Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)

Investigative Journalism Foundation @theijf.org · 1d

What happens when a celebrated scientist is accused of fabricating results to promote his patented product? We’ve obtained a leaked investigation report into misconduct at UBC, and we’re making the findings public for the first time.

theijf.org/ubc-misconduct

#bcpoli #science #CBC

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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 4d

My thoughts exactly

Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 4d

BC Ferries union members report 'disturbing levels' of abuse from passengers cheknews.ca/bc-ferries-u...

BC Ferries union members report 'disturbing levels' of abuse from passengers

With the Thanksgiving long weekend underway, the BC Ferry & Marine Workers’ Union is asking travellers to be patient with members, as a "disturbing" number of ferry workers report abuse from the publi...

cheknews.ca

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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)

Michelle Gamage @michellegamage.bsky.social · 9d

A single Vancouver police officer made $397,258 last year, making $239,258 in overtime on top of their base pay of up to $158,000.
This is the wildest FOI I've seen in a long time. Well done Liam Britten for digging this up. #CBC
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

47 VPD officers made over $100K in OT last year — and one banked $239K, FOI data shows | CBC News

A single Vancouver police sergeant was paid $239,258 in overtime alone last year, on top of the rank's base pay of up to $158,000. The figure comes from a freedom of information request filed with the...

www.cbc.ca

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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 5d

“The pope has condemned clickbait as a “degrading” part of journalism”

Well there you have it folks.

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne... via @theguardian.com

You won’t believe what degrading practice the pope just condemned

Communication must be freed from clickbait and misguided thinking, head of Catholic church tells journalists

www.theguardian.com

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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 16d

Raphael Lemkin Coined the Word Genocide. What Would He Say Today? via @thetyee.ca thetyee.ca/Culture/2025...

Raphael Lemkin Coined the Word Genocide. What Would He Say Today? | The Tyee

The haunting story of the refugee driven to name and prevent the greatest crimes of all.

thetyee.ca

Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 17d

“We have long-term plans to study all 10 provincial and three territorial cabinet systems …”

This is really important and exciting work.

policyoptions.irpp.org/2025/09/cabi...

@policyoptions.irpp.org

Why provincial cabinets deserve more attention in Canadian politics

Premiers may be more powerful than the PM within their provinces. Research shows why provincial cabinet governance deserves more study.

policyoptions.irpp.org

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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)

Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC @oipcbc.bsky.social · 20d

Recommendations from the Audit of the University of British Columbia's Duty to Assist.

Full overview text: www.oipc.bc.ca/documents/in...

This image depicts nine recommendations provided to UBC in the Audit of the University of British Columbia's duty to assist.
Full report: https://www.oipc.bc.ca/documents/infographics/3025
1. UBC begin counting the time limit to respond on the day after an FOI request is received and only suspend the time after notifying the applicant of the requirement to pay the application fee.
2. Public bodies that administer an application fee clearly inform applicants of all available payment options.
3. UBC executive promote a culture of transparency throughout all program areas to improve FOI responsiveness. This includes monitoring program area accountability.
4. UBC staff follow up promptly if searches for records become overdue.
5. UBC continuously monitor its FOI system and correct delays in responding to FOI requests.
6. UBC evaluate the effectiveness of its FOI file tracking system within six months.
7. UBC eliminate the backlog within one year of this report.
8. UBC provide onboarding and refresher training to FOI staff on its duty to assist applicants including time limits, time extensions, and required notifications.
9. UBC protect applicant anonymity (including journalist/media applicant anonymity) when responding to FOI requests.

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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)

Justin McElroy 🇨🇦 @jmcelroy.bsky.social · Sep 11

There are folks who like to take "sides" in local media, cheering for or against organizations or journalists like they're heroes or villains in the ongoing struggle for truth.

But in B.C., it's more like an ecosystem. There are places you might like less or more, but they all contribute.

Jen St. Denis @jenstden.bsky.social · Sep 11

Global is a really important part of BC’s news ecosystem

Just to name one example, they were able to break a series of important stories about the Noelle O’Soup case globalnews.ca/news/9032414...

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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)

Jen St. Denis @jenstden.bsky.social · Sep 11

Global is a really important part of BC’s news ecosystem

Just to name one example, they were able to break a series of important stories about the Noelle O’Soup case globalnews.ca/news/9032414...

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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)

Justin McElroy 🇨🇦 @jmcelroy.bsky.social · Sep 11

Global News laid off 26 journalists in B.C. and Alberta today.

In B.C. the layoffs include virtually all of the online team, along with many others.

The business is increasingly cruel, and the hollowing out of newsrooms providing fair and reliable information continues to suck.

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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)

Emmett Macfarlane 🇨🇦 @emmettmacfarlane.com · Sep 2

I think this is part of it, but only part. The other part is an information environment of rampant, unrestrained mis & disinformation and a society filled with people primed to read less and not just not care, but take pride in ignorance.

