The North State

Avi Lewis? More like Avi LENIN! ft. Nora Loreto

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The NDP selected Avi Lewis as their new leader after a conference this past weekend. After a long campaign that largely went under-reported due to the party's meagre seat count, we now have a federal party leader pushing for public options, scaling back fossil fuel production and backing peace on the world stage. Independent journalist Nora Loreto spent the weekend at the convention and joins Scott to discuss the vibes, the vote, their critiques and how legacy news has shown they don't care to know about left-wing politics at all.

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Nora's Substack

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Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/avi-lewis-more-like-avi-lenin-ft-nora-loreto-podcast

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Outro Music: "Magic Escape Room" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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The Assassination of the FOI by the Coward Doug Ford ft. Justin Ling

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Ontario premier Doug Ford used his personal cellphone for provincial business, leading a panel of three judges to rule his personal cellphone was subject to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. Now, Ford wants to exempt the premier, cabinet ministers and parliamentary staffers from FOI laws, explicitly saying because of his cellphone use. The move is a brazen attack on the public's right to knowledge about their government, but it's a large and unique piece of a larger attack on freedom of information systems. Justin Ling, investigative reporter and columnist at the Toronto Star, joins Scott to discuss the larger context, the attacks against FOI systems across the country and what news organizations need to do to push back.

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Justin's Substack

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Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/the-assassination-of-the-foi-by-the-coward-doug-ford-ft-justin-ling-podcast

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Outro Music: "Magic Escape Room" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Oops, the Government Determined Who Was a Journalist ft. Jeremy Appel

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

In 2019, Canadian journalism outlets meeting certain requirements were able to receive a tax credit under federal law. These were codified under the federal government's Qualified Canadian journalism organization (QCJO) guidelines. Now, seven years later, it turns out at least two government agencies were basing their response to journalist inquiries on these qualifications. The Orchard founder and journalist Jeremy Appel discovered that he initially didn't qualify as a journalist when inquiring Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada about a different story. IRCC has since backtracked, but what does this say about government designation of journalists? Scott and Jeremy discuss.

Check out Jeremy's work at The Orchard.

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Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/oops-the-government-determined-who-was-a-journalist-ft-jeremy-appel-podcast

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Outro Music: "Magic Escape Room" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Supporting the Illegal Bombing of Iran "With Regret" ft. Ian Barclay

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The USA and Israel launched a joint military campaign against Iran. With most legal scholars saying this strike was illegal and most official investigations into Iran's nuclear program saying they weren't building weapons, you'd think a position would be easy to strike. Instead, Prime Minister Mark Carney has supported the US in their attack, at most attaching some "regret" to that support. When lined up against his world-famous Davos speech, Carney's position seems untenable, but he's actually been quite consistent. Ian Barclay, editor-in-chief at Avant-Garde Press joins Scott to discuss the timeline of Carney's statements, possible Canadian involvement in the operation and a discussion about what this means, especially when news media doesn't forcefully push back against these statements.

Avant-Garde Press

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Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/supporting-the-illegal-bombing-of-iran-with-regret-ft-ian-barclay-podcast

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Outro Music: "Magic Escape Room" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

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Courtside for Amber Bracken v. RCMP Trial ft. Ethan Cox and Camilo Ruiz

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 11:00:00 GMT

The Narwhal and Amber Bracken are suing the RCMP for wrongful arrest. Officers held Bracken for multiple days after raiding a Wet'suwet'en land defender camp in unceded territory. It's one of the most consequential cases for press freedom in Canada... so what's the deal with the lack of coverage? This week, Ethan cox, co-founder and editor at Ricochet Media and Camilo Ruiz, independent journalist who has covered every day of the trial for his Instagram, join Scott to discuss the wider context of the case, the limitations of court decisions and why it's important to hold the RCMP to task.

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Ricochet Media

Follow Camilo on Instagram

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/courtside-for-amber-bracken-v-rcmp-trial-ft-ethan-cox-and-camilo-ruiz-podcast

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Outro Music: "Magic Escape Room" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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How to Report on Antisemitism in Canada ft. Blake Lambert

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

It's now been a couple months since Jesse Brown's Canadaland series reporting antisemitism in Canada. Was there value in his reporting? While some points may have been well-made, the series obscured the issue and downplayed Israel's role in antisemitism in general. Blake Lambert, journalist, professor at Humber Polytechnic and TMU journalism instructor joins The North State to discuss the series, fundamental issues with Brown's approach and how the faults in reporting reflect a broader outlook of fear in the Canadaland series.

