The North State

After a tumultuous year in Canadian federal politics, it seemed that the 2025 Parliamentary Press Gallery Dinner was geared for virality before it even began.Then NDP interim leader Don Davies stole the show with his self-deprecating humour. Pierre Poilievre stunned with his other-deprecating humour. But these moments lead us to assume that the relationship between politicians and the press is, after all is said and done, a cordial affair. This assumption blankets the dinner and leads to some questionable outcomes. Rachel Gilmore, independent journalist at Bubblepop Media, joins Scott to discuss her experience with the event, how it shows legacy journalism's coziness with politicians and how a room full of journalists laughing at jokes made at the expense of marginalized people may, in fact, be bad.Submit your questions for the Q&A here!Check out Bubble Pop with Rachel GilmoreFollow Rachel on Bluesky.Follow Scott on BlueskyIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiSources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/killjoys-ruin-parliamentary-press-gallery-dinner-ft-rachel-gilmore-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the course of the past two years, Jesse Brown, founder, editor and publisher at CANADALAND has lost the trust of many journalists in the industry, especially me. His behaviour and approach to journalism has shaken multiple contributors and former employees to the point where they have left his project. He has attempted to reconcile with this perception in the lead up to his new series, What Is Happening Here?, a podcast exploring antisemitism in Canada since the Oct. 7 attacks. In this interview, Scott poses difficult questions about the process and reception to his new podcast.CORRECTION: Scott refers to "nine percent" at one point when referring to the "nine times more likely" statistic. He also refers to a report by Statistics Canada comparing crime between the US and Canada with incorrect dates. The report (included in the sources for this episode) is from 1998 to 2023. We regret these errors.Submit your questions for the Q&A here!Follow Scott on BlueskyIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiSources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/accounts-and-accountability-ft-jesse-brown-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a move that was in the works for month, the UCP government in Alberta has invoked the notwithstanding clause to shield three bills from court challenges. These bills specifically target trans kids, requiring birth gender to enter sports after 12 years old, preventing them from using differing pronouns at school without parental permission and bans on medical treatment under 16 years of age. With such unprecedented use of the clause, it's important to have a discussion on the very real implications for trans people, kids and wider society. Mel Woods, senior editor at Xtra Magazine joins the show to discuss the approach by the government, the effect on trans kids and their article calling out premier Danielle Smith for dishonest justifications.Submit your questions for the Q&A here!Follow Mel on BlueskyCheck out Xtra MagazineFollow Scott on BlueskyIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiSources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/human-rights-trans-kids-notwithstanding-ft-mel-woods-podcast/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're a news nerd, a media freak, or some sort of schadenfreude savant, you're probably aware of the spectacular implosion of CANADALAND and its equally infamous leader, Jesse Brown. This week the network drops the first two episodes of a podcast examining antisemitism in Canada. To be blunt: hopes are not high. Nothing has been convincing that they should be, either. So why do we like talking about it? For this week's monologue, I dive into my latest critique, why I hope to focus less on CANADALAND in the future, and what news media critique means in a landscape without the indie giant.Submit your questions for the Q&A here!Follow Scott on BlueskyIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiSources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/monologue-post-canadaland-wasteland-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a week since the federal Liberals released the 2025 budget. In that time we've heard a lot of coverage, some useful, some not. In the first North State panel, we discuss the potential impacts in this budget, its massive investments in the military, abandonment of the environment and the complete lack of health considerations. Of course, the news media doesn't get away unscathed either. Karyn Pugliese (APTN News national affairs correspondent), Arshy Mann (co-founder and host at The Hatchet) and Ian Barclay (editor at Avant-Garde Press) join the show to dissect the budget and the news coverage surrounding it.The HatchetAvant-Garde PressKaryn's newsletterFollow Scott on BlueskyIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiSources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/panel-sifting-through-the-sludge-of-budget-2025-the-north-state-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's happened to all of us. We want to read an article, but the web page stops us in our tracks. We need a paid subscription, or to sign up for a newsletter, or contribute some meagre amount of money. It's one thing for an institution like CTV News, The Globe and Mail or the Toronto Star to expect a subscription, but for the last couple decades, news has had the expectation of being free. This has put journalists in an extremely precarious position, especially when they try to go out on their own. I spoke to Arshy Mann of independent podcast The Hatchet and Nicole Froio of The Flytrap, a worker-owned feminist publication, to talk about how journalists need money to live.Check out The HatchetFollow Arshy on BlueskyCheck out The Flytrap and their BlueskyFollow Nicole on BlueskyFollow Scott on BlueskyIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiSources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/the-pay-wall-of-it-all-the-north-state-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Five people are running to save the NDP from itself. Who are they? What are they promising? What's the point? Who cares anymore? Well despite the tremendous disappointment the NDP has been for the past decade (at least), they