Next
Meeting
Media Club of
Ottawa
Formerly the
Canadian Women's Press Club
the Media
Club of Ottawa presents monthly
programs of significance
to
professionals in all branches of the
communications
field.
Our
program offers a stimulating variety of speakers.
Alexandra-Pope
- speaker
Qais-Ghanem -
Amira
Eghawaby - speaker
Dani-Elle Dube - award
winner
Katelin
Belliveau -
award winner
Bruce-MacGregor - speaker
r
June 2021
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COVID-19 restrictions
Our
program has been switched to
publication
of articles by our scheduled speakers on their topic
Publication
date:
Tuesday June 29, 2021
***
JOIN
Whether
you’re a neophyte or a seasoned communications specialist, the
Media Club of Ottawa offers numerous benefits: interesting
speakers, workshops and articles on a range of communications topics,
networking opportunities, and encouragement for professional
development.
Read Previous Articles:
May 2021
Barbara Florio Graham
April 2021
Matt Wood
March 2021
BAICO Publishing
December 2020
Frances Itani
November-2020
October-2020
September 2020
***
News Capsule 2019-2020
Our Projects: Thanks to our student volunteers, the Media Club of Ottawa has recently undertaken a number of projects.
Last
year's Melba Lent Woelflé Award winner volunteered to help with our
Club’s website even though she has returned to her home in New
Brunswick. From that location she has worked with our webmaster doing this virtually. In
addition, three students from the Interactive Media Management program
at Algonquin College are helping to redesign and modernize our website.
Lorraine Lafreniere,
CEO, Coaching Association of Canada, was one of those interviewed on
CBC radio’s The Current on June 28, 2021, as part of a
story about sexual abuse in high school sports. A former Media Club of
Ottawa member, she was club president in 1999-2001.
Susan Korah
In addition to her regular freelance writing assignments Susan Korah
participated in a project aimed at helping spread the word about
important health information to some of the world’s most
vulnerable people during the COVID-19 pandemic. In conjunction with her
friend, Swedish journalist Nuri Kino who initiated the project, Susan
helped produce a u-tube video designed for the benefit of refugees,
migrant workers and other marginalized people who haven’t
mastered the language of their country of residence and therefore have
limited or no access to important health information during the
COVID-19 crisis. The video has also been shared with associations,
government departments and individuals working with new Canadians.
June Coxon
An article about Susan Korah's project appeared in the June
issue of Sandy Hill’s community paper, A similar one,
highlighting opera singer Maria Knapik, featured in the video,
was printed in the September issue of Vistas, the Alta Vistas’ community
paper. Both articles were by June Coxon
Courtney Tower's column In the April 2021 issue of the community newspaper Vistas featured June Coxon.
Dawn Monroe
Dawn now has well over 3,000 mini biographies on her Famous
Canadian website. She was scheduled to speak to club members in June 2020 about
creating that website, but was unable to do so because of
COVID-19 restrictions. Instead, she wrote about it for us. You wil be able read
her report in the near future.
Jagjeet
Sharma
Local freelance writer, radio host, and poet. Jagjeet
Sharma, published her
third book of poetry this year, called Raindrops. As with her other
books, proceeds from sales of this book go to the University of
Ottawa’s Heart Institute:
Susan Korah
An article Susan Korah wrote for online newspaper New Canadian Media,
was the second most widely read item on their website in 2020,
earning her an unexpected cash award. Her article, entitled Child
Marriage Serious Issue in Canada, Not Exclusive to Immigrants appeared
in the October 2020 issue. To read it google newcanadianmedia.ca
Shail Verma
Club member Shailendra “Shail” Verma was recently featured
in the National Arts Entrepreneur’s Legacy newsletter, noting his
commitment and support for the arts.
Susan Hallett
continues to contribute to each issue of Taste and Travel
magazine. Her article in the April-June issue. One a print magazine, it
is now only online. You can find Susan’s article at
Celebrating_With_Canada’s_ First__T&T_Nations_issue40_pdf
Shirley Van Dusen
A bit of late news: In February 2020 Shirley Van Dusen received two
honorary diplomas. One was from the Ottawa School of Art where she
taught for a number of years, the other from the City of Ottawa.
|
While COVID restrictions are in
June Coxon speaks to
us, virtually, in writing
Honouring Col. George Ham
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
by June Coxon
Since
it was in June 1904 that the Canadian Women’s Press Club was founded,
here’s a look back at a story about the man who inspired the club.