Follow Blake's Substack

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Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/how-to-report-on-antisemitism-in-canada-ft-blake-lambert-podcast

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Outro Music: "Magic Escape Room" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

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Anti-Trans Internet Narratives and Tumbler Ridge ft. Mel Woods

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Last week, a school shooter shook the community of Tumbler Ridge in northeastern BC. Nine people, including the shooter, are dead and 27 injured. Despite the horrific nature of these killings and there being little indication of motive, the right-wing influencer network online has weaponized the shooter's identity to attack trans people. Mel Woods, senior editor at Xtra Magazine, has covered this wave of disinformation and misinformation. Woods joins the show to discuss this weaponization, the lurking problem of right-wing internet personalities and what we can do to prevent the targeted attacks against trans people.

Become a paying member of Harbinger Media Network here.

The Tumbler Ridge shooting is already fuelling anti-trans hate in Canada by Mel Woods

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Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/anti-trans-internet-narratives-and-tumbler-ridge-ft-mel-woods-podcast/

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Outro Music: "Magic Escape Room" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

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Monologue: The RCMP vs. Journalism

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

In November of 2021, the RCMP raided a land defender camp in Wet'suwet'en territory with assault rifles and chainsaws. Over a dozen people were arrested, including photojournalist Amber Bracken and documentary filmmaker Michael Toledano. The Narwhal, who had Bracken on assignment, teamed up with the photojournalist to sue the RCMP. The trial is now ongoing and set for closing arguments in April. What's the suit about? What are the details? Scott lays out the landscape of the lawsuit, context surrounding it and, finally, his take.

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading at:

https://readthecatch.ca/

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Barred from the Conservative Convention ft. Arno Kopecky

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Pierre Poilievre swept the leadership vote at the federal Conservative party's convention this past weekend in Calgary. While news outlets breathlessly explored the vote and what it means for the party, one journalist who applied for media accreditation was denied. The reason? "I don't know." Meanwhile, at that same convention, a new category of accreditation was made to designate "content creators." Many of these included open Poilievre and Conservative partisans. Arno Kopecky, national politics reporter for Canada's National Observer joins Scott to discuss the change, wider denial of access to journalists and what he learned reporting from the convention lobby.

Clarification: Shortly before this was recorded, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and the Ontario Progressive Conservatives had changed their policy and allowed reporters to cover Ford's speech. No details were given on allowing journalists to cover any other part of the convention.

Canada's National Observer

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Sources and further reading at:

https://readthecatch.ca/barred-from-the-conservative-convention-ft-arno-kopecky

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Outro Music:"Magic Escape Room" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Monologue: The Bullsh*t Years

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Happy 2026! Scott's back and he's angry. Everybody's talking about Prime Minister Mark Carney's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. After countless articles and panels waxing poetic about how great a moment it was for Canada, few felt the need to criticize anything about it except for its possibility at implementation. In this monologue, Scott uses Carney's speech as a lightning rod for everything wrong with the modern journalism landscape in Canada. In short, it's not good; Welcome to The Bullshit Years.

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading at:

https://readthecatch.ca/monologue-the-bullsh-t-years-podcast

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The North State Q&A Fest 2025 ft. Eric Wickham

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

So the first full-year of The North State has wrapped up. What a time it's been! This podcast has interviewed journalists from Karyn Pugliese, to Rachel Gilmore, to Sarah Samuel and not to mention that one that happened recently. But since Scott's always the one asking the questions, it's that rare time of year where you can pose them to him. Eric Wickham, Ontario reporter for PressProgress and podcast producer extraordinaire, joins The North State to look at the year in review, the state of news media, his contentious interview with a certain indie media figure and pose your questions to the host.

Follow Eric on Bluesky and TikTok.

Check out his reporting for PressProgress.

