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ns id eh al to n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, J an ua ry 2 5, 20 18 | o o OPINION - EDITORIAL - Helping readers distinguish 'news' from 'opinion' We live in an age where the term 'fake news' is used like a shield to deflect criticism from those under public scrutiny. Whether covering the nation or reporting on your community news organizations around the world are grappling with a crisis of trust in journalism. We believe it is important for the media to be trans­ parent with our readers and one way to do that is to ensure you know whether you are reading "news" or "opinion". From the most senior levels of Torstar, the parent company of this publication, to the newsrooms from which our journalists cover your community we should work every day to earn and maintain your trust. News is defined as "verified information based on the impartial reporting of facts" and opinion as "articles based on personal interpretation and judgment of facts." Within the category of news are "Analysis" - a crit­ ical and contextual examination based on factual report­ ing, but which does not contain the authors' opinions and "Investigation" - in-depth reporting in the public interest that reveals wrongdoing and/or systemic prob­ lems and holds power to account. Opinion is defined as being based on the authors' interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. Opinion articles include editorials, columns written by staff and commentary from non-staff contributors. Other forms of opinion journalism include Editorials, which present a strong point of view rooted in this news organization's progressive values; and Letters to the Editor, Reviews, Advice, First Person articles and Blogs. We have spent the last few weeks establishing guide­ lines to promote consistency in how we identify "opin­ ion" articles in print and online. In print look for labels above headlines that identify the article as "opinion"; and below an author's photo­ graph identifying it as a "column", "analysis" or "re­ view". Online, you will see labels within the article's URL; and above or below the headline. At the bottom of columns, you will find what we call a "tagline" qualifying who the author is to put context to the weight of their opinion. Similar labeling of articles and within sections will be carried across all Torstar daily and community news organizations. Torstar has long strived to be a leader in editorial ethics and excellence. Being transparent with you about how our content is gathered and whether it is news or opinion is an integral part of that leadership and we believe key to earning your trust. ABOUT US The Oakville Beaver, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. oe O °o m etro landm edia • Connected to your community" The Oakville Beaver is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the newspaper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca nnc Apcna IniideHalton.com ^ editor@oakvillebeaver.com E facebook.com/OakvilleBeav Q @OakvilleBeaver Summer Jobs program a win for students, employers Damoff 'impressed by the work the students were doing' It can sometimes be challenging for students to find that first job. As a longtime advocate for youth employment and a strong supporter of our government's Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) pro­ gram, I am excited to kick off our third year helping employers create valuable summer job opportunities for full-time students ages 15 to 30, while strengthen­ ing our local economy. The CSJ program pro­ vides funding for not-for- profit organizations, pub­ lic-sector employers and PAM DAMOFF Column small businesses with 50 or fewer employees. Not-for- profit employers can re­ ceive up to 100 per cent of the provincial or territori­ al minimum hourly wage as well as employment-re­ lated costs, while public- sector employers and small businesses can re­ ceive up to 50 per cent. Ap­ plications from interested employers are being ac­ cepted until Feb. 2 with stu­ dents starting their jobs as early as April 2018. The CSJ program sup­ ports employment for stu­ dents based on priorities developed both locally and nationally. This year, those priorities include summer festivals and events, inclu­ sive employment for per­ sons living with disabili­ ties, events that promote healthy and active living, organizations that provide programs and services for disadvantaged community groups and/or refugees and newcomers and orga­ nizations that intend to provide career-related work experience. Last summer, Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mis- sissauga hired 12 local stu­ dents thanks to the CSJ program. John Gerrard, CEO of Habitat, told me that there is no question that having CSJ students allowed Habitat to provide more affordable housing in our community. I had an opportunity to visit several CSJ sites last summer. I was very im­ pressed by the work the stu­ dents were doing, the re­ sponsibility and profession­ alism they demonstrated and the real-work experi­ ence they gained through their employment. I would love to see more applica­ tions from employers in Oakville North-Burlington. I look forward to visiting CSJ sites again this sum­ mer. For more on the pro­ gram, contact my office or visit online at bit.ly/ CSJprogram. - Pam Damoff is the mem­ ber o f Parliament for Oak­ ville North-Burlington. Her column appears once a month. Contact her at pam. damoff@parl.gc. ca. CONTACT US WHO WE ARE Oakville Beaver 2-5046 Mainway Burlington, ON L7L 5Z1 Phone: 289-293-0617 Classifieds: 1-800-263-6480 Digital/Flyer/Retail: 289-293-0624 Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 200 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail kmossman@metroland.com or call 905-631-6095. A c c r d d i t e FDSAWAccredited VP and Group Publisher Neil Oliver Regional General Manager Kelly Montague kmontague@metroland.com | 289-293-0614 Managing Editor Angela Blackburn ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com | 289-293-0617 Circulation Manager Kim Mossman kmossman@metroland.com | 905-631-6095 Director Advertising Daniel Baird dbaird@metroland.com 289-293-0624 http://www.mediacouncil.ca mailto:editor@oakvillebeaver.com mailto:damoff@parl.gc mailto:kmossman@metroland.com mailto:kmontague@metroland.com mailto:ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com mailto:kmossman@metroland.com mailto:dbaird@metroland.com OPINION - EDITORIAL - ABOUT US deHalton.com CONTACT US WHO WE ARE