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# Journalism Cases from Canada

Exploring real ethical dilemmas faced by news people today

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- [8 Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/10-epilogue-advised-otherwise/) - What would you have chosen to do as a journalist in this situation? Because this case study is intended primarily as a teaching resource, a password is required to view the epilogue. The purpose is to encourage readers to pause and think about how they would resolve the difficulty, before learning how the journalist(s) involved
- [7. The Decision-Making Point](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/9-decision-making-point-advised-otherwise/) - Throughout March and April of 2019, Roumeliotis and her team continued negotiations with the TTC for access to information and footage, and learning how their story could be told responsibly. They also continued to have conversations internally about how a story like this could match CBC’s journalistic standards. By late spring, it was time to
- [6. “The Opposite of Contagion:” Steering a Balanced Path](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/7-warnings-and-disapproval-from-experts/) - Through casting a wide net in their search for expertise, Roumeliotis and her team did find some who were cautiously willing to participate. She asked these experts for advice on how to frame the story, and what pitfalls to avoid. “You don't usually go to experts to tell you how to write your story,” Roumeliotis
- [5. Experts' Opinions: An Abundance of Caution](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/5-guidelines-for-suicide-reporting/) - When a team led by Western University journalism professor Cliff Lonsdale created Mindset: Reporting on Mental Health in 2014, their goal was to help Canadian journalists navigate a wide range of issues connected with mental health. Use of the guide is intended to decrease stigma surrounding mental-health issues, and improve reporting on the subject. Today,
- [4.  The Harms of Sensationalism and Romanticization](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/4-the-harms-of-sensationalism-and-romanticization/) - Another element of suicide coverage for the CBC newsroom to consider was whether or not this story would be sensationalizing or romanticizing the topic of suicide in any way. Suicide reporting guides are clear that essentially glorifying these deaths runs the risk that a person in distress might relate and decide to move forward.((“A Quick
- [3. Avoiding the Question, "How."](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/3-avoiding-methods-in-suicide-reporting/) - There has historically been little guidance for how to tell stories about suicide responsibly, but most guidelines are clear on one aspect: journalists should avoid describing how people cause their own deaths. The Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA) released updated guidelines in 2017 for suicide reporting. One of its main points: “reports should generally avoid details
- [2. Contagion Theory and a Reporting Taboo](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/2-taboo-of-reporting-on-suicide/) - Although Roumeliotis and her team felt strongly that this story was in the public interest, they could not ignore a long-standing taboo on covering topics related to suicide. Cliff Lonsdale, president of the Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma, says this taboo comes from a long-held theory known as suicide contagion. According to contagion
- [1. A Matter of Public Interest](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/1-a-matter-of-public-interest/) - The first piece of the puzzle was to examine why this particular story was in the public interest. The CBC’s statement of journalistic standards and practices states: “Our mission is to inform, to reveal, to contribute to the understanding of issues of public interest and to encourage citizens to participate in a free and democratic
- [Advised Otherwise: reporting on subway suicide](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/advised-otherwise-reporting-on-subway-suicide/) - When experts cautioned CBC journalists against airing a story on subway suicide, Ioanna Roumeliotis and her team had to decide if the value of the story outweighed the potential risks involved. Case Study by Maya Abramson and Julia Candido December 2021 Introduction In 2017, 27-year-old Michael Padbury died by suicide after jumping into the
- [6. Conversations Behind Closed Doors](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/6-conversations-behind-closed-doors/) - The public only consumes the final product, and generally doesn’t have insight into the decision-making process going on behind-the-scenes where news organizations determine what to present to their audience and how to present it. Given the nature of the evidence at the Saretzky trial, these types of decisions carried even more weight than usual. Because
- [5. The 24-Hour News Cycle](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/5-the-24-hour-news-cycle/) - Making judgment calls in newsrooms was a simpler endeavour before the 24-hour news cycle took effect. Now that readers are able to access multiple different news sources with the click of a mouse, the pressure of competition can factor into a newsroom’s decision-making about what kind of content should be included their reporting. Local papers
- [4. Different Measures for Different Platforms](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/4-different-measures-for-different-platforms/) - In the digital age, news outlets are no longer limited to covering significant stories like the Saretzky case in print. They now have the freedom to broadcast the stories on television, radio, publish on the web and share live updates through social media. Grant was assigned to live-tweet the trial and to publish stories on
- [3. Who Makes the Ultimate Call](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/3-who-makes-the-ultimate-call/) - Grant discussed the case with management at CBC Calgary, including senior editor Helen Henderson. “Meghan [knew] instinctively this was getting to the point where it was more than just a personal judgment call,” said Henderson. “It was an institutional call.”((Helen Henderson. Interview done by Dan LeBaron, Devika Desai. December 12, 2017. )) Due to the
- [1. What Does the Public Need to Know](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/1-what-does-the-public-need-to-know/) - According to Dean Jobb, author of Media Law for Canadian Journalists, “The court of public opinion should operate with a full understanding of the facts and the law … an understanding that can only come through fair and accurate news coverage.” The Saretzky trial certainly wasn’t the first time CBC covered a case that contained
- [7. Public interest / journalistic purpose](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/7-public-interest-journalistic-purpose/) - Some commentators question whether revealing participants’ faces serves a journalistic purpose. Is there value in showing the faces of individual people who participated in the party? Can the story be told just as well if the participants’ faces are obscured? Does the public value of telling the story outweigh the potential harm to participants? “What's
- [4. Expectations of privacy in the social media age](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/4-expectations-of-privacy-in-the-social-media-age/) - Ethical questions around how journalists should use images to illustrate a story have become ever more complex in recent decades. Digital cameras have become ubiquitous, and social media has blurred the lines between public and private. Even if a photo is in the public domain, where do journalists’ ethical responsibilities lie? James Turk, director of
- [2. Legal considerations](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/2-legal-considerations/) - Brian Rogers, a media lawyer with a focus on libel, privacy and freedom of expression, says the concerns around how to use the photos from the party are mostly ethical considerations. From a legal perspective, he argues, things are much clearer. The subjects in the photographs appear to be deliberately posing, so the photos don’t
- [5. The Ethics Around Calling the Cops](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/5-ethics-around-calling-cops/) - When CNN correspondent Anderson Cooper was covering Hurricane Katrina in 2005, he was on the ground in New Orleans, immersed in a tragedy that continued to unfold right in front of him. “There are times when it’s impossible; you’re a human being as well, and to see some of the things that many of us
- [4. Guidelines for Filming Vulnerable Subjects](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/4-guidelines-filming-vulnerable-subjects/) - CBC does not have specific guidelines for filming vulnerable subjects. Enkin says that there is policy surrounding grief and suffering that is meant to cover people who have endured trauma and may not be in the best position to make a decision. The policy cautions that a journalist must be respectful and not exploit a
- [3. Capacity to Consent](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/3-capacity-consent/) - In addition to the question of whether to call the authorities, Purdon and Palleja had another choice to make: should they interview Mohamed? Was he in the right state of mind to consent to an interview? Shapiro says that Purdon and Palleja were facing a clear dilemma in this regard: Read the transcript Shapiro
- [2. Intervening in a Story](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/2-intervening-story/) - Journalists witness the world around them. Unlike the average citizen, their work often requires them to be detached from what they see and to report dispassionately on the issues they cover. A failure to do so would compromise their role as an independent agent and potentially change the course of a story. If journalists are
- [Crossing The Line: Intervening in a Story](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/crossing-line-intervening-story/) - Case study by Sophie Armstrong, Melissa Galevski, Amanda Short & Olivia Zollino February 2018 Introduction During the early morning hours of February 11, 2017, CBC reporter Nick Purdon and videographer Leo Palleja took a drive along the Canada-U.S. border near Emerson, Man. They had heard stories of asylum seekers walking across the border illegally into
- [7. The decision point](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/7-decision-point/) - CBC British Columbia’s editorial staff were faced with a decision: a teenager had been killed and a portion of the attack was caught in a six-second video clip that was already making the rounds on social media. Once the newsroom had received the video by email from a former intern, Burgess was faced with the
- [6. Alternatives to the unedited video](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/6-alternatives-unedited-video/) - Airing disturbing content doesn’t have to be a matter of airing all or airing nothing. There are always alternatives to showing a video in its full form. Krop’s team, for example, blurred parts of the video when they aired it. In an earlier newscast, they opted to have a reporter describe the video. Still images,
- [5. The wildcard: social media](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/5-wildcard-social-media/) - Journalists recognize that their job as gatekeepers is less concrete than even a decade ago because of social media. “I was the lineup editor of The National. Nothing got on The National unless I said it got on The National,” Bulgutch says. “But now, if I don’t put something on The National, people can walk
- [4. The way it played out: When graphic content was aired](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/4-way-played-graphic-content-aired/) - CBC has a history of airing graphic or otherwise disturbing content. For example, senior producers at CBC’s The National chose to broadcast the image of Alan Kurdi, the Syrian toddler who drowned, and whose body washed up on the shore of Turkey. That decision was controversial, and was met with complaints. One in particular led to a
- [3. Graphic content and broadcast policy](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/3-graphic-content-broadcast-policy/) - CBC and Global are both subject to the Broadcasting Act, which makes no direct mention of airing images of violence. Instead, it defers to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), which has established criteria that calls for graphic content advisories, restricts gratuitous or glamorized violence, and states when graphic content can be aired [1].
