Raise the Hammer
A Train to Inclusion?
Lil Blume and Stephen Dale examine the coming of light rail transit in Hamilton, Ontario, with an eye on the question of how transit planning and the quest for social equality might intersect.
by Lil Blume and Stephen Dale
Published March 19, 2018 in Media (0 comments)
Joey Coleman and The Public Record Deserve Your Support
Strong, principled, independent media voices like Coleman's are more important than ever as the epochal convulsion of the global media landscape continues to surge through Hamilton.
by Ryan McGreal
Published December 15, 2017 in Media (0 comments)
Criticism is Essential but False Fact Claims Don't Help
Thoughtful criticism is essential for good public policy and the newspaper is absolutely right to publish a variety of arguments looking at any given issue from different perspectives.
by Ryan McGreal
Published May 15, 2017 in Media (11 comments)
Hamilton Spectator Should Fact-Check Op-Ed Submissions
Anyone who is unwilling to ensure that the fact claims they make are actually true doesn't deserve to be published in a newspaper in the first place.
by Ryan McGreal
Published May 04, 2017 in Media (16 comments)
Vague, Arbitrary Tribunal Broadcast Policy Enables Abuse
The city's broadcast policy for quasi-judicial tribunals should be clear, it should be consistent, it should strike a reasonable balance between competing rights, and it should be applied fairly and consistently.
by Ryan McGreal
Published March 10, 2017 in Media (1 comment)
The Public Record Kicked Out of City Hall Public Meeting for 'Broadcasting' By Tweeting
TPR was ordered to leave a public meeting of the Property Standards Committee today after the City Hall objected to the use of Twitter in the public gallery.
by Joey Coleman
Published March 07, 2017 in Media (11 comments)
How to Watch the Official City of Hamilton Livestream
Three easy steps to watch the city's Council and committee meeting livestream on almost any computer or phone platform.
by Joey Coleman
Published February 16, 2017 in Media (2 comments)
Where to Draw the Line: Censorship and Self-Censorship in Canadian Newspaper Editorial Cartooning
The old rule set by the late Bob Bierman still applies. One must be fearless and have nerves of steel to go after the powerful and the ridiculous.
by Paul Weinberg
Published October 31, 2016 in Media (0 comments)
CHCH All-Day Experiment Lessons Will Help Save Local TV
There are lessons to be learned from CHCH's experiment. Let's hope they don't give up and once this restructuring is complete, they get back to innovating, albeit it on a smaller scale.
by Joey Coleman
Published December 15, 2015 in Media (24 comments)
The Frozen Goose Film Project: A Few DOs and DON'Ts of Crowdfunding
I've learned a few things that might be useful to others thinking of using this means as a way to raise funds for a passion project.
by Margaret Lindsay Holton
Published September 10, 2015 in Media (20 comments)
Speaking Notes from Media Panel
Speaking notes from my presentation at the first annual Hamilton Independent Media Awards panel discussion on media and democracy.
by Ryan McGreal
Published June 24, 2015 in Media (9 comments)
The Boob Tube: Three Generations Talk TV
How many thoughts, really, are of our own making these days? And does it really matter anymore?
by Margaret Lindsay Holton
Published May 13, 2015 in Media (26 comments)
A Recent History of 'The Hammer' in Print
These days it is common to refer to Hamilton as 'The Hammer', but the term has not been in use for very long.
by Ryan McGreal
Published May 07, 2015 in Media (13 comments)
Hamilton Not Doing That Badly on Air Quality
Hamilton can do more to improve local air quality, but the CBC Hamilton article claiming we are "lagging behind" is misleading.
by Nicholas Kevlahan
Published April 17, 2015 in Media (11 comments)
Funding Watchdog Journalism and the 1% Internet Rule: My Plan to Become Sustainable and Grow
Watchdog journalism is a public good. Everyone benefits from it, and we need to work together to fund it for everyone's benefit to ensure we have a strong society.
by Joey Coleman
Published February 24, 2015 in Media (6 comments)
Vision: Hamilton's Touchstone
A vision is a blueprint for where you're going, how you plan on getting there, and how you'll behave along the way.
by Graham Crawford
Published February 16, 2015 in Media (25 comments)
Five Ways to Gain Power and Fight City Hall by Supporting Joey Coleman
With the arrival of Joey Coleman, the dark ages have ended. This is why you need to support Joey's work.
by Chris Erskine
Published June 04, 2014 in Media (2 comments)
Participate in the Your CBC Hamilton Survey
Now is a good time to engage citizens again on how well the CBC digital service is serving Hamiltonians and how it might improve.
by Sonja Macdonald
Published May 21, 2014 in Media (6 comments)
Doing Media Differently
Let's strengthen our bond as storytellers, develop a deep sense of respect for what each individual brings forward and help each other grow as one flourishing creative community.
by Michael Canton
Published February 21, 2014 in Media (3 comments)
Support Joey Coleman's Crowdfunding for Independent Journalism in Hamilton
The city's best-known independent journalist has made it his mission to cast a bright, steady light on City Hall, and he needs your support.