Dale Smith @journodale.bsky.social · Sep 2

We simply do not hold premiers to account in this country. All attention and blame gets directed to the federal government regardless.
A big chunk of this is the media's fault, but opposition parties, federally and provincially, also own a share of this problem because they go along with it.

Emmett Macfarlane 🇨🇦 @emmettmacfarlane.com · Sep 2

Doug Ford's popularity is also sky high, despite objectively horrible performance.

I worry we've lost any semblance of accountability or civic knowledge/engagement in this country.

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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)

Global Reporting Centre @globalreportingcentre.org · Sep 1

The Global Reporting Centre joins @RSF_inter and 150 fellow media outlets in calling for Israel to #ProtectJournalistsInGaza and #LetReportersIntoGaza.

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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)

Columbia Journalism Review @columjournreview.bsky.social · Aug 18

Urgent ideas for defending press freedom in Gaza, the world’s deadliest place for journalists. By @azmatzahra.bsky.social, @meghnadbose.bsky.social, and @laurenwatsonjourno.bsky.social. www.cjr.org/feature/urge...

Urgent Ideas for Defending Press Freedom in Gaza

Letters, condemnations, and Israeli court cases have failed to change the world’s deadliest place for journalists. We’ve cast out for a new approach.

www.cjr.org

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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · Aug 23

The sovereign individual and the paradox of the digital age
aeon.co/essays/the-s... via @aeon.co

The sovereign individual and the paradox of the digital age | Aeon Essays

Data has created a new and paradoxical social order: the promise of emancipation is made possible by classifying everything

aeon.co

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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · Aug 22

Charleigh's Case Shows Why Politicians Shouldn't Usurp Medical Experts via @thetyee.ca thetyee.ca/Opinion/2025...

Charleigh’s Case Shows Why Politicians Shouldn’t Usurp Medical Experts | The Tyee

Evidence, not political pressure, should determine funding for costly treatments.

thetyee.ca

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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · Aug 12

Israel kills six more journalists in Gaza.
www.cjr.org/the_media_to... via @columjournreview.bsky.social

Israel Kills Six More Journalists in Gaza

Around two hundred members of the media have now lost their lives since October 7.

www.cjr.org

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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)

Anita Gohdes @argohdes.bsky.social · Aug 11

I have studied the targeting of journalists for many years, but the scale and public display of these killings is truly shocking: “Israel admits deliberate attack on the journalist, known for frontline coverage, in a strike on a tent outside al-Shifa hospital“

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

Anas al-Sharif, prominent Al Jazeera correspondent, among five journalists killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza

Israel admits deliberate attack on the journalist, known for frontline coverage, in a strike on a tent outside al-Shifa hospital

www.theguardian.com

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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · Aug 12

el oh el

Encyclopedia Britannica posted that Queen Victoria’s reign lasted between 1820 and 1914. A user pointed out this is wrong and the Encyclopedia doubled down saying the Victoria Era “roughly” corresponds to the dates of her reign; the user then writes “Out of curiosity, when was the Edwardian era”

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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · Aug 11

Carney’s 15-per-cent challenge: Cutting and rewiring Canada’s public service policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/au... via @policyoptions.irpp.org

Carney’s 15-per-cent public-service challenge

Departments grapple with conflicting data as they race to finish the pivotal expenditure review the prime minister will use to reallocate resources.

policyoptions.irpp.org

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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · Aug 11

'Unleashing': Politicians Say Ex-Police Watchdog's Insults Go Too Far via @thetyee.ca thetyee.ca/News/2025/08...

‘Unleashing’: Politicians Say Ex-Police Watchdog’s Insults Go Too Far | The Tyee

‘I was getting scared,’ says one Edmonton councillor assailed online by John McDougall.

thetyee.ca

Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · Aug 9

Trump Is Using Culture to Reshape Society via @thetyee.ca thetyee.ca/Culture/2025...

Trump Is Using Culture to Reshape Society | The Tyee

Here in Canada, we have a unique opportunity to fight back.

thetyee.ca

Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)

CTV News Vancouver @ctvnewsvancouver.bsky.social · Aug 6

Vancouver community centre wants policy for policing costs after expensive bill

A Vancouver community centre says it was told it would have to pay thousands in policing costs only days prior to holding its annual summer event.

bit.ly

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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)

Social Service Review @socservreview.bsky.social · Jul 25

Call for papers!

*The Next 100 Years: Reflections on the Centennial of SSR*

To celebrate 100 years of SSR in 2026, the journal will publish a collection of thought-provoking papers exploring the history, current state, and future of social work and social welfare.

Abstracts due September 15!

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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)

Jay Rosen @jayrosen.bsky.social · Jul 24

Here's another great column that is also a last column for a journalist leaving the Washington Post. It's by Catherine Rampell. Framed as advice to column writers, but it could also be called a guide for readers seeking intellectual honesty in the journalism they consume.

Gift link: wapo.st/3TU2fGw

Opinion | 11 tips for becoming a columnist

Here’s my advice for handling the awesome responsibility of this job.

www.washingtonpost.com

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