- [2. Sensationalism or public interest? The ethical question](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/2-sensationalism-public-interest-ethical-question/) - Krop says she felt that the jarring and graphic footage of a young girl being stabbed not only highlighted a possible lack of safety in B.C. schools, but could catalyze the effort to rectify the problem. Burgess had to make a judgement for her audience: Was the video in the public interest? Could the video be that
- [1. Global goes to air: “‘Have you no souls? Have you no heart?’”](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/1-global-goes-air-no-souls-no-heart/) - Global B.C. chose to air a blurred version of the video. Global B.C. news director Jill Krop says it was a difficult decision, and one that was met with shock, anger, and even a petition on Change.org, calling for her immediate resignation. The fallout from Global’s broadcast prompted Krop to defend her decision on CKNW, an
- [Graphic content: When is it worth airing?](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/graphic-content-worth-airing/) - Case study by Olivia Chandler, Katerina Georgieva, Gregory Furgala and Kieran Delamont January 2017 Introduction On the morning of November 1, 2016, a young male entered Abbotsford Senior Secondary School in British Columbia and stabbed two teenagers at random. A bystander caught the incident on video, which showed one victim on the ground, trying to
- [1. Perspectives](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/1-getting-plowed-perspectives/) - A journalist’s duty While reporting for the new angle of snow plow collusion, many of the sources told Ross stories about damage done to their property and personal threats they received for simply underbidding on a contract they were not meant to win. Some people she interviewed did not ask to be off the record.
- [9. Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/9-epilogue-blurred-boundaries/) - What would you have chosen to do as a journalist in this situation? Because this case study is intended primarily as a teaching resource, a password is required to view the epilogue. The purpose is to encourage readers to pause and think about how they would resolve the difficulty, before learning how the journalist(s) involved
- [7. Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/7-epilogue-derek-saretzky-case-study/) - What would you have chosen to do as a journalist in this situation? Because this case study is intended primarily as a teaching resource, a password is required to view the epilogue. The purpose is to encourage readers to pause and think about how they would resolve the difficulty, before learning how the journalist(s) involved
- [9. Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/9-ambushed-epilogue/) - What would you have chosen to do as a journalist in this situation? Because this case study is intended primarily as a teaching resource, a password is required to view the epilogue. The purpose is to encourage readers to pause and think about how they would resolve the difficulty, before learning how the journalist(s) involved
- [7. Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/7-getting-plowed-anonymity-and-sources-on-the-record-epilogue/) - What would you have chosen to do as a journalist in this situation? Because this case study is intended primarily as a teaching resource, a password is required to view the epilogue. The purpose is to encourage readers to pause and think about how they would resolve the difficulty, before learning how the journalist(s) involved
- [8. Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/8-media-blackouts-epilogue/) - What would you have chosen to do as a journalist in this situation? Because this case study is intended primarily as a teaching resource, a password is required to view the epilogue. The purpose is to encourage readers to pause and think about how they would resolve the difficulty, before learning how the journalist(s)
- [10. Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/10-no-past-to-speak-of-epilogue/) - What would you have chosen to do as a journalist in this situation? Because this case study is intended primarily as a teaching resource, a password is required to view the epilogue. The purpose is to encourage readers to pause and think about how they would resolve the difficulty, before learning how the journalist(s) involved
- [10. Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/10-red-flags-the-pmo-the-star-the-advance-and-the-whole-off-the-record-thing-epilogue/) - What would you have chosen to do as a journalist in this situation? Because this case study is intended primarily as a teaching resource, a password is required to view the epilogue. The purpose is to encourage readers to pause and think about how they would resolve the difficulty, before learning how the journalist(s) involved
- [7. Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/7-officer-down-epilogue/) - What would you have chosen to do as a journalist in this situation? Because this case study is intended primarily as a teaching resource, a password is required to view the epilogue. The purpose is to encourage readers to pause and think about how they would resolve the difficulty, before learning how the journalist(s)
- [8. Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/8-youknowhername-epilogue/) - What would you have chosen to do as a journalist in this situation? Because this case study is intended primarily as a teaching resource, a password is required to view the epilogue. The purpose is to encourage readers to pause and think about how they would resolve the difficulty, before learning how the journalist(s)
- [10. Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/10-ebola-epilogue/) - What would you have chosen to do as a journalist in this situation? Because this case study is intended primarily as a teaching resource, a password is required to view the epilogue. The purpose is to encourage readers to pause and think about how they would resolve the difficulty, before learning how the journalist(s)
- [8. Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/8-breed-ban-dilemma-epilogue/) - What would you have chosen to do as a journalist in this situation? Because this case study is intended primarily as a teaching resource, a password is required to view the epilogue. The purpose is to encourage readers to pause and think about how they would resolve the difficulty, before learning how the journalist(s) involved
- [10. Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/10-facebook-faceoff-epilogue/) - What would you have chosen to do as a journalist in this situation? Because this case study is intended primarily as a teaching resource, a password is required to view the epilogue. The purpose is to encourage readers to pause and think about how they would resolve the difficulty, before learning how the journalist(s) involved
- [8. Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/8-epilouge-graphic-content/) - What would you have chosen to do as a journalist in this situation? Because this case study is intended primarily as a teaching resource, a password is required to view the epilogue. The purpose is to encourage readers to pause and think about how they would resolve the difficulty, before learning how the journalist(s) involved
- [7. Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/7-epilouge-crossing-the-line/) - What would you have chosen to do as a journalist in this situation? Because this case study is intended primarily as a teaching resource, a password is required to view the epilogue. The purpose is to encourage readers to pause and think about how they would resolve the difficulty, before learning how the journalist(s) involved
- [Derek Saretzky Case Study](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/derek-saretzky-case-study/) - Case study by Dan LeBaron, Devika Desai & Sade Lewis March 2018 Introduction On Sept 9, 2015, Derek Saretzky, 22, broke into the home of Hanne Meketech, 69, and killed her with a baseball bat and a knife. Five days later, he killed Terry Blanchette, 27, with a crowbar and kidnapped his two-year-old toddler, Hailey
- [Blurred Boundaries: public interest and privacy on social media](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/blurred-boundaries-public-interest-and-privacy-on-social-media/) - Case study by Daina Goldfinger, Laura Howells, Maria Iqbal and Donya Ziaee June 2018 Introduction Photos of a party known as “Beerfest” held in Kingston, Ont., gained national attention in November 2016 when they went viral on social media. The party was close to Queen’s University, in a neighbourhood known as the “University District,” which is largely
- [8. The decision point](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/8-the-decision-point/) - Given the demands of a digital newsroom, BuzzFeed’s Daro and Strapagiel didn’t have long to decide whether or not they would blur the faces. They debated for about 10 to 15 minutes as Daro filed the story, Strapagiel says. Daro maintained that the partygoers shouldn’t be held responsible for their actions because of their young
- [6. Holding people responsible](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/6-holding-people-responsible/) - Some argue that blurring the faces of the participants is akin to protecting racists, and that publicly shaming these participants is a justified form of deterrence for other potential racists. The Globe and Mail’s Stewart said in an email, “The fact that this was a story in which the visuals were intrinsic, and that the
