publishable media across Canada for three+ years did not get a job – not even his incumbent job as Sports Editor, which was given to his understudy of a few months – in our newsroom. That person was me. My experience did not matter, because the decision was made before I put on my tie and dress clothes, and trudged my way into MUN campus.
If there is one thing journalists should never do, it is stand by quietly and merely be observers. We write about injustice, we seek out injustice. In this case, injustice is in our backyard. That being said, I have fought injustice wherever I could in my life and this is no different. I wanted to make my fight public, because I know some of you will support me, although others may not feel comfortable doing so for political reasons. I am not chastising anyone for choosing a side, and I do not want anyone replying to this thread. I would hope that those supporting me will contact me personally, and I will keep your support private.
I also wanted to make this public, because this fight will probably be a long one. I will be reviewing the constitution (which I am here asking for a digital copy of), discussing the matter with the Board of Directors, and also seeking answers at MUN HR.
I want The Muse to be the best that it can be, and this hiring process has botched that. I will be doing anything in my power to make sure The Muse can improve its reputation next year, and I know most of you feel the same.
Sincerely,
Andy Veilleux
Sports Editor of The Muse

Stories in sports reporting

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It’s easy to go to a game, mark down the score-lines, the significant moments, and how every big play breaks down. It’s time consuming, but easy nonetheless.
It’s also basic to talk to the coach, a few players, and get some quotes to go along with your story.
Granted, there are long days with sports reporting. Some weekends you pound out a few articles a day, attend a handful of games each day, and run around like a chicken with its head cut off.
The difficult part is picking up on the stories behind the action. These are often referred to as human interest.
Now, sports reporting is not the same as it was. I am not beckoning for some past era of sports reporting, when Hunter S. Thomson drove Cadillacs while hopped up on handfuls of drugs, or anything of the sort.
It’s rare to get the true human interest pieces now. Sure, you get the stories about an athlete like Tim Thomas, and his hard road to the NHL, and the Stanley Cup> You stillg et some of it. My issue is that we aren’t getting enough of it. Stories make sports interesting to everybody, not just sports fans.
I believe anyone can read about someone like Thomas, and be interested. Someone can read about the age-defying Teemu Selanne and be inspired, not just because they like hockey.
However, the feature side of reporting seems to be drying up. It is the joy of sports reporting, and it is shrinking. I read a tonne of game summaries, and the hard news of sports; it’s my job, but it’s also my passion. I long for more sports features. Occasionally, one comes across an article, and video, like the BBC produced interview with Joe Cole. This is a short interview, but it reveals a lot about the athlete and the culture around soccer in England and France.

These are the sort of stories we need more of in journalism, and not jut with sports. Last night I had a great conversation with a man who had 17 years of journalism experience before stepping away from the field. He now works as an independent film-maker and makes corporate communication pieces. He enjoys making documentaries, because he gets to dive into a story and swim around awhile. He can wade around the water, dive to the bottom of the pool, or try and climb out wherever he would like.

Story-tellers need the space to tell the story fully and in their own way. Modern-day journalism focuses on quick hits, and hour-by-hour updates, as opposed to the whopping features and deep-digging stories of old. Some people say the audience has changed, and they no longer read the lengthy features. Some say the industry no longer funds journalists to write long stories. I believe complacency plays a role as well. I’ve seen a lot of journalists who are willing to call it in from the office, or get their quick story and get out. I’ve even heard ghastly rumours of template-using sports reporter.

In truth, there is a combination of things. Morale among journalists is low, funding is brutal, and maybe the audience has become less interested. There is no easy solution, but this is a plea for more consistent effort from all my colleagues in sport writing. Keep writing, and I’ll keep reading ladies and gentlemen.

Finding my way as a Newfoundlander

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Many Canadians will read the headline for this post, and instantly think of that six-letter word – newfie – which I have intentionally left out in favour of the politically-correct term.

While the word has always been something I have used in an endearing, affectionate manner, it is not often regarded as such by people hailing from Newfoundland. It isn’t akin to violently-offensive racist descriptions, but it also isn’t welcome. A solid post about the term can be found by Candice, a native Newfoundlander, over at Candice Does the World, so I won’t rant too much about the topic.

Now that we have taken care of that thought-progression, let’s get to the meat of this post – my experiences living in Newfoundland.

To begin, I will establish a timeline.

I moved here to attend MUN’s Humanities program – which drew me in from Sudbury, Ontario – on August 30. 2011. I viewed and selected a condo on September 1, 2001 with my love, Melanie Langlais. Notice the word ‘condo,’ which begs the question of how I am living in a condo as a student.