Canadian
Pacific Railway publicist, Colonel George Ham was a special friend of
Canadian Women’s Press Club (CWPC) members. In fact the club likely
would not have existed without him.
The story began in 1904 when
Ottawa journalist Margaret “Miggsy” Graham, while working briefly in
Montreal for the Montreal Star, burst into George Ham’s office asking
why he didn’t offer female journalists the same free transportation on
a CPR train as he offered male journalists when covering events for
their newspapers. Ham responded by saying if she could find 12 women
journalists he would offer them the same thing. She found 16 women
journalists, Ham kept his promise and in June 1904 he travelled with
them via a CPR train to and from the St. Louis World Fair.
During that
trip Ham suggested they form a club and the Canadian Women’s Press Club
was born, naming Kathleen “Kit” Coleman the first president and George
Ham an honorary member. His account of this is in his autobiography,
Reminiscences of a Raconteur:
The Canadian Women’s Press Club
by George Ham
One fine day in June 1904, a handsome and fashionably dressed young
lady came into my office at C.P.R. headquarters, and started
cyclonically to tell me that while the C.P.R. had taken men to all the
excursions to fairs and other things, women had altogether been if only
ignored and she demonstratively demanded to know why poor downtrodden
females should thus be so shabbily treated. When she had finished her
harangue “I guess from lack of a further supply of breath,”
I politely motioned her to a seat and calmly said: “Sit down
Miggsy, sit down and keep cool,” which she did.
She was Margaret Graham, a writer for the Press, and a champion of
women’s rights “which I had already sagaciously surmised.
When quietness was restored, she explained that her mission was to
persuade the C.P.R. to take a bunch “I don’t think she used
the word bunch” of women to the St. Louis World Fair, to which I
had recently accompanied a party of newspaper men. Miggsy’s idea
appealed to me, and we arranged for a party of sixteen “sweet
sixteen, though some of them didn’t think they were,” to
visit St.Louis.
The trip was a huge success in every way,and not only was the fair
taken in, but a visit was paid to Chicago, where the party was
entertained by the well-known Jane Adams, at Hull House. On the way
home, by a happy inspiration, a woman’s Pressure Club was formed
with Kit, of the Toronto Mail, as president,and somehow or
other”guess for lack of better material” l was made
honorary president, and have been the only male member of a female
Press Club in the world ever since........
O
|
Following
George Ham’s death on April 16, 1926 at age 79, Ottawa branch members
were among the many CWPC newspaper women who travelled across Canada
from Nova Scotia to Manitoba, gathering at Montreal’s Windsor train
station to unveil a plaque in his memory (his book says he was honorary
club president). The plaque, engraved with a likeness of Ham, was
presented to CPR president Edward Beatty by CWPC president May S.
Glendennan on October 27, 1927. It says in part, “This tablet is
erected by the Canadian Women’s Press Club in grateful recognition of
his services as their founder and friend. He was a gallant gentleman
and great of heart.”
Another group
of CWPC journalists had gathered in Whitby five months earlier for the
dedication of a porch donated by club members that was built on to St.
John’s (Anglican) church where Ham was buried in the adjacent graveyard.
Windsor Station
Windsor
Station has not served as a train station since 1996, when the CPR
moved its head office from Montreal to Calgary, Alberta after selling
the building to Cadillac Fairview. But correspondence with CPRs
manager, Heritage Services and Operations, Adam Meeks and with Tenant
Relations Co-ordinator, Fairview Corporation Limited, Susan Voeung, and
Anne Hu who is replacing Susan while she’s on maternity leave,
confirmed that the plaque honouring Ham is still affixed to a wall at
Windsor Station. It is located in the concourse next to the security
desk and since the station has been designated an historic site that’s
where it will likely remain.
The photo of the plaque was taken for us by Susan Voeung.
***
IN THE NEWS.....NEWS....NEWS >>>>>>>
HEADLINES
- Apple Daily’s Closure Days Away
- Why Is The CBC Letting Canada: A People’s History Die?
- How One Journalist’s Life Changed After He Dared
To Tell The Truth
- Hong Kong Tabloid To Print Last Edition
- Khashoggi’s Killer Trained In U.S.: Report
- Canadian Media Outlets Sign Licensing Deal With Google
- Hong Kong’s Apple Daily Prints Final Issue.
- Belarus Journalist And Girlfriend Put Under House Arrest
Daily’s
Closure Days Away is the headline of a story by Tyrone Siu and Jessie
Pang. The subhead - Crackdown On Pro-democracy Newspaper. The
pro-democracy Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily looked set to close for
good by Saturday following police raids and the arrest of executives -
a move that critics say undermines the city’s status as a free
and open society as Beijing tightens life’s grip. Ottawa Citizen,
June 23, 2021, page NP4.
Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Paper May Close Permanently After Police Raids
reads the headline of the same article. The Globe and Mail, June 23,
2921, page A1.
Why Is The CBC Letting Canada: A People’s History Die? asks the
headline of an Opinion Piece by Joe Martin, Kealy Wilkinson and Susan
Reisler. ..... A country that does not know its history cannot
understand who it’s people were, who they now are and where they
are going. We ignore history at our peril. And yet we are ignoring it.
..... When we wrestle with difficult questions about our national
identity and future this Canada Day, Canada’s public broadcaster
should be at the forefront of the discussion. To do so, it would only
be responsible for the CBC to announce the rerelease of Canada: A
People’s History. The Globe and Mail, June 23, 2021, page A 11.
How One Journalist’s Life Changed After He Dared To Tell The
Truth is the headline of a two-page spread by Anthony Feinstein. The
subhead - For nearly 25-years, Paraguayan Reporter Candido Figueredo
Ruiz Was A Marked Man, Threatened By Smugglers And Drug Dealers For His
Relentless Coverage Of Corruption In His Country. For 24 years and
eight months, Candido Figueredo Ruiz was marked for death. To thwart
the bullets of his eager assassins, the Paraguayan journalist lived
surrounded by seven heavily armed guards. The Globe and Mail, June 23,
2021, pages A10-11.
Hong Kong Tabloid To Print Last Edition. That’s the headline on
an article by Sharon Abratique and Jessie Pang. The subhead - Closing
Seen As An End Of Era For Media Freedom. Hong Kong’s most vocal
pro-democracy newspaper said it will print its last edition on Thursday
after a stormy year in which it was raided by police and its tycoon
owner and other staff were arrested under a new national security law.
Ottawa Citizen, June 24, 2021, page NP4.
|
-Khashoggi’s
Killer Trained In U.S.: Report is the headline. Four Saudi’s who
participated in the 2018 killing of the Washington Post journalist
Jamal Khashoggi received paramilitary training in the United States the
previous year under a contract approved by the State Department, the
New York Times reported. Ottawa Citizen, June 24, 2021, page NP4.
Canadian Media Outlets Sign Licensing Deal With Google reads the
headline of an item by Andrew Willis. Google Canada is partnering with
eight publishers, including The Globe and Mail, in a licensing
agreement that will see the firm pay for news content as part of parent
Alphabet Inc.’s US$1-billion global commitment to media
companies. The Globe and Mail, June 24, 2021, page A1.
Hong Kong’s Apple Daily Prints Final Issue. That’s the
headline of an article by Sharon Abratique. The subhead - Critics Say
Shutdown Of Popular Pro-democracy Tabloid Marks The End Of Media
Freedom In the Chinese-ruled City. Hong Kong’s most vocal
pro-democracy newspaper, Apple Daily, printed its last edition on
Thursday after a stormy year in which its tycoon owner and other staff
were arrested under a new national national security law, and its
assets were frozen. The Globe and Mail, June 24, 2021, page A3.
Belarus Journalist And Girlfriend Put Under House Arrest reads the
headline. The dissident Belarusian journalist and his Russian
girlfriend who were arrested after being pulled off a flight have been
transferred from jail to house arrest - a move the exiled opposition
leader said Friday was positive, but still left them
“hostages.” The Globe and Mail, June 26, 2021, page A9.
- |
|
|
|
|
=======================================================================================================================
Media
Club of Ottawa
Executive
2020-21
President,
June
Coxon
Secretary-Treasurer.
Iris
ten
Holder
Board
of
Directors:
June
Coxon,
Iris ten
Holder,
Helen
Bednarek Van Eyk
|
*
Help
build
the Media
Club's
"Melba Lent
Woelflé
Scholarship Fund.
To contribute,
Knowles*
Newsboys by Bill
Fairbarn
|
Books
about the Canadian Women's Press Club
(now
the Media Club):
- No
daughter of Mine by Kay Rex ($12)
-
The Sweet Sixteen by Linda Kay ($20)
Order
your copy by email
here.
<
Write
the title of the book in the subject line..
Payment
by Interac to the
Treasurer, <
adding
3.00
for delivery. by post..
|
A
record of meetings
held in previous years
|
| |
|
|
|
XXBPowered
by 10dollar domains Canada
|
|