- [5. Young adults and the right to make mistakes](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/5-young-adults-and-the-right-to-make-mistakes/) - For young people growing up in the digital age, the blurring of the boundaries between the private and public realms is more pronounced than it was in the past. “People who spent their college years and high school years before the internet had a lot more freedom and leeway to indulge in the not uncommon
- [3. A question of policy](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/3-a-question-of-policy/) - For outlets that had clear policies and past practices, the decision to blur or not blur was simple. Eric Andrew-Gee reported on the story for the Globe and Mail. When asked about the Globe’s decision to leave the faces unobscured, he surmised in an email, “It’s not our practice to blur photos, so we stuck
- [1. “Sick to my stomach”: How the photos became public](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/1-sick-to-my-stomach-how-the-photos-became-public/) - On November 21, 2016, Toronto-based comedian Celeste Yim tweeted photos from the party. She wrote that she came across the photos in a Facebook album shared by a Queen’s student. The album, which is no longer available, was viewable by “friends of friends,” including Yim. “A very shockingly racist party thrown by Queen’s students happened,”
- [2. Examining the Evidence](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/2-examining-the-evidence/) - Although news organizations were aware of the kind of evidence that would be presented in court, Grant said they had little time between when the evidence was presented and when they would need to make decisions about whether to publish. This meant expedient decisions had to be made regarding what evidence was necessary, and how
- [6. Similar Cases](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/6-similar-cases/) - Like Purdon and Palleja, Houston KHOU reporter Brandi Smith had to decide whether to intervene in a story and call the authorities. Smith was in the middle of a live television hit chronicling the city’s flooding following Hurricane Harvey when she came across a partially submerged tractor trailer. Smith, standing on a bridge, narrated the
- [1. Asylum Seekers](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/1-asylum-seekers/) - In 2016, the Canada Border Services Agency recorded 6,960 people had walked across the Canada-U.S. border to claim asylum status. In 2017, an unprecedented 10,515 asylum seekers walked from the U.S. into Canada. For those seeking refuge in the dead of winter, conditions can be extreme. CBC News reported that, in December 2016, a Ghanaian
- [9. Decision Point](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/9-decision-point-facebook-faceoff-active-shootings-and-social-media-verification/) - Hudes, MacDonald and Hood were on deadline and had to make the decision of whether to include information from the Facebook page in the National Post’s June 4 coverage of the shooting. Hudes was working late into the night and it was still unconfirmed whether the Facebook page belonged to the same Justin Bourque whom
- [4. Responsible Communication on Matters of Public Interest](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/4-responsible-communication-matters-public-interest/) - In this situation, responsible communication on matters of public interest would be the best defence if the National Post were to get sued for libel. [1] This defence, adopted by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2009, allows journalists reporting on information that is in the public interest the ability to be wrong. Essentially, as long
- [7. Journalists as Politicians: Michael Valpy – Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/7-journalists-politicians-michael-valpy-epilogue/) - To view the Epilogue of this case, please request a password.
- [6. Poisoning the Well](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/6-poisoning-well/) - In April 2013, Sunil Tripathi was wrongfully accused of being “suspect number two” in the Boston Marathon bombing. His accusers were Reddit and Twitter users who spread false information and conjecture that implicated an innocent man all with a few clicks of a mouse. This vigilante digital investigation wasn’t undertaken only by conspiracy theorists and
- [Facebook Faceoff: Active shootings and social media verification](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/facebook-faceoff-active-shootings-social-media-verification/) - Case Study by Casimir Boivin, Avneet Dhillon, David Greenberg and Kayla Rosen February 2017 Introduction In the summer of 2014 Sammy Hudes was working as an intern at the National Post. On June 4 news broke that there had been a shooting in Moncton, N.B., that left three RCMP officers dead and two others wounded. [1] The police
- [1. ‘My Kingdom Will Come:’ 2014 Moncton Shootings](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/1-kingdom-will-come-2014-moncton-shootings/) - At around 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4, 2014, the New Brunswick RCMP were notified of an armed man, dressed in camouflage, walking in the Moncton suburb of Glen Cairn. Locals reported the sound of gunshots; shortly thereafter, there were reports that five RCMP officers had been shot, three fatally. By midnight, police had locked
- [2. Covering an Active Shooter](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/2-covering-active-shooter/) - Hudes had found himself in the precarious position of gathering information on a developing story about a mass shooting, with scattered details coming in from panicked locals and a distracted police force. Nate Carlisle, a reporter with the Salt Lake Tribune who has covered several mass shootings, wrote for the Poynter Institute recommending that journalists
- [3. Libel and the Newsroom](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/3-libel-newsroom/) - If the story included the Facebook profile and it turned out to be the wrong person then the National Post would be at risk of a libel suit. [1] There is also the potential to severely damage a person’s reputation. Although the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the right to “freedom of thought,
- [5. Journalism and Contempt of Court](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/5-journalism-contempt-court/) - When reporting social media posts or personal information about an alleged or accused criminal it is important for journalists to keep the laws of contempt in mind. In Canada, the laws of contempt have to balance the right to free expression with the right to a fair trial. Though there are no absolutes when it
- [7. Balancing Immediacy and Verification](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/7-balancing-immediacy-verification/) - The editors of the National Post faced a classic journalistic dilemma: speed vs. accuracy. Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel write, “In the context of gathering news, speed is almost always the enemy of accuracy.” [1] While this may be true, journalists should not simply discount speed in economic terms as a means of “scooping” competing
- [7. What to Show? What to Disclose?](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/7-show-disclose/) - Video proof in hand, Winter returned to the newsroom to consult Donovan about how the materials would be used. They were confident that the fruits of their undercover investigation were ethical — the story was in the public interest, they had exhausted all other options and they would disclose the fact that it was an
- [6. The Results of the Undercover](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/6-results-undercover/) - Winter got more from the undercover interviews than just footage of the puppies for sale and images of adult pit bulls snapping and growling for the camera. He got the sense that the ban was being ignored not just by breeders selling dogs online. One of the breeders admitted to Winter that the dogs were
- [5. The Pit Bull Problem](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/5-pit-bull-problem/) - The changes made to the Dog Owners’ Liability Act in 2005 effectively implemented the first government-mandated breed ban in North America. The ban defined “pit bull” to include several breeds — pit bull terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, American pit bull terriers and any dog that “has an appearance and physical characteristics substantially
- [4. When is Undercover Work Justified?](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/4-undercover-work-justified/) - Most journalistic organizations have codes of conduct to guide the decisions of reporters, including actions while undercover. The Toronto Star is no exception. The Star’s Newsroom Policy and Journalistic Standards Guide states that “journalists must clearly identify themselves as journalists gathering information for possible publication, be it in person, on the telephone or through social
- [3. Identifying Sources from an Undercover Investigation](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/3-identifying-sources-undercover-investigation/) - The use of undercover techniques poses a second substantial ethical dilemma. Does lying to or misleading a source in order to get the story influence how the source should be presented? Does a journalist have an obligation to protect the identity of that source? These questions represent a deviation from journalism’s presumptive starting point that
- [1. The Breed Ban Dilemma](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/1-breed-ban-dilemma/) - The Toronto Star’s undercover footage identified two breeders claiming to sell banned pitbull puppies, but was it fair to make the unaware breeders the faces of Ontario’s failed ban? Case Study by Abigail Plener, Samantha Relich and Brittany Spencer February 2017 Introduction Since the Ontario government made changes to the Dog Owners’ Liability Act in
