Now on J-Source: Michael Rafferty, Tori Stafford and the media: Making sense of it all; Cameras in court; Google Spreadsheets tutorial

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Mar 21, 2012, 05:46 ET

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**SPECIAL ISSUE: THE MEDIA AND MICHAEL RAFFERTY'S MURDER TRIAL**

Town Hall
Of reporting Tori Stafford's final day, news organizations take different approaches
Let's face it: There is no easy way to report on a trial in which the details of the rape and murder of eight-year-old Tori Stafford are given. Belinda Alzner looks at the dichotomy between the public's reaction to the coverage and news organizations' understanding of their duty to report it and explains how and why some have decided to take different approaches.
Link to article

Field Notes
As it happens: Tweeting from the Rafferty murder trial
James Armstrong from Global News is one of the many journalists tweeting from the Michael Rafferty trial. So how do you keep journalistic checks, balances, and integrity in check--and decide in a matter of seconds what horrific details of an eight-year-old's rape and murder to share with the public? It's just as challenging as it sounds.
Link to article

Town Hall
On Rafferty, McClintic and their role in Tori Stafford's final day: How much detail is too much?
We asked how you felt about the local and national media's handling of Michael Rafferty's trial thus far, especially in the context of tweeting Terri-Lynne McClintic's gruesome testimony last week. Belinda Alzner explains the arguments for and against providing details in such a sensitive case.
Link to article

ALSO ON J-SOURCE THIS WEEK:

Law
Courts in the viewfinder: B.C. proposal sparks debate on wider camera access
Allowing cameras in the courtrooms of criminal trials have some journalists saying it's a threat to their livelihood. But as Alexandra Posadzki reports, it could also be used as a tool to increase public interest in court stories, and even create more demand for reporters in this field.
Link to article

Computer-Assisted Reporting
Data journalism basics with Google spreadsheets
In the first of a series of video tutorials on data journalism tools, J-Source's Computer Assisted Reporting editor Fred Vallance-Jones goes over how to use a Google spreadsheets to do some basic sorting and summing of information from the Internet.
Link to article

THE BIG ISSUE

Bell's plan to acquire Astral has once again raised the question: does media concentration concern you? Bell has been expanding steadily in recent years. Will their plan take Quebec the way of New Brunswick? Consumer advocates are expressing concern about the latest move, but it's a longstanding issue. Media concentration was the focus of CRTC hearings in 2007, to little effect. Meanwhile, media moguls have been populating Canada's rich list. In the multi-platform age, cross-ownership is an increasingly significant related matter. You will find a good backgrounder on the issues here.