In terms of work, I accepted the job of Sports Editor with The Muse in the latter stages of the summer. I picked up a second job as a Graduate Assistant for my program shortly after arriving. I kept freelancing for my old paper, The Lambda. I took on a new job as a freelance writer for the Canadian Press covering the St. John’s IceCaps (see an example of that here), which is an entire-season contract, similar to my work for them last year as the Sudbury Wolves’ reporter. Today, I accepted another position that I can not announce yet, but it involves sports writing as well.

So I’m working something like five jobs, although an exact number gets a bit hazy when it comes to freelancing. I manage this along with being a full-time grad student. In a simple statement; I’ve been busy. I have also been saner and more-organized in the past, but some things must be sacrificed in the name of productivity.

I have found the amount of help given to me by certain individuals has been helpful for me, professionally and socially. On a professional level, I would like to thank Neil Davidson of CP, Dr. Jennifer Dyer from MUN’s Humanities program, and Shayne Menecola of MUN’s varsity athletics. Socially, I would like to thank the staff at The Muse, particularly Jessie Small, Marie King, Tim O’Brien and Paul Hussey, who I have become fast friends with. I would like to thank MUN soccer coach Scott Betts, who was the first person I met with upon arrival, and who has provided great conversation about the beautiful game and life. I would like to send a special thanks to my fellow IceCaps reporters, who have made the  job more enjoyable, and especially humorous. I would also like to thank Mike Rossiter of CBC who has been great to talk shop, and life, with.

A careful combination of professional and social life has led to a happy and productive life so far on the Eastern shores of Canada. I have now been here for close to three months, and although I am excited to return home to visit with my family and friends, St. John’s does feel like home  for me.

East Coast Insomnia

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Since moving out to St. John’s, my sleep patterns have become more erratic. I sometimes fall asleep by 5AM, often wake up after 2PM, and alternate sleeping 10 hours then 6 hours on a night-to-night basis.
I have no answers.
Since moving East, I have begun to focus my attention on improving myself in a few different areas. I came here to learn how to do high-grade social research, improve my journalism – primarily my sports writing – and learn more about the beautiful game (soccer/football/futbol/etc.).
I have been accomplishing all three goals at an alarming rate, which brings me back to one fundamental value we should never lose sight of. We are so ignorant, and have much to learn.
Never stop learning.

cowardice and irrelevance in journalism

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Today a speech by Russian journalist Leonid Parfyonov at a Russian media awards ceremony was brought to my attention. He speaks about the state of Russian journalism, and the lack of a free press in Russia. These journalists are risking their lives to perform their public duty, and here in Sudbury, many journalists and editors don't seem to care either way. I quote (at length), from Parfonov:

"I speak with bitterness, having worked for Russian television full-time or freelance for 24 years. I have no right to blame any of my colleagues: not being a hero myself, I cannot demand heroic deeds from others. But the least we can do is call a spade a spade.  Current affairs programmes on television are doubly embarrassing when compared to the obvious successes of big TV shows and our homegrown school of soap opera. Our television is getting increasingly sophisticated at providing thrills, fascination, entertainment and at making us laugh, but it hardly deserves the title of a civic social and political institution. I am convinced that one of the main reasons for a dramatic fall in viewing figures among the most active part of the population is the fact that people from our circles are saying: why should I turn on the box, they’re not doing it for me!

What is even worse is that most people no longer have any need for journalism.  He got beaten up, so what?  All sorts of people get beaten up these days, so why all this fuss just because of a reporter?  Judging by this type of bewildered response millions of people in our country do not understand that a journalist takes professional risks for the sake of his audience. A journalist does not get beaten up because of what he has written, said or filmed. He gets beaten up because it has been read, heard or seen."

I hear about journalists being threatened and beaten, and sometimes even dying, in their attempts to bring people the truth around the world. At the same time, I watch North American journalism, and become sick to my stomach. Much of it is fat, complacent, and irrelevant. Articles about line-ups at Best Buy, a survey saying Sudburians are happy, and a fluff piece about Cambrian cutting programs run as top stories in the local media.(The Cambrian story is important, but the article is such a College-PR perspective that it's impossible to take seriously.)

These types of stories are what our city has come to expect from our print journalists. Could it be a slow news day? Certainly. However, this is not uncommon. I wish it were. I read an article by a sports editor, which contained at least four major grammatical errors a spell-checker would pick up without difficulty. The citizens of this city, and this country, should demand more of their journalists. what happened to being proud of one's work?

