When I first launched this newsletter, I honestly didn’t know what to expect.
As I outlined in the first instalment, what you’re reading is mostly the result of a longstanding frustration with our local media ecosystem. As I’ve learned, there are plenty of others that’ve been grumbling along with me. At the same time that trust in mainstream media is dwindling, our collective appetite for critical, honest, and unsparing journalism is soaring. This leads me to believe that the root of the problem is supply and not demand.
Luckily, I’ve had some opportunities to do freelance writing for a weekly local newspaper that’ll be familiar to most locals: Sault This Week. If you’ve been enjoying my research and writing, be sure to keep an eye out for more stories there (and click the link above for previous ones).
In general, I’ve tried not to duplicate those stories, but a few will inevitably wind up here. There are a few specific ones that require a deep dive and/or follow-up, so you can look forward to those.
It’s been a great experience working with a local outlet and my only regret is not having enough spare time to dedicate to the gig. The last year has included finishing my PhD, moving to Kingston for a two-year contract to teach and research, and welcoming a new child into the world. Thankfully, the stories here (and at Sault This Week) are both exciting and what’s desperately missing from existing outlets, so they mostly write themselves.
This is a short post that’s intended to give readers a sense of what to expect going forward.
First, I’m happy to announce that this newsletter will start releasing occasional podcasts. Over the past few months, I created a podcast about free expression with the Centre for Constitutional Studies. That series will debut next month and includes 11 episodes featuring interviews with a diverse and eclectic group of legal academics and experts. Working on the series has made me realize that picking other peoples’ brains is really fun and it’s also a medium that complements traditional news stories.
The first podcast episode for Breaking the Taboo will focus on the poverty of local news with a specific look at Northern Ontario. I’ll connect with some experts to help explain why local news is so vital for democracy. We’ll also discuss how they’re both suffering at the moment, and then highlight some promising developments despite the various challenges.
Next, there are a number of really good stories that I’m working on, some of which include new data collection and analysis.
The next (third) instalment of A Toxic Legacy will be released in the next few weeks, and that one will wade through a massive trove of records related to Noront’s proposed ferrochrome smelter project in Sault Ste. Marie. The records released by the City of Sault Ste. Marie - after approximately one year of appeals and delays - show what many had suspected but might not be able to prove: the sheer power of corporate propaganda and the lack of due diligence in municipal policymaking.
In the fall, I’ll also be launching a new series that I mentioned earlier. It doesn’t have a name yet, but it’s focused on police accountability and transparency. I’ve written a few stories about the issue already, but this new series will be a real deep dive and some of the stories will be jarring. A part of the background research for the project has been featured in other outlets, so definitely stay tuned for more developments.
The other two big stories on my plate are more akin to mini-projects. One is a local political donation database and the other is an analysis of Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) funding.
The former project is something that I’ve been working on for a long time. If you’re from Northern Ontario, you’ve probably heard of NOHFC in the context of public funding announcements. Using a list of previous recipients of funding from the program, I’ll do some number crunching to see if these public investments are meeting the program’s goals and serving Northern Ontario well. We’re constantly hearing about government efforts to spur economic development and create jobs, so this project will assess whether or not public investments in Northern Ontario are actually effective.
The latter project is likewise something that I’ve been working on for a long time. There’s some publicly accessible data related to campaign donations in provincial and federal elections. When researching previous stories, I got the idea of pulling some of this data together into one place to see who the most generous political donors are in a local context. The data can tell us a lot about public policy, as there’s sometimes a link between generous political donations and receiving public funding. I’ll do some number crunching and display the data in an accessible way, and then follow up with a few stories about what the data can tell us about political campaigns and public policy.
My major project over the summer is finally finishing a book that I’m writing for the University of Toronto Press. Partially based upon the research I conducted for my PhD dissertation, the book is about free expression on university campuses and the politics of higher education. Stories from campus are all over the headlines lately, so for those of you that are trying to make sense of contemporary politics, campus is a good place to start.
Like much of my research and writing, it’s something that will appeal to an academic audience and the general public alike. It’s also semi-journalistic in the sense that the research process entails immersion in the key issues and connecting with a range of relevant stakeholders. I make plenty of arguments about how we ought to approach free expression on campus, but I think the bulk of the book will instead provide a window for understanding a contested space for the perplexed onlooker.
Finishing the book will include me going into a writing vault for a good part of the summer, but I’ll still be working on projects related to the newsletter and mostly keeping up the same pace.
I want to end by thanking all of you for reading along so far. If you’ve appreciated some of the stories over the previous year, please consider a financial contribution (you can add a donation by clicking ‘subscribe’ below).
Donations help to defray the cost of freedom of information requests, some of which are expensive, and they also allow for a coffee or pint amid labour-intensive research and writing. As promised, all of the content generated here will be publicly accessible and without a paywall. Your support - including donations, likes, and shares - will assist in growing the newsletter’s reach and supporting independent media in the public interest.
Most importantly, wherever you are, I hope you’re enjoying some well-deserved rest and relaxation over the summer!