“The future is bright”: Or is journalism becoming increasingly shallow in the satellite age? The Sept. 20 National Post carried an article by James Cowan of a debate between National Post columnist David Frum and CBC producer Mark Starowicz over the future of journalism.
The event was part of the first annual Canadian Media Research Consortium (CMRC) lecture. The CMRC is a partnership between York, Ryerson and Laval universities and the University of British Columbia, dedicated to research on Canadian media. Here are excerpts from Cowan”s article:
“The debate at Ryerson University… was a battle between Tigger and Eeyore, according to one of its participants, with National Post columnist David Frum playing the role of the enthusiastic feline and CBC producer Mark Starowicz casting himself as a gloomy donkey.
“The two men were participants in the first annual…CMRC lecture, which took place in front of an audience of journalism students and media luminaries on Wednesday evening. Knowlton Nash, former anchor of The National, was in the crowd, while Trina McQueen, former president of CTV, introduced the debaters. William Thorsell, former editor of The Globe and Mail, served as the evening”s moderator….
“In his opening salvo, Frum contended that, while conventional wisdom holds the media is currently faltering, there are numerous signs that “journalism is doing great” and that “the future is bright.”
“Starowicz seemed less excited. He began his remarks by contending that modern journalism is becoming shallower and more sensationalistic.
For the complete article see the September 20 National Post, page PM2, Section: Post Movies.