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading at:

https://readthecatch.ca/the-north-state-q-a-fest-2025-ft-eric-wickham-podcast

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Killjoys Ruin Parliamentary Press Gallery Dinner ft. Rachel Gilmore

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

After a tumultuous year in Canadian federal politics, it seemed that the 2025 Parliamentary Press Gallery Dinner was geared for virality before it even began.Then NDP interim leader Don Davies stole the show with his self-deprecating humour. Pierre Poilievre stunned with his other-deprecating humour. But these moments lead us to assume that the relationship between politicians and the press is, after all is said and done, a cordial affair. This assumption blankets the dinner and leads to some questionable outcomes. Rachel Gilmore, independent journalist at Bubblepop Media, joins Scott to discuss her experience with the event, how it shows legacy journalism's coziness with politicians and how a room full of journalists laughing at jokes made at the expense of marginalized people may, in fact, be bad.

Submit your questions for the Q&A here!

Check out Bubble Pop with Rachel Gilmore

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/killjoys-ruin-parliamentary-press-gallery-dinner-ft-rachel-gilmore-podcast

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Accounts and Accountability ft. Jesse Brown

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Over the course of the past two years, Jesse Brown, founder, editor and publisher at CANADALAND has lost the trust of many journalists in the industry, especially me. His behaviour and approach to journalism has shaken multiple contributors and former employees to the point where they have left his project. He has attempted to reconcile with this perception in the lead up to his new series, What Is Happening Here?, a podcast exploring antisemitism in Canada since the Oct. 7 attacks. In this interview, Scott poses difficult questions about the process and reception to his new podcast.

CORRECTION: Scott refers to "nine percent" at one point when referring to the "nine times more likely" statistic. He also refers to a report by Statistics Canada comparing crime between the US and Canada with incorrect dates. The report (included in the sources for this episode) is from 1998 to 2023. We regret these errors.

Submit your questions for the Q&A here!

Follow Scott on Bluesky

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/accounts-and-accountability-ft-jesse-brown-podcast

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Human Rights... Trans Kids Notwithstanding ft. Mel Woods

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

In a move that was in the works for month, the UCP government in Alberta has invoked the notwithstanding clause to shield three bills from court challenges. These bills specifically target trans kids, requiring birth gender to enter sports after 12 years old, preventing them from using differing pronouns at school without parental permission and bans on medical treatment under 16 years of age. With such unprecedented use of the clause, it's important to have a discussion on the very real implications for trans people, kids and wider society. Mel Woods, senior editor at Xtra Magazine joins the show to discuss the approach by the government, the effect on trans kids and their article calling out premier Danielle Smith for dishonest justifications.

Submit your questions for the Q&A here!

Follow Mel on Bluesky

Check out Xtra Magazine

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/human-rights-trans-kids-notwithstanding-ft-mel-woods-podcast/

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Monologue: Post-CANADALAND Wasteland

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

If you're a news nerd, a media freak, or some sort of schadenfreude savant, you're probably aware of the spectacular implosion of CANADALAND and its equally infamous leader, Jesse Brown. This week the network drops the first two episodes of a podcast examining antisemitism in Canada. To be blunt: hopes are not high. Nothing has been convincing that they should be, either. So why do we like talking about it? For this week's monologue, I dive into my latest critique, why I hope to focus less on CANADALAND in the future, and what news media critique means in a landscape without the indie giant.

Submit your questions for the Q&A here!

Follow Scott on Bluesky

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/monologue-post-canadaland-wasteland-podcast

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Panel: Sifting Through the Sludge of Budget 2025

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 12:39:19 GMT

It's been a week since the federal Liberals released the 2025 budget. In that time we've heard a lot of coverage, some useful, some not. In the first North State panel, we discuss the potential impacts in this budget, its massive investments in the military, abandonment of the environment and the complete lack of health considerations. Of course, the news media doesn't get away unscathed either. Karyn Pugliese (APTN News national affairs correspondent), Arshy Mann (co-founder and host at The Hatchet) and Ian Barclay (editor at Avant-Garde Press) join the show to dissect the budget and the news coverage surrounding it.

The Hatchet

Avant-Garde Press

Karyn's newsletter

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/panel-sifting-through-the-sludge-of-budget-2025-the-north-state-podcast

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The Pay Wall of it All

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

It's happened to all of us. We want to read an article, but the web page stops us in our tracks. We need a paid subscription, or to sign up for a newsletter, or contribute some meagre amount of money. It's one thing for an institution like CTV News, The Globe and Mail or the Toronto Star to expect a subscription, but for the last couple decades, news has had the expectation of being free. This has put journalists in an extremely precarious position, especially when they try to go out on their own. I spoke to Arshy Mann of independent podcast The Hatchet and Nicole Froio of The Flytrap, a worker-owned feminist publication, to talk about how journalists need money to live.

