Jesse Brown and Canadaland

Digital media expert who co-wrote Ghomeshi story speaks in Markham

http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/4958584-digital-media-expert-who-co...

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Fabulous article. 

In Praise of Reporters Who Stir the Pot

Media critic Jesse Brown is making waves -- and a few enemies -- in journalism circles.

I burst out laughing when I saw this predictable Globe and Mail headline: "Jesse Brown is quick to expose the failures of Canadian media. But what about his own?"

Contrary to what you may have heard, nobody in the trade likes investigative reporters much, and most hacks are openly hostile to the ones who start covering other media.

Brown, who has been subjected to finger wagging and called a muckraker, is the independent podcaster who broke the story about CBC's Amanda Lang and her conflicts-of-interest. (The Globe and Mail has been running her self-serving op-eds related to the story).

Before that, Brown and the Toronto Star led the investigation into Jian Ghomeshi's antics.

But it appears he's offending many of his fellow journalists who are bleating about his supposed lack of "ethics" and "professionalism." One called his investigation of Lang "sexist."

Personally, I have no opinion about the kerfuffle beyond this: When it comes to the history of muckraking, 'twas ever thus. No one likes a boat-rocker. No one other than readers, that is.

The brouhaha over Brown reminded me of the attacks on one of my favourite investigative journalists, Jessica Mitford, who was christened "Queen of the Muckrakers" by Time Magazine in 1970. Being a transplanted British aristocrat, she had to look up the American term.

"I discovered that 'muckraker' was originally a pejorative coined by President Theodore Roosevelt to describe journalists like Lincoln Steffens and Ida Tarbell, who in his view had gone too far in exposing corruption in government and corporate enterprise," Mitford writes in the introduction to a collection of her articles, Poison Penmanship: The Gentle Art of Muckraking. "Thus the Oxford English Dictionary says, 'muckrake... is often made to refer generally... to a depraved interest in what is morally unsavoury or scandalous."

"I fear that does rather describe me," Mitford adds.  

And a good thing too. If you've buried a loved one at a reasonable price any time since the early 1960s it's likely you have Ms. Mitford to thank for it. Her investigation into the sleazy practices of the funeral trade led to a series of articles and a legendary book, The American Way of Death, which in turn led to legislation all over North America that put some constraints on those wily undertakers.

http://thetyee.ca/Mediacheck/2015/01/29/In-Praise-of-Muckrakers/

CBC Puts Reality TV Exec in Charge of New Radio

Donut Showdown producer plans to "push [radio] visually"

http://canadalandshow.com/article/cbc-puts-reality-tv-exec-charge-new-radio

NorthReport wrote:

Myself, I'm kinda glad Ghomeshi is no longer on the CBC radio, but to each their own I suppose.

Didn't read the article, did you?

That was Mitford's point, wasn't it.

Catchfire wrote:

Unionist, I am no fan of Jesse Brown, but that blog is a horrible piece of conspiracy theory, character assassination and reckless, irresponsible and confused journalism.

I thought the same when I read it - which is why I linked to it without comment. And I'm glad you said that. It hurled so much crap around that I honestly didn't know what to think.

I essentially agree.

I am not sure what is in there. And at a minimum it is hard to follow.

That said, its not just not liking Jesse Brown. And over the top self promotion is something I dont like- not in my books enough to condemn a person as someone I should not trust.

But its a good thing the case against Ghomesh is really strong anyway. [I'm talking about whether he deserves a chance at rescuing his public reputation, not the strength of the criminal charges against him.] Because Brown's narrative about him is pretty tainted. The component evidence will have to live or die on its merits, in other people's hands.

Catchfire, I am a fan of Jesse Brown because without him Ghomeshi would still be hosting Q and not exposed and taken down for his behavior with women.

What's not to like about that!

.

Catchfire wrote:

Unionist, I am no fan of Jesse Brown, but that blog is a horrible piece of conspiracy theory, character assassination and reckless, irresponsible and confused journalism.

Thanks Unionist

And it says in this article that she has covered national politics for the CBC. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/amy-macpherson/

Taking on the CBC's radio media darling sound quite courageous to me.

I suppose stopping Ghomeshi doesn't count for anything.

Unbelievable.

rhubarb wrote:

While it doesn't seem that Jesse Brown is pristine in character it appears to me to be a rather typical effort to make Jesse Brown the story rather than the misdeeds of CBC employees such as Amanda Lang or Peter Mansbridge

"Typical effort"... typical of whom or what? You seriously think this is some months-after-the-fact attempted whitewash by some powers-that-be? That seems far-fetched and very conspiratorial - unless you want to provide some evidence of links between the CBC and the whitewashers?

Sometimes tin foil is just tin foil, you know.

Bingo!

That is exactly what this is

CBC is seeking big time revenge against town

Thank goodness for people like Brown who have the courage to be David in this Goliath story

rhubarb wrote:

While it doesn't seem that Jesse Brown is pristine in character it appears to me to be a rather typical effort to make Jesse Brown the story rather than the misdeeds of CBC employees such as Amanda Lang or Peter Mansbridge