#richardmatern

[dlsphjournalism]

THE GLOBE AND MAIL--It’s time to fix Canada’s national tax-filing gap for the vulnerable

BY RICHARD MATERN (FGJ ‘14) - By now, Canadians are well into one of their most dreaded chores: filing their taxes. What makes it palatable for many is the potential tax return waiting for them on the other side. READ MORE.

[dlsphjournalism]

TORONTO STAR -- Turning experts into journalists, with a ‘big cognitive shift’

BY CATHERINE WALLACE - “You hear people saying, ‘You can’t teach news judgment, it comes after years and years and years,’” says Robert Steiner. “And I disagree. Some people will get it more than others, but you actually can teach news judgment.” What Steiner is doing, as director of the Munk fellowship in global journalism at the University of Toronto, is teaching it not to students but to specialists — people who already have a career or profession or background in a particular area. READ MORE

[dlsphjournalism]

MAYTREE - A journalist’s instinct – making social policy newsworthy

BY RICHARD MATERN (FGJ ‘14) - As the gaps in our social safety net get wider, and inflation outpaces income, a growing number of people are getting left behind and have to get help from organizations that support people in need. More and more, the non-profit sector is stepping in where the government and the private sector are stepping out.As the director of research and communications at Daily Bread Food Bank, the largest food charity in Toronto and part of a network of neighbourhood food banks and meal programs, I see thousands of people every year who simply can’t afford food. READ MORE