Check out The Hatchet

Follow Arshy on Bluesky

Check out The Flytrap and their Bluesky

Follow Nicole on Bluesky

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/the-pay-wall-of-it-all-the-north-state-podcast

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Monologue: Fine, Let's Talk About the NDP Leadership Race

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Five people are running to save the NDP from itself. Who are they? What are they promising? What's the point? Who cares anymore? Well despite the tremendous disappointment the NDP has been for the past decade (at least), they nevertheless take up a lot of space on the left-wing of Canadian politics. This week I delve into an analysis of the NDP's history as the "safer" option, their latest shifts to the right and what the actual point of a political party should be. Oh and then I talk about the current candidates and what we can expect under a new NDP leader, even in the best case scenario.

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/monologue-fine-lets-talk-about-the-ndp-leadership-race-the-north-state-podcast

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Diving Into CBC's Five-Year Plan ft. Luke LeBrun

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Last week, CBC released their 2025-2030 plan, their hopes and aims for the next five years. Soon after, president and CEO Marie-Phillippe Bouchard appeared on the CBC podcast Front Burner for an interview with host Jayme Poisson. With Canada's public broadcaster being targeted by the right and an expectation to cut nearly $200 million from their budget under direction of the Carney government, how does the current climate play into the plan and Bouchard's public comments? Luke LeBrun, investigative journalist and editor at PressProgress, joins Scott to dive deep into this document, the CBC and an ultimately disappointing interview.

Read the CBC's 2025-2030 strategy here.

PressProgress

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/diving-into-cbcs-five-year-plan-ft-luke-lebrun-the-north-state-podcast

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One Year of The North State

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Planning a wedding, having a wedding then a honeymoon, it'll be too busy, unfortunately. But I wanted to mark the one year mark of this show. Thank you to all who've listened, come on, and stuck with me through a tumultuous year.

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Carney, News Media Prepare for War ft. Ian Barclay

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Carney's latest trip to Europe highlighted Canada's commitment to militarism, including leaving the door open to Canadian boots on the ground in Ukraine. Billions of dollars for the military, extended missions in Latvia, commitments to buying arms for Ukraine, how is this all covered? Ian Barclay, editor-in-chief of Avant-Garde Press, journalist and Canadian Armed Forces veteran joins Scott to discuss rising militarism, news media's role in it and a more realistic picture of NATO and the Ukraine-Russia war that coverage doesn't include.

Avant-Garde Press

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/news-media-and-carney-p-for-war-ft-ian-barclay-the-north-state-podcast

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Doug Ford's Stupid F**king Tunnel ft. Glyn Bowerman

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 09:00:00 GMT

One of the stories lately that regularly gets media attention (and deserved mockery) is Ontario premier Doug Ford's insistence that his government will initiate the process to build a tunnel underneath Highway 401. This tunnel, which is supposed to stretch from Mississauga to Scarborough, will apparently have three lanes ontop of each other. This will solve congestion, we're told. No, this isn't a joke. He's dead serious. Glyn Bowerman, journalist and host of the Spacing Radio podcast, joins Scott to discuss the political utility of Ford's fantastical tunnel, how the news media has hit the criticisms on the money, but how they omit Ford's posturing in the greater scheme of his tenure as premier of Ontario. Finally, they discuss a troubling bulletin from a deputy editor at La Presse.

Check out Spacing Radio

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/doug-fords-stupid-f-king-tunnel-ft-glyn-bowerman-the-north-state-podcast

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Monologue: Inescapable Burnout Climate

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 09:00:00 GMT

It's been a lot for Scott lately. So rather than huddle into a ball, let's talk about what journalists have to face every day, and how it affects their reporting.

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/

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Canadian News Media's Orientalism ft. Sarah Samuel

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT

The sheer scale of mass suffering and killings inflicted on Gaza by Israel is indescribable. In Canada, our news industry has been shaped by an orientalist approach, viewing Palestinians and those in the Middle-east as pitiable and inhuman. Using Edward Said's theory, journalist and researcher Sarah Samuel reflected how Canadian news has continued this racist and imperialist view in the context of Israel's genocide. Samuel joins The North State to explain the roots, approach and results of researching her article "Canadian Mainstream Media’s Orientalist Stance Towards Palestinians" in the Al Jazeera Journalism Review. She and Scott also discuss the mental health crisis going on behind the scenes in Canadian newsrooms.

