A York study recommending higher welfare rates so that women can flee abusive relationships gained national media attention following a press conference April 5 at Queen’s Park. Canadian Press and Broadcast News spread the news to media across the country. In television coverage, the study’s findings were aired nationally on CBC and CTV news programs, and in Toronto on Global, City-tv and OMNI news, and on local stations in Toronto, Kitchener and Ottawa. CBC Radio in Toronto also mentioned the study on local programs. In print coverage April 6, the Globe and Mail mentioned the study and the Ottawa Citizen published an editorial based on it.
In its April 6 wire story, Canadian Press quoted Janet Mosher, a professor at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School and an author of the study. She said changes to the welfare system by the previous Ontario government have given more power to abusive men. “Very disturbingly, a lot of the women were taunted by their abusers saying ‘just try and leave, you won’t make it without me,’ ” Mosher said at the news conference. “And very sadly some women were not able to make it without him because they couldn’t survive on welfare benefits and they returned to abusive relationships.”
The Ricciardi Factor
The 2003 regular season had ended the previous day but plenty was still at stake last Sept. 29 as Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi appeared on The FAN 590’s radio morning show, reported the Toronto Star April 5. Ricciardi’s bosses desperately needed the baseball team’s 86-win campaign to be perceived in Toronto as a positive step, even though Toronto finished third for a sixth straight year. Warmly welcomed by studio hosts Pat Marsden and Don Landry, Ricciardi soon basked in an on-air love-in as caller after caller phoned in congratulations and heaped superlatives on him.
Richard Powers, who teaches sports marketing at York University, agreed the Ricciardi Factor is unique. “A friend and I were talking about how we could name every player on the Blue Jays championship teams, because their name recognition was so huge,” Powers told the Star. “Right now, [Ricciardi’s] name is all you see.” Powers isn’t sure whether that’s a good thing from a marketing perspective. “I find it odd that he has taken such a prominent role in the media,” he said. “Unless they’re trying to market him intentionally, I don’t know. There’s nothing wrong with him. He’s certainly articulate and he’s a great spokesman for the team. I would just think you would want to market players more.”
On air
- Fred Lazar, airlines expert and economics professor at York University’ Schulich School of Business, commented on the future of Air Canada as investor Victor Li withdraws, in an item aired on “CTV National News” April 5. He said: “There is a great opportunity for an investor, whether it’s Victor Li or some other group, to come in and make quite a handsome return on their investment over a three- to five-year period.” Lazar also discussed Pearson Airport’s New Terminal 1, on CBC Radio’s “Metro Morning” the same day.