Obiter Dicta Issue 7 - November 24, 2015

Volume 88   |   Issue 7  |  obiter-dicta.ca The Definitive Source for Osgoode News since 1928 Tuesday, November 24, 2015 THE ROLE OF MEDIA THE CULTURE OF RESPONDING TO TRAGEDIES ê The picture depicts the large crowd of Torontonian supporters that gathered in Nathan Phillips Square on Saturday November 14th to show camaraderie with the families of those affected by the terrorist shootings in Paris, France at this difficult time.  Photo credit: blogTO.com christina candea › contributor W hen tragedies, like the recent terrorist shooting in Paris, France occur the world seems to pause in shock. Articles from online news sources, as well as national tabloids and television programs begin broadcasting ‘breaking live news’ coverage of the scene that continues for hours after the event has ceased. Social media networks are flooded with wellmeaning hash-tags and messages of sympathy and condolences; the same pictures are ‘shared’ countless times, with thousands of ‘likes’ thrown around the web. It is not always clear whether people take part in this social media campaign because they truly care about the tragedy that took place in another part of the globe, or whether they are simply swept up by the wave of empathetic sentiments that flood their social media feeds and don’t want to be left out. I understand the role of the media not only as a reflection of the culture of our country, but also as a tool that shapes and propagates our values. As such, when I arrived home Friday evening and noticed that the CBC was broadcasting prolonged coverage of the tragedies in Paris, I couldn’t help but ultimately be insulted on behalf of all of the human suffering in non-Western nations that were not being reported. The anchor was spitting out statistics such as, “this is the largest attack on Paris since World War II” to seemingly fill airtime, as there was no development happening on the screen. However, the cameras continued rolling, even though all that could be seen now were stationary emergency vehicles on the scene. I felt offended, as other Canadians likely did, that the CBC would choose to fixate on a tragedy that occurred in » see tragedies, page 19 In this Issue ... editorial Uber Innovation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 news Paul Bernardo Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 opinion Afghan Sex Slaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 arts & culture TV L Rev . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 sports Toronto Blue Jays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17