Follow Scott on Bluesky

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/canadian-news-medias-orientalism-ft-sarah-samuel-the-north-state-podcast

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Breakdown: Back at it Again at CBC ft. Jeremy Appel

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT

It's the Canadian Breakdown Corporation this week on The North State. In a scathing email, former host of Canada Tonight Travis Dhanraj told CBC employees that he was "forced to resign," and condemned the atmosphere at the public broadcaster. Figures, since we were going to talk about an abysmal first-person article written by a convoy antivax Alberta separatist published at CBC News. Then, news compartmentalizes extremist CAF Facebook group away from supercharged military funding, what are they missing? Finally, Prime Minister Carney's been having high-level trade talks with President Trump. The only thing we know is that he caves at pretty much every turn. How are Canadians being served by this opaque conduction of trade talks? Independent Alberta journalist at The Orchard Jeremy Appel joins Scott to breakdown these stories.

CORRECTION: Literally as we were recording, Trump sent out letters to delay tariffs again.

Check out Jeremy's work at The Orchard.

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/breakdown-back-at-it-again-at-cbc-ft-jeremy-appel

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The Emperor's New AI Economy ft. Paris Marx

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Prime Minister Mark Carney has made AI investment a massive pillar of his government's economic plan. He appointed a Minister of AI and Digital Innovation and he tied in a new department focusing on AI research in a massive military spending announcement. You'd think with such a push, news media would delve into what this materially translates to for the average Canadian. That hasn't been the case. Most coverage has been sparse, and in the military announcement, it was omitted in a lot of stories. Meanwhile the coverage we do get leans towards the tech industry's priorities. This week on The North State, Paris Marx writer, critic and host of the tech critical podcasts Tech Won’t Save Us and System Crash joins Scott to talk about the Liberal government's AI investments and the news media's inability to properly cover this new push.

Check out Paris' podcasts: Tech Won't Save Us and System Crash

Check out Paris' newsletter

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/the-emperors-new-ai-economy-ft-paris-marx-the-north-state-podcast

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This isn't Canada's Land ft. Karyn Pugliese

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Indigenous consent is all well and good, you see, but why should we let that get in the way of resource extraction? Bills in BC, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia all aim at speeding up projects like mining for uranium and critical resources, pipelines or those in forestry, with Indigenous condemnation all the way. Meanwhile, Carney's Liberal Party is tabling similar legislation at the federal level, proposing to give cabinet almost complete control over deciding which projects can be rammed through. This week on The North State, Karyn Pugliese, instructor at Carleton University and National Affairs reporter for APTN joins Scott to shit talk the news. What do these bills mean, what will the response be, and how legacy news media has failed to paint the full picture.

CORRECTION: Scott mentions an article by The Economist, this article was later withdrawn because editorial was "not satisfied with the sourcing."

Check out Karyn's newsletter.

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/this-isnt-canadas-land-ft-karyn-pugliese-the-north-state-podcast

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News You Can't Use - Live May 30, 2025

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 09:00:00 GMT

I gave a small, intimate presentation to a reading group in western Massachusetts after coordinating with one of their organizers. Graciously, they allowed me to record, so now you get to hear it here. This talk is more of a general overview about perception of news, which resources are best to cultivate a critical news eye, a critical examination of two events covered by the news, an overview of how settler-colonialism seeps into news and a brief alternate history of progressive journalism.This episode's photo is the one I presented at the end of my talk, just edited with "The North State" on it.

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/

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What Canadians Can Learn from Australia's Election ft. Mitch Alexander

Tue, 20 May 2025 16:42:54 GMT

After Australians confirmed a massive majority for their Labor government, Canadian journalists and pundits agreed: anyone who compared the two is a genius. Now that the dust has settled, it's important to not move past lessons we can learn from each other. Half-victory lap, half-cogent analysis, this week on The North State is a closing of the discussion begun on The Down Under State to compare each country's respective elections and what each of us can learn about the current political moment. Mitch Alexander, co-host of the Australian Radical Online Leftist Pipeline podcast, PhD candidate and vocalist of metal band Eye Of The Enemy, rejoins Scott to talk Dutton and Poilievre's loss, Labor and Liberals' gain and a surprising carbon tax connection.