Journalism is a public duty, which is now treated as if it were purely entertainment. It's not meant to be all flashing lights and laughs, it is meant to be hard to swallow at times. I'm not saying journalism shouldn't include features pieces, sports, an entertainment section, or anything besides hard news. I am saying that media personnel have a responsibility to their readers to not simply take a squat over newsprint and publish the results. Quality is important, despite the decline in it we've witnessed over the years.

Around the world we watch journalists dying and being beaten to bring the public the truth. At home, we watch some journalists who are too lazy to get out of their desks to find a good story, and are all too happy to eat press releases and spew out articles that even a student journalist should not be proud of. I wonder what it feels like to look in the mirror. At home, we seem too willing to step onto the treadmills provided for us by public relations and communications professionals. We are unwilling to put foot to pavement in order to dig up real stories.

In Mexico, some journalists are getting shot in the head to report the truth. Locally, we have journalists unwilling to ask difficult questions or take the time to balance their articles, even though they are protected by the force of the law. To put it simply, we have become irrelevant cowards, unwilling to stir the pot, most likely due to fear from corporate masters or flat-out laziness. This is unacceptable. We are failing the public, and failing each other.

Who will speak up for those without a voice if we remain impotent?

The resignation of Sun TV's Kory Teneycke means nothing

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After a tumultous period as vice-president of development for Quebecor, Kory Teneycke has announced his resignation. You should be familiar with him for being the main face promoting Sun TV News AKA 'Fox News North'. I'm not going to go into the battle from Avaaz against Sun TV news, but I would like to take the time to go over what this resignation means, politically speaking.

In a nutshell, this resignation means little to nothing, despite Avaaz' exectuive director and co-founder Ricken Patel's claim that it meant "a battle won in a longer fight against crony-media in Canada." I disagree with this statement. As soon as Teneycke stepped down, Luc Lavoie was appointed to the position. Whereas Teneycke was a former Harper spokesman, Lavoie is the former spokesman of former Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney spokesman. You say to-maht-o I say to-mate-o.

That being said, I do understand the significance of Teneycke being the former director of communications of the current Prime Minister. The political history was too recent for many people to feel comfortable with him heading up a news channel, which was applying for some special permits (such as the status of "must-carry" on cable channels, which means cable companies in Canada would have to carry the channel as part of their broadcasting). It is quite possible he was using some of his political power to lobby for this status, but is that really the important, bigger-picture question? No, it is not.

The important question is: How will this resignation affect the values of Sun TV News, and the Conservative view-point it is bringing? The simple answer is that it won't, which is evidenced by the hiring of Lavoie. At the end of the day, Sun TV News is still coming to Canada, and will likely be granted must-carry status, despite Avaaz' petition against it.

It is worth nothing the way that 'democracy' has been thrown around lately. Some people, such as Patel, claim biased news, such as Fox, or by induction, Sun TV News, "poisons American democracy." This claim is absurd. Democracy is best served by having a full-range of political opinion. While the opinion of the right is well-served in print media in this country, some would argue it is lacking in broadcast (some would argue differently, due to national stations like Global).

To be clear, I am not a fan of Fox News, or a person of right-wing political persuasion. In fact,  I despise Fox, and have done a lot of research into the network, and many of their failings. However, diversification of the Canadian media, and more capital being put into journalism, can only be a positive step for media in this country. In a time where news coverage is shrinking due to under-funding and cost-cutting, journalists and citizens of democracy should welcome new investment in media and new political viewpoints in the media.

G20 protests: what journalism means for democracy

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Recently, I found myself discussing the media coverage of the G20 protest with Hobb. We both found the media coverage to be shameful, and often useless. Not ALL media coverage, but a great majority of it. There was very little discussion of the Black Bloc, aside from stereotypical, recycled words. Read this article about the group by the Toronto Star entitled "Behind the Black Bloc." The article fails to really dive into anything remotely “behind” the group. What exactly is the Black Bloc? The author doesn’t know.

The author refers to the Black Bloc as a group, “many members of the Black Bloc;” and even as a tactic, “They embraced the Black Bloc tactic.” I understand it’s difficult to define, but pick a reference. The title seems to suggest the author understands it as both. Regardless, let’s get into the article more.

I’d like to share a few quotes with you that I found disturbing: “A Communist group set off a flare, distracting the crowd and police alike — and the mob took off across Queen.” The author later concludes the article by quoting a woman, “Violence just brings more violence,” a woman said into a megaphone as an anarchist set fire to a police cruiser. “What you guys are doing, it’s breaking my heart.” In case you missed it, the Black Bloc is both anarchist and communist at the same time. The author is apparently a little behind on his understanding of politics.

