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    Listening to community members essential, say Indigenous journalists sharing industry experiences at local news conference

    This is one of a series of articles and videos on the June 2017 conference “Is no local news bad news? Local journalism and its future” hosted by the Ryerson Journalism Research Centre. Watch the full conference panel below. To read more about the conference and local news, visit:  localnews.journalism.ryerson.ca. By ABBY PLENER Staff reporter While working in community news, Wawmeesh Hamilton heard a story from a reporter at a rival paper that he found concerning. The journalist told him that their publisher said that First Nations stories did not warrant enough interest to earn a spot on the front page. Hamilton…

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    Understanding history and who wields power central to effective political coverage of Indigenous communities

    By JASMINE BALA Staff Reporter Indigenous people want their leaders held accountable, but journalists should be cautious about perpetuating negative stereotypes, Ryerson School of Journalism Rogers Visiting Journalist Duncan McCue said during a lecture on Indigenous politics. By way of example, McCue said stories such as those of the “crooked” and “corrupt” chiefs that make massive salaries and go on vacations should be reported by journalists. But they need to be put into perspective – a vast majority of chiefs do not make that much and have average salaries, he said. Some of them make less than municipal councillors even…

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    Indigenous stories are mainstream stories, say panellists

    By JASMINE BALA Staff Reporter When Indigenous people share their stories with journalists, it is a part of the reconciliation process and not about assigning blame, the executive director of APTN said during a recent panel discussion about news coverage of Indigenous communities. Karyn Pugliese, a member of the Algonquin First Nation of Pikwàkanagàn, said Indigenous people have stories to tell that come from places of hurt and anger and aren’t always easy to hear. “When we tell you these things, we’re not blaming you,” Pugliese told the crowd of about 200 people attending the panel discussion at Ryerson’s School…

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    Updated rules for language, terms for marginalized communities being discussed for new edition of Canadian Press Stylebook

    By ALLISON RIDGWAY and ANIA BESSONOV Staff Reporters The Canadian Press (CP) is discussing how to update its stylebook to reflect changing language surrounding LGBTQ, Indigenous and disabled communities, CP’s editor-in-chief said during a Ryerson Journalism Research Centre panel earlier this month. But the national news agency must keep its clients and readers in mind when contemplating such changes, said editor-in-chief Stephen Meurice. “Clarity of language is key,” Meurice told about 90 journalism students and members of the public at the panel. “You want people to read your whole story and you want them to understand what’s going on ……