- [2. When Journalists Go Undercover](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/2-journalists-go-undercover/) - Undercover techniques date back to the early 1900s [1] and questions about the ethics of this approach have been debated for almost as long. The likes of Hunter S. Thompson and Elizabeth Jane Cochrane (writing as Nellie Bly) are two of the most legendary names in undercover journalism [2]. Their respective reports from inside the
- [8. Omitting the Unverified: Joel Eastwood and the Toronto Star](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/8-omitting-unverified-joel-eastwood-toronto-star/) - While Hudes and National Post editors were deciding whether or not to include an unverified Facebook page in their story, Joel Eastwood was having a similar debate in another newsroom in the city. [1] Eastwood was working as a general assignment reporter for the Toronto Star in 2014. When reports of a shooting in New
- [5. Reporting on corruption](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/5-reporting-corruption/) - “Any journalist and editor will always prefer to run a hard-hitting investigative story like this that does include named sources.” –Drew Nelles The threat to snow plow workers is real. Weeks before Maisonneuve released the Winter 2011 issue, a projectile akin to a Molotov cocktail was thrown through the window of a snow removal company
- [6. Safety Measures](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/6-ebola-hr-safety-measures/) - Contemplating the possibility of her own trip, Jennifer Yang sought guidance from the Red Cross and other aid organizations, including Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Claudia Blume, press officer for MSF Canada, says a big part of the organization’s mission is to support journalists going into the field to report on what they’re witnessing firsthand. In this case, MSF
- [4. Meeting with Editor](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/4-ebola-meeting-with-editor/) - After assuring herself of support from the aid organizations, Yang approached foreign editor Lynn McAuley with a thoroughly researched pitch. Initially, McAuley had a few major questions: how would Yang’s stories add something new to the ongoing Ebola conversation? And, were the potential health risks manageable? If so, were they worth it? Until then, Yang had relied on official reports,
- [8. Family](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/8-ebola-family/) - On July 26, 2014, Jennifer Yang went on vacation to a cottage with her family who was visiting from Alberta. Yang received a call from McAuley, giving her the official go ahead from the Toronto Star. If Yang chose to go to Sierra Leone, the Star would support her decision. Ultimately, it was her decision to
- [2. The Research Stage](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/2-ebola-research-stage/) - On June 2014, the Toronto Star’s global health reporter, Jennifer Yang, learned that 40 percent of the confirmed Ebola cases were in Sierra Leone. She thought it was her professional duty to report directly from the most severe Ebola zone. However, the risks of reporting in the midst of a rapidly spreading, highly infectious disease may
- [5. Conflict Zones](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/5-ebola-conflict-zones/) - Before green-lighting Yang's trip, Lynn McAuley had to consult with managing editor Jane Davenport — in part to verify whether the Star would face extra insurance costs for an assignment in the hot zone. Fortunately, no premium was necessary at the moment. Most news organizations' insurance policies cover hazards faced by reporters abroad, but additional premiums are sometimes needed for assignments in particularly hazardous areas,
- [8. Decision Point: To Air or Not to Air the Footage?](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/8-ambushed-decision-point-to-air-or-not-to-air-the-footage/) - When Kaufman, Malarek and the crew returned from Nova Scotia, they brought the footage to David Studer, then executive producer of the fifth estate. It was Studer’s decision whether to use the footage or not. The typical fifth episode takes months to research, film and edit. Every episode is reviewed multiple times by producers and lawyers.
- [7. The Jump](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/7-ambushed-the-jump/) - Malarek ambushed Stevens as she exited a grocery store in Joggins. With the camera following closely behind him, Malarek asked Stevens if he could talk to her about her testimony in Young’s trial. Stevens, visibly distraught and caught off guard, ran towards a car, yelling “get the fuck out of here!” Sobbing, she rushed into
- [6. The Decision to Confront Sharon Stevens](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/6-ambushed-the-decision-to-confront-sharon-stevens/) - After their interview requests were ignored, the fifth estate team debated whether to ambush Sharon Stevens in her new home in Joggins, Nova Scotia. Executive producer David Studer recalls consulting CBC policy on jump interviews: http://youtu.be/aUlYH9u-KxE Producer David Kaufman explains his own reasoning for undertaking the encounter. This story seemed to fulfil all three requirements for a
- [5. The Wrongful Conviction of Donzel Young](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/5-ambushed-the-wrongful-conviction-donzel-young/) - One mid-September night, Donzel Young found himself at a party in Scarlettwood Court, an Etobicoke-area public housing project. Young went with his friend, Andrew “Blacks” Reid, along with a handful of others. [1] But two other men present would die that night. They were lured to Scarlettwood Court to settle a feud, and by the
- [4.  When is a Jump Justified?](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/4-ambushed-when-is-a-jump-justified/) - Jump interviews should be a last resort, after all other interview options have been tried, according to many reporters and producers interviewed for this story. Otherwise, they warn, journalists risk damage to their credibility when coming across as unnecessarily combative or unfair. As Dean Jobb points out, journalists should “treat sources and the subjects of stories with respect.
- [3. The Unreliability of Eyewitness Testimony](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/3-ambushed-the-unreliability-of-eyewitness-testimony/) - Anyone who makes a false statement to court “with [the] intent to mislead” is guilty of perjury, an indictable offense punishable by up to fourteen years in prison. [1] Perjury is the uncharitable interpretation of Sharon Stevens’ actions. It is impossible to know whether she wittingly or unwittingly misled the court when she testified in
- [2. Vulnerable Subjects and Privacy Rights](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/2-ambushed-vulnerable-subjects-and-privacy-rights/) - This kind of aggressive investigative journalism may raise a problem of balancing an individual's rights to privacy and the public interest. In Canada, there are two federal privacy laws — the Privacy Act and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act — and each province has its own privacy legislation. In Jones v. Tsige, the
- [1. Jumping Through Time](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/1-ambushed-jumping-through-time/) - An "ambush," "jump interview," "unplanned interview" or "unscheduled interview" are just some of the terms used to describe what happens when a journalist surprises an interview subject and approaches them without their consent. [1] When talking about the history of jump or ambush interviews, it is hard not to talk about the legacy of Mike
- [Ambushed! The Ethics of Unplanned Interviews](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/ambushed-the-ethics-of-unplanned-interviews/) - The fifth estate's dramatic "jump" footage spotlighted an innocent man's jailing. But was it fair to air it? Case study by Simon Bredin, Sam Colbert and Arielle Piat-Sauvé March 2015 Introduction David Milgaard. Steven Truscott. Robert Baltowich. Canadians know the names of these men because Rubin “Hurricane” Carter’s organization, the Association in Defence of the
- [7. Decision-making point](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/7-decision-making-point/) - The decision point is that critical moment in a newsroom when editors are forced to carefully weigh the ethical considerations around publishing a story. In abduction cases, this thought process has to happen quickly, given the speed at which information can now travel. Paul Hunter describes how, in Mellissa Fung’s case, the decision to remain
- [6. "Protecting our own"](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/6-protecting-our-own/) - Do journalists kidnapped abroad receive different international treatment than tourists or even politicians? If so, should they? Robert Fowler believes that journalists get preferential treatment, and feels that this is wrong. Reflecting back on the events leading up to his abduction, Fowler recounted a prophetic conversation he had with a prominent Canadian reporter. A few
- [5. Mellisa Fung: Afghan abduction](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/5-mellisa-fung-afghan-abduction/) - CBC journalist Mellissa Fung was abducted in Kabul, Afghanistan on October 12, 2008, almost two months before Robert Fowler. But the Canadian public wouldn't hear a whisper of her ordeal until her release. Information surrounding Fung's disappearance was subjected to a full and complete international media blackout. Fung was stationed at the NATO military base in Kandahar
- [4. Robert Fowler: catch and release](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/4-robert-fowler-catch-release/) - On December 14, 2008, Robert Fowler’s life took a terrifying turn. The long-serving Canadian diplomat and then-United Nations special envoy to Niger was traveling through the African country when he and his aide were taken hostage. Fowler had arrived in Niger with fellow Canadian diplomat Louis Guay just a few days earlier. They were there
