Tag Archives: Books

Manipulating the message: Public relations consultants outnumber journalists 14 – 1 in Canada

Editor’s note: This story is of interest because of the light it shines on the modern media.

Emmanuel Nwaneri,  New Canadian Media, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

If you’ve noticed a shift in the news over the last two decades, it’s likely caused by two things: A massive drop in the number of Canadian reporters and a correspondingly huge surge in the number of spin doctors.

According to journalist-author Cecil Rosner, the number of active reporters in Canada by 2021 has shrunk to about 11,000 from about 13,000 in 1991. In this 20-year period, the number of public relations consultants has increased from about 24,000, to about 160,000 – a ratio of 14 – 1 vis-à-vis publicists and reporters, Rosner says.

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Robert Bringhurst on local history, science, poetry, the ridge where he lives and much more

On Saturday Robert Bringhurst (RB) brings his own brand of literature, local history, science and humour to the stage of the Quadra Community Centre. He just gave Cortes Currents a taste in a rambling conversation that at one point went off topic to include remarks about Cortes Island, Campbell River and Whistler. Bringhurst started out by describing his intentions in the epic description of ‘the Ridge’ on Quadra Island where he lives.    

RB: “I wanted to make good poetry out of, among other things, good science. I wanted  to walk the ridge and relish it as one does without any thought of scientific measurement or accuracy, but I also wanted to think about it as a real place in historical time and to look at the species in relation to other species on the planet, and at the rocks in relation to other rocks. I began to wonder how much biology, geology, astronomy and climatology I could put in this poem without sinking it. The answer turned out to be quite a bit.” 

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The Ridge: A World-Premier Public Reading

Sierra Quadra is honoured to present a reading of The Ridge by its Quadra author, Robert Bringhurst, at the Quadra Community Centre, Saturday, October 21st, 7:30 pm, doors open at 7:00 pm.

The Ridge is not only an epic historical and environmental portrait of Heriot Ridge on Quadra Island, but this profoundly poetic reading is also a major literary event with one of the foremost writers and thinkers who is presently being published.

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Special Events this month at the Cortes Island Museum & Wild Cortes

The Cortes Island Museum is offering a full slate of special events this month

They start at 1 PM this Saturday, Aug 5, with Jewellery Identification. People are being invited to bring their own pieces. 

“I’ve got a small collection and  I’m going to at least bring some things that I have that I think are interesting.  We can go over the different types of materials, a little bit of the process of manufacturing and also go over the gems that are commonly found within pieces. We  even talk about  the time periods that the pieces have come from, as their stylistic choices in manufacturing basically,” explained Events Coordinator, Alex Woywitka.

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The Cortes Island Museum AGM, Upcoming Garden and Studio Tour & search for an Events Coordinator

The Cortes Island Museum just held its AGM. They have hired two summer students, plan to hire an Events Coordinator, and are gearing up for the Creative Spaces Garden and Studio Tour this summer. These are the topics that Managing Director/Curator Melanie Boyle discussed with Cortes Currents. 

The Museum AGM was at Mansons Hall, from 1 to 3:30 on Saturday May 6, 2023.

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