Covering the Struggle: Journalism in a Time of Crisis

Fundraiser and discussion on the legacy of movement journalism in Toronto and the path ahead, with The Grind's publisher & special guests

The global political crisis catalyzed by Israel’s siege on Gaza also revealed a crisis of journalism itself. Legacy outlets that have been applying a separate set of journalistic standards to Palestine for decades have shown their hand, with editorials downplaying war crimes to reframe a genocide, and moral panics portraying a mass movement for Palestinian liberation as “hateful.” While this might seem like an abrogation of their commitment to the truth, these outlets were built not only to uphold the status quo, but to actively construct it, while hiding behind the veneer of “objectivity.” So what is to be done?

Toronto has a long history of print publications working outside of that frame, embedding themselves in the movements of their time, and this discussion will put those histories in dialogue with the present.

Eric Mills will talk about The Clarion, a cooperative tabloid that covered the feminist organizing, rent control fights and union drives of the 70s and 80s that the city’s dailies had largely ignored. Megan Kinch will take us inside The Spoke, a broadsheet that covered everything from sweatshop conditions to Indigenous solidarity before going daily during the G20 summit to provide on-the-ground coverage of what would become the largest mass arrest in Canadian history. Inspired by the format of Toronto’s bygone alt weeklies like Now, with the unapologetically left perspective of movement media, The Grind has been covering the interconnections between local and international stories in a way that’s particular to Toronto and its communities. Publisher Dave Gray-Donald will take us through some local Palestine stories you won’t find elsewhere, from fact-checking mainstream coverage and detailing police repression to reflections from Palestinian Torontonians. The discussion will be led by Aliya Pabani, a media worker and organizer with No Arms in the Arts.      

How did these papers interact with the social movements of their times, and how can we build infrastructure for better journalism today, instead of begging corporate media for better?

There will be a Q&A, followed by a reception with light snacks in the lobby.

The Grind is in the middle of its $100,000 spring fundraising campaign to fund two full-time positions: publisher and arts & culture editor. Last fall, we received a generous boost that allowed us to temporarily hire two staff journalists, who helped produce quality stories that tripled our online readership. Having permanent staff will increase our grant eligibility and ensure that we can keep bringing approachable left coverage of movements and more to readers across Toronto. 

The venue is wheelchair accessible. We ask that attendees wear a mask (we will provide masks at the door) so the event can be attended by as much of our community as possible.

Tickets are suggested at $10 but you can pay whatever you can. Can’t make it? You can still donate to The Grind here.