- [3. Blackouts: a brief history](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/3-blackouts-brief-history/) - Media blackouts have historically been used by governments to control the flow of information and buttress their power. In times of conflict, countries have strategically released or concealed information to advance a particular agenda. Early 20th century examples of such blackouts include the Western media’s censorship of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Vietnam
- [2. Policies on blackout requests](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/2-policies-blackout-requests/) - In Canada, there is no blanket policy for dealing with blackout requests in hostage takings. It is up to each individual news outlet to decide whether or not to honour a news embargo. For the most part, blackouts are assessed on a case-by-case basis. The Canadian Press Stylebook offers writers and editors a broad guideline for covering
- [1. Media blackouts explained](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/1-media-blackouts-explained/) - Consider the following scenario: a 25-year-old woman is crossing a busy intersection when a driver, distracted by a buzzing cellphone, runs the red light and hits her. The woman is declared dead on the scene.A journalist sitting in a news organization's radio room overhears the police transmission of the accident and starts writing a web
- [The ethics of media blackouts: two kidnappings](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/ethics-media-blackouts-two-kidnappings/) - Case study by Brigitte Noël, Shannon Busta, Robert Parker and Paige Ellis December, 2012 IntroductionIn December 2008, Robert Fowler, a Canadian diplomat, and his aide were abducted while on a United Nations mission in West Africa. Their case was not an isolated incident. CBC reporter Mellissa Fung was kidnapped while on assignment in Afghanistan in
- [9. The decision-making point](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/9-no-past-decision-making-point/) - Gans and Lee waited until they were finished shooting before making their final decision as to whether or not to include footage of the child. The mother’s decision was clear: She was comfortable telling her daughter’s story, and having her daughter’s image be a part of that storytelling process. “I knew [it] was important was
- [8. Public interest vs. personal harm](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/8-no-past-public-interest-vs-personal-harm/) - Public Interest If as Kristof suggests, the only way to make people care about a critical issue is to reveal their identity, does this justify exposing the individual to any degree of harm? In 2003 Linda M. Richter wrote an article about the epidemic of infant rape in South Africa. She is an academic with
- [7. Other reports of rape in the media](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/7-no-past-reports-of-rape-in-the-media/) - In 2002, the Mail & Guardian reported that a BBC documentary on the topic of infant rape had been condemned by MPs of the African National Congress before it was screened. South Africa’s news24 later reported that after seeing the film, the MPs, many of whom were members of Parliament’s committee on child abuse, actually
- [6. Subject, and friend](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/6-no-past-subject-friend/) - Documentary has no established ethical guidelines and the nature of the form—visual, artistic and often implicit in meaning—does not lend itself to rules that are universally applicable. Many filmmakers argue that ethical decisions must be made on an ad hoc case-by-case basis. This was the conclusion of a report from the American University Center for
- [5. Documentary's edge](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/5-no-past-documentarys-edge/) - While journalistic practice may be governed by publication-based ethical guidelines, documentary films are not subject to the same sort of evaluative criteria during the newsgathering stage. Documentary production is not regulated and journalist filmmakers are typically independent small business owners who sell their work to distributors, mainly for television broadcast. As independent producers looking to
- [4. Guidelines for filming a child](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/4-no-past-guidelines-filming-child/) - Gans and Lee did talk with other journalists they knew in making this decision, though they did not consult any one set of ethical guidelines produced by a journalistic organization. Lee argued that most journalism ethics are based on legal practices or on the ethics of the particular news agency, and noted that they didn’t
- [3. The privacy of a child](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/3-no-past-privacy-child/) - The ethics of privacy is another lens through which to examine this documentary. In her book Secrets, Sissela Bok defines privacy as “the condition of being protected from unwanted access by others — either physical access, personal information or attention.” In the case of No Past to Speak Of, the child could not make a
- [2. Informed Consent](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/2-no-past-informed-consent/) - Informed consent is a term used more often in health-care or psychology than journalism, but it can be helpful term to consider when getting consent to interview, or report about children. Informed consent means that the doctor, or journalist in this situation, explains what is happening, why it is happening and what the potential consequences
- [1. Perspectives](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/1-no-past-perspectives/) - A mother’s limits Alice believed sharing their story would help remove the stigma attached to rape. Prior to filming, she had given public talks and spoken to both the South African and international press. Alice was comfortable sharing her daughter’s story, but unsure about including footage of her daughter in the film. However, she permitted
- [No past to speak of: making a child the face of infant rape?](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/no-past-to-speak-of-making-child-face-infant-rape/) - The documentary's subject matter could not have been more important: an epidemic of brutal assaults on children. One mother wanted her young child's face shown in the documentary, but was that sufficient consent? Case study by Erin James-Abra, Erin Byrnes, Emily Loewen and Kasia Mychajlowycz December, 2012 No Past to Speak Of is a documentary film
- [Red Flags: the PMO, the Star, the Advance and the “whole-off-the-record-thing”](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/red-flags-the-pmo-the-star-the-advance-and-the-whole-off-the-record-thing/) - The email from the prime minister's office offered a story with strings attached. For two Ontario journalists, the conditions seemed unreasonable. Case study by Alexandra Byers, Michael Lyons and Gina Wicentowich February 2015 Introduction On June 17, 2013, the office of the Prime Minister (PMO) had a story they wanted Canada’s media to tell. Media representatives from
- [Reporting on Ebola: Face-to-Face with an Epidemic](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/reporting-on-ebola-face-to-face-with-an-epidemic/) - How a health reporter weighed the risks of a hot-zone assignment in the early days of the 2014 ebola outbreak Case study by Amanda Panacci, Emanuela Orsini, Stephanie La Leggia and Amy Grief March 2015 Introduction In March 2014, the largest, and most complex Ebola outbreak makes international headlines. The Ebola virus, formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a
- [#YouKnowHerName: Publication Bans & Public Interest](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/youknowhername-publication-bans-public-interest/) - The Halifax Chronicle Herald faced a choice: break the law, or defy the wishes of a dead girl's parents Case study by Katherine DeClerq, Michelle LePage and Taylor Poelman February 2015 Introduction In November 2011, 15-year-old Rehtaeh Parsons attended a small, alcohol-filled house party in Nova Scotia. That night, a 17-year-old boy photographed another boy, 16, having
- [Officer down: reporting on police suicide](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/officer-down-reporting-on-police-suicide/) - When a cop shot himself in a local cemetery, the Hamilton Spectator had to decide what the public should know Case study by Deanne Bender, Sidney Cohen and Jeanie Tran February 2015 Introduction Early in the afternoon of Nov. 1, 2005, a single shot rang out across the grounds of White Chapel Memorial Gardens, a
- [7. The Chronicle Herald Faces a New Choice](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/7-the-chronicle-herald-faces-a-new-choice/) - Back in the spring of 2013, reporter Selena Ross had written the Chronicle Herald’s first article about Rehtaeh. Ross’s coverage that year included several award-winning, in-depth analysis articles about mishandled police investigations and the actions of the school board in relation to the victim’s case. Ross continued to have a vested interest in the story,
- [5. Unanswered questions](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/5-unanswered-questions/) - The circumstances of the officer’s death raised many difficult questions for journalists at The Spectator. What drove this officer to take his own life? Was there something disquieting going on within police ranks — an internal investigation, perhaps — that drove this officer to take his own life, with a police-issued weapon, while on duty?