by Ryan McGreal
Published January 06, 2014 in Media (5 comments)
Why Joey Coleman Deserves Your Donation
Joey Coleman's commitment to free and open news, focus on information that matters and dedication to citizen engagement enrich our community are worth supporting.
by Gavin Schulz
Published March 11, 2013 in Media (18 comments)
Dialogue Partners Apologizes for Mistakes, Defends Qualifications
The company behind last week's public engagement fiasco apologizes for its missteps and defends its qualifications as an internationally recognized communications facilitator.
by Ryan McGreal
Published January 14, 2013 in Media (15 comments)
Hamilton's Plan for Bold Engagement Derailed but not Diminished
Hamiltonians should focus upcoming discussions on how to move forward in reforming the local budget process without losing sight of the values on which this engagement project was built.
by Lisa Marie Williams
Published January 14, 2013 in Media (4 comments)
The Silver Linings of a PR Fiasco
In the wake of the Our Voice, Our Hamilton debacle, silver linings are already starting to show. We've seen the power of social media wake up an entire city to demand better from our representatives.
by Dave Heidebrecht
Published January 10, 2013 in Media (37 comments)
City Orders Consultant to Pull Down Our Hamilton Website
The City just announced it has ordered Dialogue Partners to take down the 'Our Voice, Our Hamilton' website over offensive content.
by Ryan McGreal
Published January 09, 2013 in Media (35 comments)
Does Your Outrage Feel Managed Yet?
A real apology explicitly acknowledges the nature and severity of the error, expresses real regret for causing harm, asks for forgiveness, and offers to make amends. The Dialogue Partners statement fails on all counts.
by Ryan McGreal
Published January 09, 2013 in Media (16 comments)
City Public Engagement Initiative Triggers PR Fiasco
A brand-new initiative by the City of Hamilton to engage the public on public infrastructure funding has already drawn sharp criticism and ridicule.
by Ryan McGreal
Published January 08, 2013 in Media (104 comments)
Time for CBC Hamilton to Up its Game
It is crucially important that CBC is in Hamilton, even in the limited capacity of its current iteration. Yet the service we are currently receiving is not commensurate with other communities across Canada.
by Sonja Macdonald
Published October 11, 2012 in Media (125 comments)
Raise Your Voice and Support Local Community Radio
As a listener-supported station, once every year CFMU reaches out to the community for support through its Raise Your Voice campaign
by Michael Borrelli
Published March 04, 2011 in Media (6 comments)
Citizen Journalism: The Rewards and Risks
A little research and some simple guidelines will let you write worry-free articles for your favourite community news web site.
by Mark Richardson
Published February 14, 2011 in Media (48 comments)
It's Time: CBC Investment in Hamilton
We are heartened to see the CBC's renewed commitment to increasing local radio service in under-served regions like Hamilton, but the work is not over yet.
by Sonja Macdonald
Published February 02, 2011 in Media (76 comments)
Why I'm With CoCo, And Why That Spells Trouble For Traditional TV
The escalating O'Brien/Leno feud illustrates the growing disconnect between a generation of Hulu-streaming, time-shifting viewers, and the networks and advertisers desperate to reach them.
by Ryan Danks
Published January 15, 2010 in Media (13 comments)
Bay Observer, Can You Do Better?
Local weekly misreports a rally protesting health care funding cuts as a protest against the creation of a pediatric emergency ward.
by Ted Mitchell
Published March 30, 2009 in Media (1 comment)
Toxic Spin: Spec Skews Coverage of Health Rally
A recent article ostensibly covering a rally to protest cuts to local health care spending illustrates a pernicious bias in how the Spectator reports the news.
by Ted Mitchell
Published March 13, 2009 in Media (9 comments)
Journalistic Imperatives: Saying What Others Mightn't
The huge gap left open by subservient corporate media called for the development of alternative means of communication, some with their own agenda but widespread enough to balance out.
by Ramzy Baroud
Published July 07, 2008 in Media (0 comments)
Who Owns Our Media?
The traditional media are used to being the experts who decide what people watch and read. That approach excludes people who hunger to participate.
by Ryan McGreal
Published April 30, 2008 in Media (20 comments)
Welcome to the Club
The Hamilton Spectator cannot get serious about supporting full public discussions until it stops functioning as a mouthpiece for those factions that want to shut the public out.
by Ryan McGreal
Published April 21, 2006 in Media (1 comment)
An Amazing Ride
On the first anniversary of Raise the Hammer, editor Ryan McGreal looks back on the unlikely path that brought him here.
by Ryan McGreal
Published December 14, 2005 in Media (0 comments)
The Devolution of the Revolution
These five suggestions could help the Hamilton Spectator begin to reverse the dangerous trend of putting marketing and consumerism ahead of journalism.
by Ryan McGreal
Published September 15, 2005 in Media (0 comments)
Welcome to Hamilton. (You are being watched.)
View Matt Jelly's new short film, Welcome to Hamilton. (You are being watched.).
by Matt Jelly
Published December 14, 2004 in Media (0 comments)
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