I don't mean to unfairly target the Toronto Star. Their newsroom did a decent job IN COMPARISON with many of the other big newspapers in the country. That assertion is not good enough, however. The CBC did a better job than the TorStar (I can hear the hard-Right grumbling about leftists and communists already, praying for the start of Sun TV), but even it was average at best.

It will take the determination of a solid researcher to dig up the true meaning of the G20 protests in historical and cultural context. It saddens me how badly context is missing in today's media. I read mentions of how crucial the G20 protests (and arrests) were, but it was among mostly obscure media sources. Not altogether surprising, as these obscure sources are some of the only ones practicing real journalism [i.e. journalism as a public duty to protect democracy].

Hobb pointed out a couple of important facts regarding the G20 protests. It was the largest mass arrest in Canada’s History (over 1000 arrested). One foreign journalist commented the detention centre was worse than those kept by Palestinian authorities. There were several instances of “cops gone wild” as he puts it (keep in mind he teaches Crime and Punishment). The extortionist cost of $1 billion dollars for security at the event. How often did you hear these facts reported by the media?

Where’s the investigate journalism? How many cops infiltrated the Black Bloc? I’ve spoken with people who knew some personally, and they were arrested multiple times by the uniformed police. How much damage was done by the Black Bloc and other individuals during the protests? Where were the police during the violent part of some of the protest? Who’s being held responsible for the police inventing a new law to arrest anyone within 5 metres of the fence? Who is being, or has been punished for this undemocratic discretion? Were there any human rights violations from police officers? Was any injured while they were in custody? Talk to a few lawyers (not just the solo one I heard on the news, who comes off as a conspiracy theorist from the quotes I heard), find out if the people arrested have a case.

Journalism has a responsibility to the public to be their watch-dog against authority and the “powers that be.” I keep coming back to a quote by Thomas Jefferson: "Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost." The freedom of the press is being challenged by financial constraints, and a lack of trust from the public. The integrity of journalism has been steadily eroding for some time, and it’s leading to a decrease in trust of journalists. Journalists must restore the peoples’ trust in their work, or else democracy will go out the window. I will write at length about the erosion of trust in a later post.

Sudbury: the great youth brain drain continues

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While it is not news that Sudbury has had a difficult time keeping young graduates in the city following their graduation, having southern Ontario newspapers cover it is relatively new (at least in this blogger's eyes). I am referring to an article in the Globe and Mail written by Adam Radwanski on Friday, which you can read here. I'm not going to go into the politics of having a southern newspaper write about the north, but it's a great thing that Laurentian Univeristy is finally getting more southern exposure. Time to discuss the article.

 

I'll begin with a quote that summarizes the article: "But ultimately, employers must have enough high-end jobs to keep graduates around permanently. And For all of Sudbury’s progress, that’s where the constraints typical for northern Ontario cities still fall leave it short." Beginning a sentence, much less a paragraph with 'but,' and some of the obvious grammar errors, may send some of our more grammar-savvy readers into a frenzy, but that's not the focus of the discussion.

Sudbury's exodus of educated youth is nothing new, nor is the discussion of it. I cannot count the amount of people who I've talked to about it, in both the private and public sector. The discussion is usually centered on my future, or the future of associates of mine, in Sudbury. I'm at the age now (23) where seeking a career is a priority and something I’ve been working on for quite some time. I’m not opposed to leaving town for work, in fact I’d welcome it some days, but in my heart I know I’d prefer Sudbury. Where does that leave me?

Well, I’ve applied to work at some of the typical, available options in town. These include Laurentian University, the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, Cambrian College, the city itself, the provincial offices, and federal offices. Beyond that, there are a host of other public development corporations, several private institutions, local media, and community colleges I’ve applied to also. I’ve worked for some of them, and been interviewed by more of them, but in the end I have not found a career out of it. Once again, where does that leave me?

At the moment, I’m continuing my studies. I’ve already got my Honours Bachelor of Arts in History from Laurentian University, my diploma from Print Journalism from Cambrian College, and will be finishing up a BA in Political Science this year. At 23 years old (24 when I graduate PoliSci), that’s not too bad of a resume. Add in all of the local volunteering, my hefty work resume, the various sports teams and committees, and the internships I’ve completed, and it looks even nicer. The sad reality, however, is that it’s difficult to find entry-level careers in meaningful work in this city. That’s the reality of the situation.

Simply put, the city needs to refocus their strategy on the youth brain drain. I understand that career turn-over has become a bit more stagnant due to the “harsh economic times,” as my favourite professor likes the call it. I also understand that companies want to hire people with experience, because they don’t have to train them. The problem with this two factors is they are causing educated people of my generation to have to leave town for employment. What’s the solution?

