Good journalists do what they do because they care. They have interests. The organizations that employ journalists also are guided by interests. They have purpose. The Washington Post wears their mission on their sleeve. Their tagline is “Democracy dies in darkness.” This stated vision is shared by many in journalism. If true, journalism has a…
Misinformation is a big deal. Hate online is a big deal. And as the public catches up to their reach and impact, we’ll see more and more talk about regulation of media. Interestingly, news organizations love talking about regulating Facebook. But journalists, and their overlords, are allergic to talking about regulating news. So allergic are…
I like Maclean’s about as much as I like the National Post. They’re rightwing, partisan, and legacy. On my view they have courted hate and burned trust, undermining journalism along several dimensions.1 Also. I will admit it. I often don’t get sarcasm.2 When I saw the “the resistance” cover by Maclean’s, I thought it was…
When I was growing up I was bad with context. Super bad. My young logic-oriented self just did not understand humans and their social “nuance.” I’m still trying. Perhaps I’m practical-intelligence deficient. But, luckily, I’ve had a fleet of friends and colleagues who’ve helped me and I am grateful. They’ve held my hand tight, so…
Some years we have more. Some years we have less.
If news orgs are serious about being good partners in mitigating misinformation, they need to link meaningfully to relevant references and especially science-based organizations…
My local gym and community centre is awesome. It’s a little less than three kilometres from my home. The pool is great. The gym is nice. It’s got a kind of weird gate system that totally doesn’t work, but the people who work there are super nice. I don’t go often enough. The funniest thing…
But here’s an old idea: what if dominant journalism, by and large and in the long run, is actually a drag on progress? What if dominant journalism, and by that I mean the mainstream press, is actually a conservative force? On this view, it’s a drag on change…
If you ask white folks about the over-representation of white folks on screen, they will often misunderstand and/or underestimate the degree and seriousness of over-representation. Luckily we have some tools to help us with our reality testing…
I campaigned during the first and second referendums we had here in BC regarding proportional representation. We won the first one. 58% of voters voted yes for the Citizen Assembly recommendation to implement the Single Transferrable Vote. But the BC Liberals had set the “binding” threshold, arbitrarily, at 60%. And the Liberals here in BC…
Want to check out this python monitoring system sometime: https://freedif.org/glances-detailed-but-intuitive-system-monitoring-tool
Once in a while I have to work with video or audio recordings. Or sometimes I need to convert file formats. And sometimes when I do media critique I have to do a little creative, fair use, editing. Here are three tools that I’ve found useful. VLC, Handbrake, Audacity Many years ago my good friend…
Halloween in Vicwest is quiet but nice. Some great costumes on the street last night and trick or treaters were swell. Pumpkin carving by Becky Cory. Here’s the my pineapple pip-o-lantern.
Time for a trip to Ucluelet soon to re-up my notebook situation. Cedar House Gallery
I’m voting for proportional representation. I hope you do too, friends. #prorep #bcpoli #yyj #victoriabc #pr #proportionalrepresentation #bcvotes #bcreferendum #pr4bc
My father recently sent me these amazing resources about various risks due to earthquake around Victoria. I immediately had to look at one, because the thought of the ground turning to liquid is terrifying to me…
Hi neighbour. Hello Autumn. #StellaAndBunny #CatsOfVicwest #StellaTheCat
Design inspiration from the desk of @makingculture aka @beckycory! #pinksheepmedia #illustration #yyjdesign
Say it with me. The duty to consult Indigenous people does not conflict with the public interest…
99% Invisible did an episode on the interrobang recently. I was interested to learn that early Greek and Roman writing didn’t have spaces! Rack that up to stuff I took for granted. Apparently an ad man in the sixties developed the interrobang…
Am I a dog or a bird? Best feet ever. #hairlessfergus #fergusthedog #fergusthedoggy
Spaceship on the membrane between two, not so blue, oceans. #bcferriesjuxtapose
I tend to think that comms advice for scientists is also comms advice for everyone. Here’s an interest look at some social graphs and reach by scientists on Twitter. Communication has always been an integral part of the scientific endeavour. In Victorian times, for example, prominent scientists such as Thomas H. Huxley and Louis Agassiz…
Our living room is full of display experiments of all the beatiful merch that @makingculture has been creating! Maybe we’ll see you tomorrow at The Q! Market at the Juan de Fuca library (noon to four). #makerculture