- [4. Stigma and cop culture](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/4-stigma-and-cop-culture/) - Every person we spoke to for this case study noted that stigma plays a role in hindering an open discussion of suicide, in the media and general public alike. Sociologists define stigma as “an ‘attribute that is deeply discrediting’ and that reduces the bearer ‘from a whole and usual person to a tainted, discounted one’”
- [3. Privacy versus the public's right to know](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/3-privacy-versus-the-publics-right-to-know/) - Some critics argue journalists use the phrase “public interest” too liberally, as a convenient way to justify the publication of a contentious or sensitive story. “I think the catch-all phrase of what is in the ‘public interest’ is something that is so non-defined and not prescriptive that it can essentially be wrapped around any incident,"
- [2. Suicide and the public interest](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/2-suicide-and-the-public-interest/) - The Spectator’s ethics guidelines indicate that suicide should not be reported unless there is a “public need to know” [1]. But how, exactly, should that public interest be defined? As a societal issue, there is no question that reporting on suicide is in the public interest, according to CBC ombudsman Esther Enkin, who co-wrote the
- [1. "We don't routinely report on suicides"](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/1-we-dont-routinely-report-on-suicides/) - After it became clear that the police officer had taken his own life, the first hurdle that The Spectator’s editors and reporters faced was their own publication’s policy on suicide reporting. In 2005, many newspapers followed a long-standing blanket policy that cautioned reporters against covering incidents of suicide. The Spectator was among them. Even today,
- [2. Fighting the Ban](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/2-fighting-the-ban/) - On April 30, 2014, Judge Campbell ordered a mandatory publication ban on Rehtaeh’s identity under section 486.4(3) of the Criminal Code. [1] While the accused were charged in August of the previous year, they had not yet entered their pleas. [2] As such, Canadian media, including the Chronicle Herald, had published her name in connection to
- [8. The day](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/8-the-day/) - On June 16, 2013, Susan Delacourt published a piece in the Toronto Star describing Trudeau's pledge to repay any organization that felt dissatisfied with his speaking services. The following morning, she received an unusual phone call from Stephen Lecce, the PMO’s Deputy Director of Communications at the time. Lecce told her he had some information about Justin Trudeau --
- [6. The decision-making point](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/6-the-decision-making-point/) - There was a broad consensus in the newsroom that the story contained a strong public interest. Still, the newsroom was under pressure from the police to keep the story under wraps, and the family couldn’t be reached for comment. It became evident that the reporters involved had uncovered all the information they were likely to
- [9. The Decision-Making Point](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/9-ebola-the-decision-making-point/) - After having convinced her mother that it was somewhat safe to travel to an Ebola zone, Yang eased her own mind. But, two days before she was scheduled to leave, an unexpected announcement caused the doubts to creep in again. On July 31, 2014, Sierra Leone’s president, Ernest Bai Koroma, declared a national state of emergency.
- [6. The decision-making point](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/6-decision-making-point/) - Ross and Nelles had to make the decision of whether to include the names of several industry workers before writing the article. Many of the sources told stories about damage done to their property and personal threats for simply underbidding a contractor who was meant to win a specific bid. Ross was worried that if
- [4. Guidelines for anonymity](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/4-guidelines-anonymity/) - As a guideline for most media outlets, anonymity is usually granted if there is no other way to get the information and what the source provides is integral to the story. However, there is no legislation or set policy that every news organization must abide by. Some media outlets try to remain as strict as
- [3. Anonymity and believability](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/3-anonymity-believability/) - Anonymity and Believability “What does the journalist have to offer to these ordinary people, who ‘give a human face’ to their stories?” – Isabel Awad, Journalists and their Sources: Lessons from Anthropology In most circumstances, anonymity should be seen as a last resort for journalists. As David Boeyink wrote in the Journal of Mass Media
- [2. Implied consent](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/2-implied-consent/) - In general, all conversations with journalists are assumed to be on the record unless the interviewee specifically requests otherwise beforehand. The journalist should identify him or herself and explain what they are writing about. According the New York University’s journalism handbook, dealings of what can be attributed to a source, and what cannot, must be
- [Getting Plowed: anonymity and sources on the record](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/getting-plowed-anonymity-sources-record/) - Case study by Aaron Hutchins December, 2012 Getting Plowed is a feature-length investigative report about the snow removal industry in Montreal and its “turf wars”. The article was the cover story for the Winter 2011 edition of Maisonneuve magazine. Journalist Selena Ross tells the stories of snow plow employees or private contractors who have had
- [9. Red Flags](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/9-red-flags-2/) - Susan Delacourt had been copying her managing editor Jane Davenport back in Toronto on all correspondence with Stephen Lecce. “This was unusual that the PMO was asking us to do this and I had some reservations about going along with it,” Delacourte says. She did her best to have a real conversation with Lecce about why the situation made her
- [7. Justin Trudeau’s speaking fees and the media](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/7-justin-trudeaus-speaking-fees-and-the-media/) - As the son of an iconic former prime minister, current Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau has been closely involved with the party for much of his life, but especially since winning his Papineau seat in the 2008 federal election. Before he was elected MP, Trudeau was part of the Canadian public speaking circuit and accepted numerous speaking fees
- [6. "The whole off-the-record-thing"](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/6-the-whole-off-the-record/) - One of journalism's larger ethical dilemmas is whether to grant the condition of anonymity to sources. Anonymity gives reporters the ability to publish information or quotes while withholding the name of the source, a precaution meant to keep a source non-identifiable, unreachable, or untraceable. [1] Most journalists adhere to the tradition of granting anonymity only in
- [5. The PMO vs. the press gallery](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/5-the-pmo-vs-the-press-gallery/) - “The PMO is the gatekeeper to all the information,” says the Star's Delacourt. “The PMO chooses which Conservatives are on political television shows at the end of the day. Nobody is allowed to speak until they get the blessing from the PMO.” When Prime Minister Harper assumed office he wanted to fundamentally change the way
- [4. The Gomery Commission and federal accountability](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/4-the-gomery-commission-and-federal-accountability/) - In 2004, retired Justice John Gomery's Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities began looking into allegations of corruption and conflicts of interest in the PMO. The inquiry found that the PMO under former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien had mismanaged government sponsorship contracts. For example, Groupaction Marketing, Inc., a Montreal-based advertising firm, had been paid $550,000
- [3. The PMO: Partisan or no?](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/3-the-pmo-partisan-or-no/) - The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is a central government agency made up of the top political staff of the prime minister. Typically partisan loyalists, PMO employees change with every new leader, as opposed to the full-time civil servant staff of the Privy Council Office (PCO). In the past, the PMO had a relatively weaker role
- [2. Political leaks](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/2-political-leaks/) - The chief of staff to former Alberta premier Ralph Klein, Rod Love, once said: “Leaks are political currency, because in any political environment where information is power, the transmission of that information is an exercise in power.” To be a successful political watchdog, the press must have knowledge of what our politicians and government agencies
- [1. Watchdog role: then and now](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/1-watchdog-role-then-and-now/) - “Ministerial supporters are fond of lauding the service rendered to their party by the present Prime Minister,” reads an article in a November 4, 1873 copy of The Globe, a publication which would later become the Globe and Mail. “The ground of this presumed obligation is not very intelligible in any other sense than that Sir John
- [6. Competing Media](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/6-competing-media/) - When faced with a publication ban, most reporters choose to toe the line. A decision to break a ban must usually be made quickly, and media organizations tend to err on the side of caution. In the case of Rehtaeh Parsons, media outlets were forced to make this decision on Sept. 22, 2014, after one of