I would suggest more internships as a start. With internships, recent graduates, and even students, are able to gather valuable work experience. The issue with these internships is that they are usually too short-term. Take my current internship as an example. As a summer contract, I’m working for the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce. My contract expires this Friday. In total, I’ll have spent about three months and change here. Was it valuable? Definitely. The issue is that while it’s been a positive experience, it hasn’t nearly been long enough.

Another fellow Chamber intern has been here for almost a year, and then will be departing because her contract is up as well. Without diving too far behind closed doors, the Chamber will be sad to see her go. She has become an integral part of events planning here. The Chamber has asked for an extension, but has been declined. It simply is not in the budget to offer a new contract without government funding (remember, we’re a non-profit organization.) It is probable a new intern will be brought in, which will not be as efficient as retraining is a must for any new intern.

I’m really not sure what the answers are for this problem. It seems Sudbury, and Northern communities in general, have struggled mightily to attract educated youth into the work-force. I want to hear from you. How can Sudbury work towards attracting more educated youth into the workforce? Will a new government help the situation? Will the municipal candidates positions on this matter in the October elections?

Burnout, productivity, and risk: Leading the life you truly desire

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I read two interesting articles today that got me thinking. I came across the first article, In a World of Online News, Burnout Starts Younger, when it was retweeted by my friend Vadim Lavrusik (of Mashable). The second article that really got me thinking was from the Advanced Riskology blog, created and ran by Tyler Tervooren, and it is called One Productivity Myth You Can Ignore. First I want to discuss a bit about the two above mentioned people, and finally, the articles I came across because of them.

I'll keep this brief. I stumbled across Vadim through twitter over a year ago, and have been following him ever since. He is an excellent source of information, particularly focusing on journalism and social media. I highly recommend his twitter feed (which I linked above) to anyone looking to stay up-to-date on journalism and social media. Period. I have just recently begun to follow Tyler, but his blog is an incredibly fresh perspective on business and life in general. He constantly pushes one to think creatively, and challenge one's self, which are both sorely needed in our modern society. They are both brilliant, and interestingly enough, have taken surprisingly different routes to get where they are today.They are two sides on the coin of brilliance, though I won't get into a semantic argument about who gets to be 'heads,' and who gets to be 'tails.' 

The first article, concerning the burnout of young professionals in the online news world, was quite eye-opening. I think anybody who is heavily involved in the world of online news has been feeling some degree of 'burn-out' for awhile now. Even though I am not as involved as someone like Vadim (who is quite a workhorse), I too feel the effects of this burn-out occasionally. A lot of people still believe the work day is typically 9-5, but anyone involved in online news, and even social media, understands the opposite is true. Journalism, according to my J-School profs of old, and pretty much any journalist who is worth their salt, has never been a 9 to 5 job. You can't just shut off your journalizing. The same can be said of one's social media presence.

At this stage of social media, and online journalism, maintaining that connection to the social world is one's bread and butter. If breaking news happens, many people EXPECT it instantly. And maybe they should, because after all, that's our job as journalists. It would be ridiculous to blame the burn-out on the news, or our jobs, in and of themselves. We are the ones who are not disconnecting, or unplugging from the Matrix when the shift is over.

There is a movement to reduce our dependency on being connected AT ALL TIMES to the social media/e-mail machine. I read an interesting article on Advanced Riskology that discussed exactly that. It linked to Everett Bogue's Minimalist Business, which argues for a much simpler, and less materialistic, conformist lifestyle in order to achieve happiness. I think he's on to something.

This brings me to the second article that I mentioned above. Tyler's article discusses the common myth that the 'early bird gets the worm.' (Sorry for the cliché Tyler, you'll have to forgive me). He argues that rising early is often a successful strategy, employed by successful people. But, it isn't for everybody. He argues that a person should listen to their body, and adopt a more natural sleep cycle according to one's own needs and feelings. There's absolutely no reason to always wake up early if it is out of tune with the way your body wants to be ran. Tyler, to his credit, is an early riser, which means he isn't some lazy 20something who feels everyone should stay up late and sleep in late, and never be productive with their day. In fact, he is quite successful (refer to his website, which is linked above, for more.)

What I want everyone to take out of this blog is simple. It is important to disconnect from the social media world. It is also important to make your own rules, more or less, in terms of how you live your life. If you're not happy, something needs to change, or you risk burning yourself out. Life is meant to be enjoyed; it isn't a race.