E115 Mirko Petricevic A Need to Support Journalists

Written By John Webster

Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 115
Date: April 9, 2024

Participants: Sheila Webster, Noura Saad, John Webster, Cameron Earnshaw and Elise Webster
Guest: Mirko Petricevic

Start Times and Segments:

[0:00:35] What’s On Your Mind: Another in our travel series, this time with Noura Saad taking us to her experiences in Naples – an incredible city to visit. They love their soccer, including star Diego Maradona. She visited the oldest opera house in the world, with its intricate and beautiful designs. She ate a Margarita pizza at the same place Liz visited in Eat Pray Love, the visited Popeii.

[0:9:42] Expanding Minds Interview: [Social Wellness] We interview Mirko Petricevic. On Episode 99, he explained how local journalism acts as a community watchdog on behalf of the public, as a public service. It’s ability to be a watchdog has been hit hard in the past 15 years. In addition to the industry taking a hit, individual journalists are being harassed and threatened, which provides another reason why people less included to become journalists. A 2021 study of 1,100 journalists had disturbing results. A majority experienced harassment, many on a daily basis. There were death threats, threats of sexual assault. 99 had been physically attacked. It’s outright intimidation. Ink-stained Wretches runs a film festival in Kitchener-Waterloo to support journalism. It’s designed partly to increase the awareness of World Press Freedom Day o May 3. This year it’s on April 28, 2024. After a movie showing, a panel will explore the question, “What can we do to create a culture of appreciation for quality journalism?”.

[0:27:42] Adventures of the Starving Artist: Cameron’s Shania Twain cover band was having a good time coming up with ideas for the band. It was just Twain fun.

[0:31:53] Move That Body: It’s spring yard work time, which is a great way to work the core and get in some great movement. It’s good hard work.

[0:37:08] Running Popup: Some recent good news was uplifting and made a run feel easy. It’s amazing how emotions can affect physical exercise.

[0:38:30] Flipside of the Coin: With inflation so high, it’s affecting our choices about what we do, e.g. whether we go out for dinner. That means inflation is having an impact on things like social and other areas of wellness.

Quotes and Take-Aways:

Mirko – Ipsos and the Canadian Association of Journalists did a survey about online harm in journalism. They polled about 1,100 Canadian journalists. In the preceding year to the poll, nearly 800 or 72% experienced some form of harassment. Most experienced it online. 220 experienced online harassment weekly. 66 were harassed daily or almost daily. 143 received death threats. 77 were threatened with rape or sexual assault. 99 threats against families. 99 were physically attacked. This is outright intimidation.

Mirko – I believe people feel more free to attack journalists and politicians when they’re anonymous. They’re not as inclined to do it face to face.

Mirko – Journalists around the world have been imprisoned and even killed. Unfortunately, it’s quite a lot of them. These crimes are often done with impunity and go unpunished.

Mirko – Ink-stained Wretches will be screening the movie Killer Water at the Princess Twin Theatre in Waterloo, Ontario, on April 28, 2024. It’s about gas leak quality of water downstream from the oil sands productions.

Mirko – This year’s journalism festival in Kitchener-Waterloo will be one day – April 28, 2024. There will be a Sunday matinee at the Princess Twin Theatre. We’ll screen the 50-minute documentary. After that, there will be a panel discussion. They will explore the question, “What can we do to create a culture of appreciation for quality journalism?”, because that’s what we’re doing at Ink-stained Wretches.

Mirko – The film festival is designed partly to increase the awareness of World Press Freedom Day. The United Nations has an annual observance called World Press Freedom Day, on May 3. The film festival happens on the Sunday before May 3.

Bulletin Board Quote brought to you by Sheila and John: Don’t poop on my front door

Guest Information: Mirko Petricevic is the founder and co-ordinator of Ink-stained Wretches, a grassroots advocacy group working to build a culture of appreciation for quality journalism. Mirko worked at the Waterloo Region Record for 28 years, starting as a photographer, then moving on to work as a reporter and copy editor before deciding to leave the newsroom — because of the precarious nature of the news sector — a decade ago. Since then, he served as director of communications and public affairs for Martin Luther University College in Waterloo and, most recently, as senior communications strategist for one of the local cities.

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Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-)   Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila, Elise, Isabelle, Noura and Julie

John Webster
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E116 Riley Thompson Empathy Training at Prisons
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E114 Photography and Artistic Wellness