Getting Away With Murder
Fall 2002

Table of contents

FEATURES

First Word
Why we’re devoting a special edition of Media magazine to computer-assisted and investigative journalism.
By David McKie .

Journalismnet
New search engines may force Google to look over its shoulder.
By Julian Sher

Getting Away With Murder
A database helped CBC Television reporter Natalie Clancy uncover new information about the rash of murders in Vancouver’s Indo-Canadian community.

Race Matters
A controversial series by The Toronto Star used computer-assisted reporting to reach disturbing conclusions about the way Toronto police treat blacks.
By David Akin

Crossing The 49th
American and Canadian investigative journalists recently gathered in Vancouver to attend the first-ever conference called Crossing the 49th: Investigative Journalism Techniques from Both Sides of the Border.
By Daniel Pi

Taking Notes
During a Media magazine asked journalism student Anita LaRoche to record her impressions of Reconnaissance Mission Crossing the 49th: Investigative Journalism Techniques from Both Sides of the Border. Now it’s time to read her notebook.

DEPARTMENTS

Retrospective
What major stories did we underplay in 2002?
By Tabassum Siddiqui and Ish Theilheimer

Foreign Affairs
Afghanistan media outlets are trying to restore themselves in the face of daunting obstacles — including government censorship.
By Don North

Opinion
Just how useful are the Web-based polls newspapers use?
By Donald Dawson

Computer-Assisted Reporting:
With the right software, you can liberate your PDF files.
By Fred Vallance-Jones

Books Briefly
In an information-rich world of content providers, there’s a greater demand for storytellers. That’s where journalists enter the picture.
By Gillian Steward

Book Reviews
Getting the most out of online journalism.
Review by Julian Sher

A guide to Canada’s Access to Information law.
Review by Julian Sher

King Ralph spins a familiar tale about a politician who has perpetuated his own myth.
Review by Jim Cunningham

The Bookshelf
Some of the best computer-assisted and investigative books in Canada and the United States all in one place.

Writer’s Toolbox
Resist the temptation to overwhelm readers, viewers and listeners with numbers.
By Don Gibb

Ethics
Did a Chicago columnist who crusaded on behalf of abused kids deserve to get fired for having sex with a teenage subject?
By Nick Russell

Tools Of The Trade
Technology makes it easy for journalists on the fly to store information electronically.
By Saleem Khan

The Last Word
Many mainstream media outlets ignored a book on Canada’s spy agency that should have generated a national discussion.
By Jim Bronskill