Joey’s collection of links, readings, and thoughts

“Twitter is facing an exodus from its most devoted followers: Journalists”

On Monday, CBC joined America’s public broadcasters in leaving Twitter following the platform’s decision to label CBC as “government-funded media”.

Jesse Brown thinks CBC is making a mistake and failing to live up to its mandate.

“Canadians pay the CBC to deliver us the news where we choose to get it. Millions of Canadians get our news from Twitter. The loser here isn’t Musk, it’s the Canadian public,” Brown tweeted.

He added: “The other problem with this is that “government-funded media” is simply accurate and neutral wording. That doesn’t mean that Musk isn’t suggesting government influence and/or trolling. But when you’re getting huffy and going home over a fact…not a great look for a news org.”

I disagree. Musk is implying a negative connotation, only days after Canada’s Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre made a partisan call to label CBC as “government funded,”

Twitter is losing its utilities as a common carrier of real-time information.

The loss of verification makes it impossible for me to determine who and what to retweet in real-time.

The planned throttling of the API means real-time accounts such as the Hamilton Fire Department’s

The UK’s press industry publication, Press Gazette, writes about the growing threat of an exodus of journalists from the platform.

Count me among those planning my exit.

(And yes, the non-journalism world is looking at us journalists constantly talking about Twitter and responding with the rolling eyes emoji)

Litter Litter Everywhere (in Hamilton)

City Council’s Public Works Committee discussed litter at length today. Ward 1 Councillor Maureen Wilson says “litter” is “too benign a term” that litter is “pollution.”

The house I live in is at the end of a wind path.

Each Sunday, I collect half a full garbage bag which collects at my fence. Each Sunday.

By Tuesday, one could easy believe I never remove litter from my property.

The Downtown Toronto Public Plaza That Police Use for Parking

On day one of her campaign, Toronto mayoral candidate Olivia Chow announced she wants to beautify the public plaza in front of the Toronto Police 52 Division headquarters.

The plaza is officially public, but used by police for parking.

Mayoral candidate Mark Saunders, the former chief of police, quicker criticized Chow.

Globe and Mail journo Oliver Moore tweeted, “The fact that the former chief thought a public plaza was police parking may help explain why cops kept parking there.”

HSR Staffing Problems Continue

Hamilton’s public transit agency is short-staffed and cancelling bus trips.

This morning the HSR was unable to operate a bus on 2-Barton.

HSR managers no longer release the agency’s staffing statistics, and long ago abandoned