#221 Indie Journalists On The Government News Bailout

March 5, 2018

CANADALAND

"I don't want to be trusted by the government."

Jesse Brown

Host & Publisher

After two years of reports and stuffy consultations, the slow-moving train-wreck that’s been the “news bailout” has made its way into the proposed 2018-19 federal budget.

Though crucial details are pending, PostMedia Network’s CEO Paul Godfrey and former Globe and Mail EIC Ed Greenspon are not happy—so maybe this isn’t such a bad thing after all… The budget dedicates $50 million dollars over five years to “supporting local journalism,” but who’s eligible for funding?

Jesse speaks with entrepreneurs running innovative digital media startups across the country to gauge their reactions, and to see if any of them will be vying for a piece of the government-made pie.

Maureen Googoo of Ku’Ku’Kwes News (Atlantic Canada), Tim Bousquet of The Halifax Examiner (Halifax), Erin Millar of Discourse Media (Vancouver), Jeremy Klaszus of The Sprawl (Calgary), and James Baxter of iPolitics (Ottawa) join Jesse.

More from this series

#836 Cops, Lies, And Videotape

*A note to listeners: Today’s episode deals with sexual violence inflicted on minors and won’t be suitable for all listeners. In 2006, RCMP Const. Joseph Kohut kicked down the door to his ex’s home in Prince George, B.C., and left with certain belongings. His ex said that one of the things Kohut took was a videotape showing him sexually harassing an underage Indigenous girl. Kohut had already been investigated for sexual misconduct after a local judge pled guilty to sexually assaulting several Indigenous minors. Kohut’s ex, also a Mountie, reported the alleged theft of evidence. So what happened next? Reporter Jessica McDiarmid tells the story of 16-years of entropy and indifference within the RCMP.

November 28, 2022

#832 Ratfucker Chapter Three: The Trojan Horse

Thanks to David Wallace and Richard Marsh, the Klondike Papers blew up online - and nothing garnered more attention than Wallace’s claim that there was a plot to get rid of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Could it be true? Cherise and Jesse try to get to the bottom of what actually happened, and in doing so discover a complex network of Brethren business with extensive political connections around the globe.

November 14, 2022

#830 Ratfucker Chapter Two: The Brethren

Richard Marsh was born into the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. He got out of the group he calls a cult and has made it his mission to expose the Brethren for their alleged abuses. Now he’s on the run from Brethren members who’ve been searching for him for years. The man hired to hunt Marsh down? David Wallace.

November 7, 2022

#828 Ratfucker

Meet David Wallace, political fixer and dirty tricks operative. After a career in the shadows, he’s turned whistleblower, leaking his files and sparking a conspiracy theory. But why? And can he be trusted?

October 31, 2022

#824 Hark! A Migrant (Worker)

Kate Beaton has written the best book about the oil sands, ever. It's a nonfiction comic book called Ducks, and it's about class in Canada as much as it's about anything. She talks with Jesse about what it's like to be a migrant worker in your own country.

October 17, 2022

#822 Salvaging The Beachcombers

The Beachcombers was a wildly long-running series, by any measure. With 387 episodes, the CBC dramedy had more installments than CSI, and five times as many as Schitt’s Creek. For nearly two decades, it was just always there — until one day it wasn’t. Since the last episode aired in 1990, The Beachcombers has largely been forgotten, its title reduced to a punchline. But there’s one place that can’t forget. Producer Sophie Woodrooffe pays a visit to Gibsons, BC, the town that takes The Beachcombers more than a little seriously.

October 10, 2022

#820 Crimes Against Nature

Every year, hundreds, possibly thousands, of crimes are happening in the woods of British Columbia. Sometimes the law catches them, but more often than not, they don’t. So, what exactly is happening in BC’s forests?

October 3, 2022

#818 CTV Workers On Workplace Abuse

Lisa LaFlamme was but one CTV News employee. Dozens more speak to us about a toxic workplace where abuse, bullying, and burnout have allegedly been normal. This culture comes from a deliberate corporate plan. In one case, the consequences may have been fatal.

September 26, 2022

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