- [5. Breaking Bans](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/5-breaking-bans/) - There are instances in which Canadian individuals and organizations have been charged with violating publication bans. While it does not appear that a Canadian journalist has been jailed for breaking a publication ban, the potential for severe punishment is nevertheless real. [1] In some cases, even minor breaches of the ban have brought charges. However,
- [4. Social Media Take Up the Fight](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/4-social-media-take-up-the-fight/) - Publication bans also apply to online content. But due to the ubiquity of the Internet and the reach of social media, legal authorities and reporters alike question whether such methods of controlling trial information are effective. [1] Rehtaeh’s name and story spread internationally, starting with a single Facebook post. The public expressed outrage that the
- [3. Publication Bans vs. Public Interest](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/3-publication-bans-vs-public-interest/) - In principle, the idea of withholding information is often in conflict with the public interest. As the Canadian Association of Journalists asserts: “the public has a right to know about its institutions and the people who are elected or hired to serve its interests...However, there are inevitable conflicts between the right to privacy, and the rights of
- [1. Publication Bans in Sex-related Crimes](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/1-publication-bans-in-sex-related-crimes/) - Publication bans involving young people or sexual crimes are common in Canada, and most court reporters expect them. Bans are meant to protect victims, witnesses and, in some instances, the accused from being identified outside of the courtroom. They also prevent prejudice or misrepresentation of accounts related to the case, something that could unfairly influence a
- [7. Isolation](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/7-ebola-isolation/) - Jennifer Yang's decision would not only affect her. As she considered her options, she consulted her live-in boyfriend of three years, the Star's deputy national editor, Matt Carter. Although he would support whatever decision she made, they needed to discuss whether she should return home after the trip, or isolate herself for 21 days. “The last thing I would want was to infect my
- [3. The Virus](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/3-ebola-the-virus/) - One of the most common misconceptions of Ebola is how it is transmitted. Ebola can only be transferred through bodily fluids like saliva, sweat, diarrhea, vomit and blood. According to the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these fluids need to come into direct contact with a mucus membrane (like a person’s eyes,
- [1. The 2014 Outbreak](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/1-ebola-the-2014-outbreak/) - The worst Ebola outbreak to date began in December 2013, in the remote village of Guéckédou, Guinea. By March 31, 2014, the disease had already killed 78 people in Guinea and was now spreading to the neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone. Michelle Van Herp, an MSF epidemiologist in Guéckédou, said that the virus had been

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- [The Dilemma](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/twitter-trials-the-ottawa-citizen-and-russell-williams-sentencing-hearing/dilemma/) - The first day of the hearing is coming to an end. Hurley is exhausted. The crown introduces count 73, sexual assault of 20-year-old "Jane Doe," and count 74, her forcible confinement. The crime happened on the early morning of September 17 in 2009, just hours after Williams returned to his home in Tweed from a
- [First Hand: Kim Mackrael of The Globe and Mail](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/first-hand-kim-mackrael-of-the-globe-and-mail/) - Kim Mackrael is a reporter based in the Globe and Mail's Ottawa bureau. She reported from Lac-Mégantic on two separate occasions, first, immediately after the explosion, and then in August, to help fellow Globe reporter, Justin Giovanetti with the paper’s extensive feature on the final hours in Lac-Megantic before the explosion claimed the lives of
- [First Hand: Andy Blatchford of the Canadian Press](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/first-hand-andy-blachford-of-the-canadian-press/) - Musi-Café. The words resonate in a more tragic way now than anyone could have imagined. Once symbolic of music and friendship, the name of the popular Lac-Mégantic watering hole is now inexorably linked to tragedy and loss. It is understandable then that Andy Blatchford, a reporter with the Canadian Press, found that his most challenging moment
- [Getting Plowed: anonymity and sources on the record ](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/getting-plowed-anonymity-and-sources-on-the-record/) - Case study by Aaron Hutchins December, 2012 Getting Plowed is a feature-length investigative report about the snow removal industry in Montreal and its “turf wars”. The article was the cover story for the Winter 2011 edition of Maisonneuve magazine. Journalist Selena Ross tells the stories of snow plow employees or private contractors who have had
- [Perspectives](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/getting-plowed-anonymity-and-sources-on-the-record/perspectives-2/) - A journalist’s duty While reporting for the new angle of snow plow collusion, many of the sources told Ross stories about damage done to their property and personal threats they received for simply underbidding on a contract they were not meant to win. Some people she interviewed did not ask to be off the record.
- [The ethics of media blackouts: two kidnappings](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/the-ethics-of-media-blackouts-two-kidnappings/) - Case study by Brigitte Noël, Shannon Busta, Robert Parker and Paige Ellis December, 2012 Introduction In December 2008, Robert Fowler, a Canadian diplomat, and his aide were abducted while on a United Nations mission in West Africa. Their case was not an isolated incident. CBC reporter Mellissa Fung was kidnapped while on assignment in
- [Guidelines for filming a child](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/no-past-to-speak-of-making-a-child-the-face-of-infant-rape/guidelines-for-when-filming-a-child/) - Gans and Lee did talk with other journalists they knew in making this decision, though they did not consult any one set of ethical guidelines produced by a journalistic organization. Lee argued that most journalism ethics are based on legal practices or on the ethics of the particular news agency, and noted that they didn’t
- [Subject, and friend](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/no-past-to-speak-of-making-a-child-the-face-of-infant-rape/33-2/) - Documentary has no established ethical guidelines and the nature of the form—visual, artistic and often implicit in meaning—does not lend itself to rules that are universally applicable. Many filmmakers argue that ethical decisions must be made on an ad hoc case-by-case basis. This was the conclusion of a report from the American University Center for
- [Media blackouts explained](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/the-ethics-of-media-blackouts-two-kidnappings/media-blackouts-explained/) - Consider the following scenario: a 25-year-old woman is crossing a busy intersection when a driver, distracted by a buzzing cellphone, runs the red light and hits her. The woman is declared dead on the scene.A journalist sitting in a news organization's radio room overhears the police transmission of the accident and starts writing a web
- [Policies on blackout requests](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/the-ethics-of-media-blackouts-two-kidnappings/policies-on-blackout-requests/) - In Canada, there is no blanket policy for dealing with blackout requests in hostage takings. It is up to each individual news outlet to decide whether or not to honour a news embargo. For the most part, blackouts are assessed on a case-by-case basis. The Canadian Press Stylebook offers writers and editors a broad guideline for covering
- ["Protecting our own"](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/the-ethics-of-media-blackouts-two-kidnappings/protecting-our-own/) - Do journalists kidnapped abroad receive different international treatment than tourists or even politicians? If so, should they? Robert Fowler believes that journalists get preferential treatment, and feels that this is wrong. Reflecting back on the events leading up to his abduction, Fowler recounted a prophetic conversation he had with a prominent Canadian reporter. A few
- [Decision-making point](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/the-ethics-of-media-blackouts-two-kidnappings/decision-making-point/) - The decision point is that critical moment in a newsroom when editors are forced to carefully weigh the ethical considerations around publishing a story. In abduction cases, this thought process has to happen quickly, given the speed at which information can now travel. Paul Hunter describes how, in Mellissa Fung’s case, the decision to remain
- [Fit To Tweet](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/twitter-trials-the-ottawa-citizen-and-russell-williams-sentencing-hearing/fit-tweet/) - The photographs, the descriptions, the truth. It was perverse. It was obtrusive. It was appalling. So far, the court had heard about panties, open windows, an erect penis, young girls, drawers, lingerie, mirrors, masturbation, draped, daughters, sex toys, a “mystery little girl,” a sundress, a lip-gloss lips print page, naked, lubricant, a bunk-bed and subfolders.
- [Under Pressure](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/twitter-trials-the-ottawa-citizen-and-russell-williams-sentencing-hearing/pressure/) - By late afternoon, Hurley was on her way to accumulating 36 hours of overtime for the week. With no reserved seating for media in the main courtroom and an overflow room from which it was barely possible to see or hear what was happening, reporters were vying for a spot every day before 5 a.m.