nevertheless take up a lot of space on the left-wing of Canadian politics. This week I delve into an analysis of the NDP's history as the "safer" option, their latest shifts to the right and what the actual point of a political party should be. Oh and then I talk about the current candidates and what we can expect under a new NDP leader, even in the best case scenario.Follow Scott on BlueskyIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiSources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/monologue-fine-lets-talk-about-the-ndp-leadership-race-the-north-state-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, CBC released their 2025-2030 plan, their hopes and aims for the next five years. Soon after, president and CEO Marie-Phillippe Bouchard appeared on the CBC podcast Front Burner for an interview with host Jayme Poisson. With Canada's public broadcaster being targeted by the right and an expectation to cut nearly $200 million from their budget under direction of the Carney government, how does the current climate play into the plan and Bouchard's public comments? Luke LeBrun, investigative journalist and editor at PressProgress, joins Scott to dive deep into this document, the CBC and an ultimately disappointing interview.Read the CBC's 2025-2030 strategy here.PressProgressFollow Luke on BlueskyFollow Scott on BlueskyIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiSources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/diving-into-cbcs-five-year-plan-ft-luke-lebrun-the-north-state-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Planning a wedding, having a wedding then a honeymoon, it'll be too busy, unfortunately. But I wanted to mark the one year mark of this show. Thank you to all who've listened, come on, and stuck with me through a tumultuous year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carney's latest trip to Europe highlighted Canada's commitment to militarism, including leaving the door open to Canadian boots on the ground in Ukraine. Billions of dollars for the military, extended missions in Latvia, commitments to buying arms for Ukraine, how is this all covered? Ian Barclay, editor-in-chief of Avant-Garde Press, journalist and Canadian Armed Forces veteran joins Scott to discuss rising militarism, news media's role in it and a more realistic picture of NATO and the Ukraine-Russia war that coverage doesn't include.Avant-Garde PressFollow Ian on BlueskyFollow Scott on BlueskyIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiSources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/news-media-and-carney-p-for-war-ft-ian-barclay-the-north-state-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the stories lately that regularly gets media attention (and deserved mockery) is Ontario premier Doug Ford's insistence that his government will initiate the process to build a tunnel underneath Highway 401. This tunnel, which is supposed to stretch from Mississauga to Scarborough, will apparently have three lanes ontop of each other. This will solve congestion, we're told. No, this isn't a joke. He's dead serious. Glyn Bowerman, journalist and host of the Spacing Radio podcast, joins Scott to discuss the political utility of Ford's fantastical tunnel, how the news media has hit the criticisms on the money, but how they omit Ford's posturing in the greater scheme of his tenure as premier of Ontario. Finally, they discuss a troubling bulletin from a deputy editor at La Presse.Check out Spacing RadioFollow Glyn on BlueskyFollow Scott on BlueskyIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiSources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/doug-fords-stupid-f-king-tunnel-ft-glyn-bowerman-the-north-state-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a lot for Scott lately. So rather than huddle into a ball, let's talk about what journalists have to face every day, and how it affects their reporting.Follow Scott on BlueskyIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiSources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The sheer scale of mass suffering and killings inflicted on Gaza by Israel is indescribable. In Canada, our news industry has been shaped by an orientalist approach, viewing Palestinians and those in the Middle-east as pitiable and inhuman. Using Edward Said's theory, journalist and researcher Sarah Samuel reflected how Canadian news has continued this racist and imperialist view in the context of Israel's genocide. Samuel joins The North State to explain the roots, approach and results of researching her article "Canadian Mainstream Media’s Orientalist Stance Towards Palestinians" in the Al Jazeera Journalism Review. She and Scott also discuss the mental health crisis going on behind the scenes in Canadian newsrooms.Follow Scott on BlueskyIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiSources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/canadian-news-medias-orientalism-ft-sarah-samuel-the-north-state-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the Canadian Breakdown Corporation this week on The North State. In a scathing email, former host of Canada Tonight Travis Dhanraj told CBC employees that he was "forced to resign," and condemned the atmosphere at the public broadcaster. Figures, since we were going to talk about an abysmal first-person article written by a convoy antivax Alberta separatist published at CBC News. Then, news compartmentalizes extremist CAF Facebook group away from supercharged military funding, what are they missing? Finally, Prime Minister Carney's been having high-level trade talks with President Trump. The only thing we know is that he caves at pretty much every turn. How are Canadians being served by this opaque conduction of trade talks? Independent Alberta journalist at The Orchard Jeremy Appel joins Scott to breakdown these stories.CORRECTION: Literally as we were recording, Trump sent out letters to delay tariffs again.Check out Jeremy's work at The Orchard.Follow Jeremy on Bluesky.Follow Scott on BlueskyIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiSources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/breakdown-back-at-it-again-at-cbc-ft-jeremy-appel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has made AI investment a massive pillar of his government's economic plan. He appointed a Minister of AI and Digital Innovation and he tied in a new department focusing on AI research in a