The Cheese Stands Alone
Media went nuts last week over a gossipy story released as an “exclusive” to QMI – Sun Media – but a few of us wouldn’t touch it and I’ll tell you why. …
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Goodness Knows We Need a Laugh
It’s three years this week since I returned to a full-time news gig. Â And instead of growing a tougher skin, time seems to have made me even more sensitive to the stories I read every day. This week has been particularly brutal. Â …
Headline Hilarity
There’s a real art to writing headlines. I have to do it for Blackburnnews.com and to come up with something in four or five words is often a challenge. …
Tragic, Violent, Controversial and the Rest
I’ve always told students to stay away from using adjectives in news writing. Â An example: never describe news as good or bad. Â Don’t tell listeners whether something is tragic or controversial. Â I have reasons for this even though it goes against the grain of what many of my broadcasting brethren and sisters do. Â …
School’s Out
It’s all over but the marking. Â Â …
The Issue at Hand
I took some heat from fellow BJs – Broadcast Journalists – last week for a tweet I put out after Kathleen Wynne held a news conference to announce the changes to minimum wage.  You’re likely aware that minimum wage has been frozen at $10.25 since 2010 and it will go up in June to$11/hr. The province will also table a bill to tie future increases to inflation. …
Brandt’s Randt – Hiding and Tossing Darts
This week’s randt has nothing to do with this website and everything to do with those that specialize in news coverage. Â As one of the administrators of our site at work I am privy to the unapproved comments and they make you give your head a shake. Â …
Honour Among Thieves
A robber in southern Spain got a shock this week when he went through the loot he took from a home burglary. …
Amusing Diversion
Between the murderous rampage in DC and the deadly bus/train collision in Ottawa, it’s been a hard week to be a caring human being. So this is a little diversion from all that. …
The Wedding of The Year!
The only daughter of our very dear friends got married on the weekend. This event has been long in the planning and heavy in anticipation. And it was a very special, wonderful day. Â Â …
How We Get It Wrong
Nearly every news organization in North America, and likely several overseas, tweeted and emailed the news yesterday: A suspect is in custody in the Boston Marathon bombings. …
My Pals at My Aircheck
It’s been several years now since I started writing a monthly column for Myaircheck.com. Â …
How is This News?
One-time Toronto mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson has made some strong allegations against Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. …
An Open Letter to Fellow Broadcasters
Please, stop shortening methadone to “meth”.  Meth is crystal methamphetamine, a very potent, dangerous drug that has ruined countless lives. Methadone is a medicine that reduces the cravings for heroin. It is prescribed to people who are trying to kick hard drugs.  Not only do you sound like an idiot when you use “meth” the wrong way, you further confuse the issue for those who don’t yet know the difference. …
Getting Ahead of the News
This happens far too often.  Journalists make assumptions and they ought not do it. …
Do We or Don’t We?
Unlike most radio newscasters these days I work alone.  Sometimes I bounce an idea off the morning host but decisions are mostly mine to make, right or wrong, win or lose. …
Bias Dismissed
This is a blog posting I published at www.blackburnnews.com and www.981freefm.ca this week under my banner of Morning News Anchor. Â It just offers a little peek into something that can go on behind the scenes. Â …
Horror
Friday was the kind of news day that separates the journalists from the alarmists. Â The horrific mass shooting near Denver yesterday morning broke shortly before I went on air with my first newscast. Â I love my work even if I sometimes loathe the tools (stories) I work with. Â …