As a result of the meetings with members of the Black community over the
controversial Afrocentric Schools cartoon, the Globe and Mail is making
an effort to diversfity their newsroom. Deputy Editor Sylvia Stead is
reaching out to CABJ members and encouraging them to apply for positions
in the following areas:

Students:

We hire about 20 summer staff each year to work as
vacation replacement. This is not an internship because those hired are
expected to work at the same level as any junior full time staff.
Newspapers must put out a great product six days a week, 52 weeks a year
and so the quality of the individual replacing those on vacation is key.
So we post at all the university journalism schools and all the major
school newspapers for reporters and editors and at art schools for
newspaper designers and photographers. We post in November and interview
and hire in December for the following summer. We receive about 500
applications for the posts so the competition is tough. As I mentioned
we feel we don't have enough diversity in our newsroom and would welcome
more applicants from a diverse background.

Here is the job description for reporters and editors, who comprise the
vast majority of the positions.

Editors:

We are looking for university graduates or third year students who have
experience in senior editing positions at the school newspaper or
experience editing at a daily newspaper. Applicants must have a strong
knowledge and awareness of current events, a high standard of grammar
and writing style and an appreciation of layout and presentation
principles. A copy editing test and current events quiz will be given to
all those interviewed.

Reporters:

We are looking for university graduates or third year students who have
experience at daily newspapers or senior experience at their university
newspapers as reporters. Applicants must have a strong knowledge and
awareness of current events, a high, proven standard of newspaper
writing in both breaking news and feature styles and an ability to work
independently. A current events quiz will be given to all those
interviewed.

To learn more about these positions, please visit the Globe & Mail's website at
www.theglobeandmail.com or contact the CABJ. 

As the marathon U.S. presidential primary race heads into the final
laps, the School of Journalism recently welcomed Boston Globe columnist
Derrick Z. Jackson to Ryerson University to deliver the 2008 Atkinson Lecture.

Direct from covering the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama
for the Democratic nomination, Jackson is uniquely positioned to bring
insight and perspective to Canadians about one of the most exciting
moments of recent memory in U.S. politics.

 "Every Canada will be affected in some way by the outcome of the U.S.
presidential election," said Ryerson Journalism chair Paul Knox.

Jackson, a columnist with the Globe since 1998, is a multiple winner of
awards for political and sports commentary from the National Association
of Black Journalists. He was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in
commentary in 2001 and has also been honoured by the National Education
Writers Association and the New England Division of the American Cancer
Society.

The Atkinson Lecture is supported by a generous endowment from The
Atkinson Charitable Foundation, established in 1942 by Joseph E.
Atkinson, publisher of the Toronto Star. Previous lectures include Kathy
Gannon, Kim Bolan, Michael Buerk, Mark Starowicz, Gwynne Dyer and Todd
Gitlin.

The 2008 Atkinson Lecture took place at the Eaton Lecture Theatre, Room 204 of the Rogers Communications Centre, 80 Gould Street, Toronto. 

Toronto (March, 2008) ---- A black reporter with a Toronto radio station has received a formal written apology from the North Toronto Memorial Areana after a probe determined one of the arena's employees uttered a racial slur.

In a letter to CFRB reporter Amber Gero, the chair of the arena's board said the arena employee's behaviour could be viewed as "intimidating'' and that what the employee said and did was unacceptable.

The letter said that disciplinary action was taken against the employee but no specifics were given. All the arena's employees will undergo diversity training, the letter said.

While Gero was on assignment Feb. 5, a heated exchange occurred between her and the employee after she was asked to leave the arena parking lot. Gero said she was called F**king N***r!  Although the City of Toronto owns the North Toronto Memorial Arena, a Board of Directors manages the arena.  The city instructed the Board to look into the matter. Board member Gordon Thompson says an independent investigator was retained to conduct a full investigation and report back to the board.

"I am pleased that the board moved swiftly to deal with this matter. Although the disciplinary action against the employee is not being made public, I will trust that he will be dealt with severely and made to understand that his behaviour and comments will not be tolerated in Canada in 2008,'' said CABJ President Fennella Bruce. 

As the leading media association for journalists of colour in Canada, the CABJ is dedicated to both diversifying Canada’s newsrooms and promoting journalism as a viable career for African-Canadian youth.