massive military spending announcement. You'd think with such a push, news media would delve into what this materially translates to for the average Canadian. That hasn't been the case. Most coverage has been sparse, and in the military announcement, it was omitted in a lot of stories. Meanwhile the coverage we do get leans towards the tech industry's priorities. This week on The North State, Paris Marx writer, critic and host of the tech critical podcasts Tech Won’t Save Us and System Crash joins Scott to talk about the Liberal government's AI investments and the news media's inability to properly cover this new push.Check out Paris' podcasts: Tech Won't Save Us and System CrashCheck out Paris' newsletterFollow Paris on BlueskyFollow Scott on BlueskyIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiSources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/the-emperors-new-ai-economy-ft-paris-marx-the-north-state-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Indigenous consent is all well and good, you see, but why should we let that get in the way of resource extraction? Bills in BC, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia all aim at speeding up projects like mining for uranium and critical resources, pipelines or those in forestry, with Indigenous condemnation all the way. Meanwhile, Carney's Liberal Party is tabling similar legislation at the federal level, proposing to give cabinet almost complete control over deciding which projects can be rammed through. This week on The North State, Karyn Pugliese, instructor at Carleton University and National Affairs reporter for APTN joins Scott to shit talk the news. What do these bills mean, what will the response be, and how legacy news media has failed to paint the full picture.CORRECTION: Scott mentions an article by The Economist, this article was later withdrawn because editorial was "not satisfied with the sourcing."Check out Karyn's newsletter.Follow Karyn on BlueskyFollow Scott on BlueskyIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiSources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/this-isnt-canadas-land-ft-karyn-pugliese-the-north-state-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I gave a small, intimate presentation to a reading group in western Massachusetts after coordinating with one of their organizers. Graciously, they allowed me to record, so now you get to hear it here. This talk is more of a general overview about perception of news, which resources are best to cultivate a critical news eye, a critical examination of two events covered by the news, an overview of how settler-colonialism seeps into news and a brief alternate history of progressive journalism.This episode's photo is the one I presented at the end of my talk, just edited with "The North State" on it.Follow Scott on BlueskyIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiSources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Australians confirmed a massive majority for their Labor government, Canadian journalists and pundits agreed: anyone who compared the two is a genius. Now that the dust has settled, it's important to not move past lessons we can learn from each other. Half-victory lap, half-cogent analysis, this week on The North State is a closing of the discussion begun on The Down Under State to compare each country's respective elections and what each of us can learn about the current political moment. Mitch Alexander, co-host of the Australian Radical Online Leftist Pipeline podcast, PhD candidate and vocalist of metal band Eye Of The Enemy, rejoins Scott to talk Dutton and Poilievre's loss, Labor and Liberals' gain and a surprising carbon tax connection.Clarification: I mentioned the Bloc Quebecois being a factor in the 90s Liberal landslide but did not make it clear that the Reform Party, which was the right-wing Western split of the Progressive Conservative federal party, contributed greatly to the change in the electoral landscape, moreso than the Bloc.Check out ROLP on YouTubeMitch’s Blog: PhilisophicaOnly Equals Negotiate by Eye of the EnemyFollow Scott on BlueskyIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiSources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/what-canadians-can-learn-from-australias-election-ft-mitch-alexander-the-north-state-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rebel Media and other right-wing figures dominated the discourse around the two leadership debates this election. After disproportionately representing their perspective in the French-language scrum, their behaviour completely disrupted and stopped the scrum after the English-language debate. It's not a one-off occurrence, this is only going to get worse. This week on The North State, Scott walks through the effect of the Online News Act on Canadian's news habits, how the broader right-wing shift has deteriorated the average Canadian's news diet, what implications this has for our politics and how there is no plan to fix this from any party. Fun stuff!Follow Scott on BlueskyIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiSources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/our-decaying-news-ecosystem-is-a-political-problem-the-north-state-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Federal elections are the equivalent of sports championships for politics/journalism nerds the world over. But this election felt different. Journalism covering the federal parties has been... not great. The decaying state of media, mounting attacks from the right-wing and a complete lack of imagination have all coalesced into a complete garbage fire. Average Canadians are not being served by our legacy media, leaving independent outlets to pick up some of the slack. But independent outlets can't carry the burden of decaying material conditions, reactionary social movements and indifferent rhetorical support. Nora Loreto, freelance journalist, author and host of the Sandy and Nora and the Daily News podcast joins Scott to review the quality of news media reporting on the electoral campaign.Check out Nora Loreto's workFollow Nora on BlueskyCanada In Decline Book Two: Corporate ControlFollow Scott on BlueskyIntro Music: Vigilante - Cross DogArtwork by Zo at Studio BonjourhiSources and further reading:https://readthecatch.ca/grading-journalisms-election-performance-ft-nora-loreto-the-north-state-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.