Now on J-Source: Sun Media cuts 200 jobs; Diversity of media ownership non-existent in Canada; J-Source launches new photojournalism section

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Dec 05, 2013, 11:52 ET

TORONTO, Dec. 5, 2013 /CNW/ -

FEATURES

Sun Media cuts 200 jobs
Sun Media announced it will cut approximately 200 positions across the company, of which one quarter will come from editorial. These latest cuts follow another 360 job losses earlier this year, in addition to the closure of eight publications and three free dailies. Associate editor Tamara Baluja reports.

Diversity of media ownership literally non-existent in Canada
The fewer the media outlets, the fewer choices Canadian journalists have in terms of full-time, part-time and freelance employment. Dwayne Winseck, director of the Canadian Media Concentration Research Project and Carleton University journalism professor, says the content produced by journalists is being undervalued as consolidation through acquisition puts media companies in debt. Paul Fontaine reports.

Why we should care when a community newspaper shuts down
Many scholars argue the importance of community journalism to democracy and citizenship, often separately from the business decisions. The historic tension between public service and economics is longstanding. But what if there is another set of lenses beyond journalism, political economy, communications theory and other traditional disciplines to shed light on the significance of news media in rural Canada? Innovation editor Rob Washburn reports in this three-part series on the value of community journalism.

Catching up with the photojournalist behind the iconic Oka standoff photo
The University of Regina's Mark Taylor will edit a new section dedicated to exploring issues about photojournalism in Canada and offering tips and advice from some of the best in the business. We're launching this section with a Q&A with photographer Shaney Komulainen, who took the iconic shot of a Mohawk warrior in a standoff with a Canadian soldier at the Kanesatake reserve in Oka, Que. It's a behind-the-scenes look at how Komulainen got the shot and how her life has changed since then.

The Unknowable Country: Why aren't journalists pushing governments for more transparency?
Canada's newspaper editorial writers and columnists seem reluctant to discuss the country's problematic access-to-information system. The Unknowable Country columnist Sean Holman wants to know why.

J-Source and ProjetJ move to a new financial structure in January
While all of the financing is not yet in place to cover the Canadian Journalism Project's three-year transition to a not-for-profit entity, we are close enough to our goal to be confident that we can launch the new structure for J-Source/ProjetJ successfully in January, writes CJP publisher Christopher Waddell.

J-Source is putting together a list of the top Canadian journalism and media stories of 2013. Send us your suggestions at [email protected].

IN THE NEWS

EVENTS CALENDAR

J-Source and ProjetJ are projects of the Canadian Journalism Foundation in collaboration with leading journalism schools and organizations.

CJF News: Check out the event report for last week's J-Talk on celebrity journalism: Guilty Pleasure or Real News? with photos, liveblog and more.

Save the date: On January 23, the CJF J-Talk will focus on the latest in newspaper business strategies with Phillip Crawley, publisher of The Globe and Mail; John Cruickshank, publisher of the Toronto Star; Gerry Nott, senior vice-president of the Eastern region for Postmedia Network; André Pratte, editorial pages editor for La Presse; and moderator Joshua Benton, director of the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University. More details available soon at www.cjf-fjc.ca/j-talks.