Nil Köksal new host of CBC's World Report

Nil Köksal has been appointed the new host of World Report, the CBC’s flagship morning radio newscast, the network has announced. Her most-recent post has been as the CBC News correspondent, based in Istanbul, Turkey. She has covered a wide range of stories from political
upheaval and violence to the cultural dynamics of life in Turkey.Most recently, Nil was part of the CBC News team reporting from the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. As her  predecessor David Common, she will continue to write and report as well as host World Report.

Murdered Slovakian journalist Jan Kuciak buried as thousands march in his honour

Slovaks have paid a final farewell to Jan Kuciak, an investigative journalist who was shot dead with his fiancee, with the archbishop declaring that everyone in the nation now wanted to know about Italian mafia influence thanks to Kuciak's reporting.A funeral Mass for Kuciak was held at the church of Saint Francis of Assisi in the town of Stiavnik in western Slovakia, with his parents, friends and fellow journalists packing the aisles.The bodies of 27-year-old Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova were found on Sunday in their house in the town of Velka Maca, east of the capital, Bratislava. They had planned to get married in May.
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The red tape behind the Bruce McArthur tapes

What began as a seemingly simple request for an audio recording of alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur’s 2003 court appearances become a convoluted and frustrating odyssey for the Star's legal affairs reporter Jacques Gallant.

The Star's Kenyon Wallace writes anbout it. Excerpt:

"But instead of providing the recordings of the 2003 McArthur proceedings on CD, the court reporters’ office gave him two cassette tapes. Gallant would need a Sony BM-246, a special tape recorder used in court, to listen to them.
“'It’s like this massive machine straight out of the ’80s. We certainly did not have one of those at the Star and I wasn’t really sure where we’d get one,' Gallant said.
"Trying another approach, Gallant’s editor, Matt Carter, sent out a mass email to Star staff asking: 'Does anyone in the newsroom have a standard, 1980s-style cassette player on hand? (Or in their car?)'
“'Colleagues started coming forward with cassette players caked in dust that had literally been sitting on their desks for years,' said Gallant.
"After about half an hour, a working cassette player was found. However, Gallant said the voices on the recordings sounded like chipmunks and were unintelligible.
"By then it was 6 p.m., just three hours from deadline and editors were keen to get the story if there was compelling material on the recordings.
Free audio software found on the internet proved to be the ticket. It slowed the audio on the tapes so Gallant could understand what was said in court."
(The Ontario court system is not reporter friendly. It's a wonder that media put up with it. They should be making a fuss.--ED)
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Thunder Bay newspaper apologizes for 'inconsiderate' headline on story about egg attacks on 2 men

Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal has apologized for a headline on a story about eggs reportedly being thrown at two Indigenous men from passing vehicles.
The Thursday print edition headline in the newspaper referenced an "egg toss" and that the incidents have police "scrambling." The Assembly of First Nations said the headline was "offensive and insensitive," and called for an apology.
On Friday, the front page of the newspaper's print edition included an apology for the "poor choice of words."
"A story about egg throwing incidents on the front of Thursday's paper used wording that was insensitive," read a statement under a heading that said "apology to our readers."
"The play on words was inappropriate for a story about a criminal attack and was inconsiderate, particularly to the victims in these attacks."
Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day said it was an inappropriate headline, given the history of First Nations people being hit by eggs and other items thrown from passing vehicles.

Toronto Star narrows losses

The Globe and Mail's Susan Krashinsky Robertson reports:

"Cost-cutting initiatives helped Torstar Corp. to narrow its losses in 2017, as revenue continued to decline.

"The company, which owns daily newspapers including the Toronto Star and The Hamilton Spectator, as well as community papers and websites, reported fourth-quarter and full-year financial results on Wednesday. It had operating revenue of $615.7-million for 2017, down 11 per cent from $685.1-million in the prior year. The company's net loss for the year was $29.3-million, an improvement from a $79.9-million loss in 2016.

"For the three months ended Dec. 31, 2017, Torstar reported segmented operating revenue of $189.5-million, down 9.2 per cent from the fourth quarter of 2016. Net income from continuing operations was $7.8-million, or 10 cents a share, up from $0.7-million or 1 cent a share a year earlier. The improvement was largely a result of reductions in costs, as well as the benefit of a digital media tax credit."

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