- [Courting Twitter](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/twitter-trials-the-ottawa-citizen-and-russell-williams-sentencing-hearing/courting-twitter/) - Founded in 2006, Twitter is a free social media networking website, microblogging service and search engine that lets users read, send and share bite-sized gametes of information called tweets. Its real power is the potential for viral dissemination: the one-to-many instant messaging function made Hurley’s posts accessible to captivated audiences in Ottawa, across Canada and
- [Twitter Trials: The Ottawa Citizen and Russell Williams sentencing hearing](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/twitter-trials-the-ottawa-citizen-and-russell-williams-sentencing-hearing/) - Case Study by Christina Pellegrini The accused man’s guilty plea pierced the packed Hastings County courtroom, located two hours east of Toronto in Belleville. Everyone knew it was coming. Defence lawyer Michael Edelson had told the court 11 days earlier that his client, David “Russell” Williams, 47, wouldn’t contest the 88 criminal charges pitted against
- [Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/twitter-trials-the-ottawa-citizen-and-russell-williams-sentencing-hearing/epilogue/) - Ethical Dilemma: How should Hurley communicate the facts of Williams’ first sexual assault on her Twitter account? Here's how she did: https://twitter.com/meghan_hurley/status/27766932557 https://twitter.com/meghan_hurley/status/27766946394 https://twitter.com/meghan_hurley/status/27767007415 https://twitter.com/meghan_hurley/status/27767032683 https://twitter.com/meghan_hurley/status/27767099187 https://twitter.com/meghan_hurley/status/27767198632 https://twitter.com/meghan_hurley/status/27767422564 https://twitter.com/meghan_hurley/status/27767544242 https://twitter.com/meghan_hurley/status/27767650636 https://twitter.com/meghan_hurley/status/27768059474
- [No past to speak of: making a child the face of infant rape?](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/no-past-to-speak-of-making-a-child-the-face-of-infant-rape/) - Case study by Erin James-Abra, Erin Byrnes, Emily Loewen and Kasia Mychajlowycz December, 2012 Introduction No Past to Speak Of is a documentary film about infant rape in South Africa, directed and produced by two Canadians, Jeremy Gans and Wilson Lee. It premiered at Hot Docs in 2006, and also aired on The Passionate Eye,
- [Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/getting-plowed-anonymity-and-sources-on-the-record/epilogue/) - For the epilogue of this case study, please email ishapiro [at] ryerson [dot] ca
- [The decision-making point](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/getting-plowed-anonymity-and-sources-on-the-record/the-decision-making-point/) - Ross and Nelles had to make the decision of whether to include the names of several industry workers before writing the article. Many of the sources told stories about damage done to their property and personal threats for simply underbidding a contractor who was meant to win a specific bid. Ross was worried that if
- [Reporting on corruption](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/getting-plowed-anonymity-and-sources-on-the-record/reporting-on-corruption/) - “Any journalist and editor will always prefer to run a hard-hitting investigative story like this that does include named sources.” –Drew Nelles The threat to snow plow workers is real. Weeks before Maisonneuve released the Winter 2011 issue, a projectile akin to a Molotov cocktail was thrown through the window of a snow removal company
- [Guidelines for anonymity](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/getting-plowed-anonymity-and-sources-on-the-record/guidelines-for-anonymity/) - As a guideline for most media outlets, anonymity is usually granted if there is no other way to get the information and what the source provides is integral to the story. However, there is no legislation or set policy that every news organization must abide by. Some media outlets try to remain as strict as
- [Anonymity and believability](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/getting-plowed-anonymity-and-sources-on-the-record/anonymity-and-believability/) - Anonymity and Believability “What does the journalist have to offer to these ordinary people, who ‘give a human face’ to their stories?” – Isabel Awad, Journalists and their Sources: Lessons from Anthropology In most circumstances, anonymity should be seen as a last resort for journalists. As David Boeyink wrote in the Journal of Mass Media
- [Implied consent](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/getting-plowed-anonymity-and-sources-on-the-record/implied-consent/) - In general, all conversations with journalists are assumed to be on the record unless the interviewee specifically requests otherwise beforehand. The journalist should identify him or herself and explain what they are writing about. According the New York University’s journalism handbook, dealings of what can be attributed to a source, and what cannot, must be
- [Perspectives](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/no-past-to-speak-of-making-a-child-the-face-of-infant-rape/8-2/) - A mother’s limits Alice believed sharing their story would help remove the stigma attached to rape. Prior to filming, she had given public talks and spoken to both the South African and international press. Alice was comfortable sharing her daughter’s story, but unsure about including footage of her daughter in the film. However, she permitted
- [Introduction](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/the-ethics-of-media-blackouts-two-kidnappings/introduction/) - Case study by Brigitte Noël, Shannon Busta, Robert Parker, Paige Ellis In December 2008, Robert Fowler, a Canadian diplomat, and his aide were abducted while on a United Nations mission in West Africa. Their case was not an isolated incident. CBC reporter Mellissa Fung was kidnapped while on assignment in Afghanistan in October, 2008. Like
- [Mellisa Fung: Afghan abduction](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/the-ethics-of-media-blackouts-two-kidnappings/mellisa-fung-afghan-abduction/) - CBC journalist Mellissa Fung was abducted in Kabul, Afghanistan on October 12, 2008, almost two months before Robert Fowler. But the Canadian public wouldn't hear a whisper of her ordeal until her release. Information surrounding Fung's disappearance was subjected to a full and complete international media blackout. Fung was stationed at the NATO military base in Kandahar
- [Robert Fowler: catch and release](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/the-ethics-of-media-blackouts-two-kidnappings/robert-fowler-catch-and-release/) - On December 14, 2008, Robert Fowler’s life took a terrifying turn. The long-serving Canadian diplomat and then-United Nations special envoy to Niger was traveling through the African country when he and his aide were taken hostage. Fowler had arrived in Niger with fellow Canadian diplomat Louis Guay just a few days earlier. They were there
- [Blackouts: a brief history](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/the-ethics-of-media-blackouts-two-kidnappings/blackouts-a-brief-history/) - Media blackouts have historically been used by governments to control the flow of information and buttress their power. In times of conflict, countries have strategically released or concealed information to advance a particular agenda. Early 20th century examples of such blackouts include the Western media’s censorship of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Vietnam
- [The decision-making point](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/no-past-to-speak-of-making-a-child-the-face-of-infant-rape/the-decision/) - Gans and Lee waited until they were finished shooting before making their final decision as to whether or not to include footage of the child. The mother’s decision was clear: She was comfortable telling her daughter’s story, and having her daughter’s image be a part of that storytelling process. “I knew [it] was important was
- [Public interest vs. personal harm](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/no-past-to-speak-of-making-a-child-the-face-of-infant-rape/public-interest-vs-personal-harm/) - Public Interest If as Kristof suggests, the only way to make people care about a critical issue is to reveal their identity, does this justify exposing the individual to any degree of harm? In 2003 Linda M. Richter wrote an article about the epidemic of infant rape in South Africa. She is an academic with
- [Other reports of rape in the media](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/no-past-to-speak-of-making-a-child-the-face-of-infant-rape/other-reports-of-rape-in-the-media/) - In 2002, the Mail & Guardian reported that a BBC documentary on the topic of infant rape had been condemned by MPs of the African National Congress before it was screened. South Africa’s news24 later reported that after seeing the film, the MPs, many of whom were members of Parliament’s committee on child abuse, actually
- [Documentary's edge](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/no-past-to-speak-of-making-a-child-the-face-of-infant-rape/documentarys-edge/) - While journalistic practice may be governed by publication-based ethical guidelines, documentary films are not subject to the same sort of evaluative criteria during the newsgathering stage. Documentary production is not regulated and journalist filmmakers are typically independent small business owners who sell their work to distributors, mainly for television broadcast. As independent producers looking to
- [The privacy of a child](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/no-past-to-speak-of-making-a-child-the-face-of-infant-rape/the-privacy-of-a-child/) - The ethics of privacy is another lens through which to examine this documentary. In her book Secrets, Sissela Bok defines privacy as “the condition of being protected from unwanted access by others — either physical access, personal information or attention.” In the case of No Past to Speak Of, the child could not make a
- [Informed Consent](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/no-past-to-speak-of-making-a-child-the-face-of-infant-rape/informed-consent/) - Informed consent is a term used more often in health-care or psychology than journalism, but it can be helpful term to consider when getting consent to interview, or report about children. Informed consent means that the doctor, or journalist in this situation, explains what is happening, why it is happening and what the potential consequences
- [Introduction](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/no-past-to-speak-of-making-a-child-the-face-of-infant-rape/introduction-2/) - Case study by Erin James-Abra, Erin Byrnes, Emily Loewen, Kasia Mychajlowycz No Past to Speak Of is a documentary film about infant rape in South Africa, directed and produced by two Canadians, Jeremy Gans and Wilson Lee. It premiered at Hot Docs in 2006, and also aired on The Passionate Eye, a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) television program.
- [Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/the-ethics-of-media-blackouts-two-kidnappings/epilogue/) - For the epilogue of this case study, please email ishapiro [at] ryerson [dot] ca Helpful Links In covering kidnappings, news calls are all about the details Paul Knox for J-Source, December 2008Truth or consequences? The Mellissa Fung case Stephen J.A. Ward for J-Source, November 2008Kidnapped reporter's release prompts questions about news embargo Posted by Regan Ray for J-Source,
- [Epilogue](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/no-past-to-speak-of-making-a-child-the-face-of-infant-rape/epilogue/) - Please email ishapiro [at] ryerson [dot] ca for the Epilogue for this case study.

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- [Michael Jackson](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/tag/michael-jackson/)
- [broadcast policy](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/tag/broadcast-policy/)
- [CRTC](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/tag/crtc/)
- [CBSC](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/tag/cbsc/)
- [Journalistic Standards and Practices](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/tag/journalistic-standards-and-practices/)
- [sensationalism](https://casestudies.journalism.torontomu.ca/tag/sensationalism/)