Clarification: I mentioned the Bloc Quebecois being a factor in the 90s Liberal landslide but did not make it clear that the Reform Party, which was the right-wing Western split of the Progressive Conservative federal party, contributed greatly to the change in the electoral landscape, moreso than the Bloc.

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Mitch’s Blog: Philisophica

Only Equals Negotiate by Eye of the Enemy

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https://readthecatch.ca/what-canadians-can-learn-from-australias-election-ft-mitch-alexander-the-north-state-podcast

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Our Decaying News Ecosystem is a Political Problem

Tue, 06 May 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Rebel Media and other right-wing figures dominated the discourse around the two leadership debates this election. After disproportionately representing their perspective in the French-language scrum, their behaviour completely disrupted and stopped the scrum after the English-language debate. It's not a one-off occurrence, this is only going to get worse. This week on The North State, Scott walks through the effect of the Online News Act on Canadian's news habits, how the broader right-wing shift has deteriorated the average Canadian's news diet, what implications this has for our politics and how there is no plan to fix this from any party. Fun stuff!

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Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/our-decaying-news-ecosystem-is-a-political-problem-the-north-state-podcast

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Grading Journalism's Election Performance ft. Nora Loreto

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Federal elections are the equivalent of sports championships for politics/journalism nerds the world over. But this election felt different. Journalism covering the federal parties has been... not great. The decaying state of media, mounting attacks from the right-wing and a complete lack of imagination have all coalesced into a complete garbage fire. Average Canadians are not being served by our legacy media, leaving independent outlets to pick up some of the slack. But independent outlets can't carry the burden of decaying material conditions, reactionary social movements and indifferent rhetorical support. Nora Loreto, freelance journalist, author and host of the Sandy and Nora and the Daily News podcast joins Scott to review the quality of news media reporting on the electoral campaign.

Check out Nora Loreto's work

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Canada In Decline Book Two: Corporate Control

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

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Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/grading-journalisms-election-performance-ft-nora-loreto-the-north-state-podcast

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The Down Under State ft. Mitch Alexander

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Election fever has taken over Canada, so it's understandable that politically engaged Canadians would be focused on the country’s federal election. The shadow of the US, housing, tariffs– all are playing huge roles in who Canada chooses as the party that will lead the country. But we aren't alone. Australia’s going through all the same problems with a federal election just five days after Canada’s. So what problems do Canadians and Australians share? How can we learn from each other? What makes our situations different? Mitch Alexander, co-host of the Australian Radical Online Leftist Pipeline Podcast, PhD candidate and vocalist of metal band Eye Of The Enemy, joins Scott to discuss the situation both countries find themselves in. From the difference between our voting systems to the similar approaches electoral parties are taking towards capital gains taxes, it turns out going down under can be a good thing for perspective.

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Mitch’s Blog: Philisophica

Only Equals Negotiate by Eye of the Enemy

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

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Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/the-down-under-state-ft-mitch-alexander-the-north-state-podcast/

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Breakdown: (Mostly) Election Special 2025 ft. Eric Wickham

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 10:00:00 GMT

It's election season, basically Christmas for politics nerds who have no life. So instead of wallowing in the news about the campaign trail, the candidates and the polling, we're going to breakdown some election coverage. Eric Wickham, Ontario reporter for PressProgress joins to discuss CTV News having to right-wing flak, incredible reporting about a mass punishment at "Wong-tanamo Bay," and a general discussion about the state of the 2025 federal election.

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Check out his reporting for PressProgress.

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

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Sources and further reading at:

https://readthecatch.ca/breakdown-mostly-election-special-2025-ft-eric-wickham-the-north-state-podcast

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When Ya Get Drafted ft. Ian Barclay

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Facing worrying rhetoric by US President Donald Trump, news has turned its attention to Canada's military, with a notable trend of pointing towards the positives of conscription. Two of these articles, published from both sides of the political spectrum, suggest mandatory service as a partial solution. But even the best version of this argument plays into jingoist nationalism. Not only does it not address the situation at hand, it directs the popular will to strengthen sovereignty into misplaced nationalist militarism. Ian Barclay, editor-in-chief of Avant-Garde Press, journalist and veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, joins Scott to discuss the historical context of conscription in Canada, the faults in these arguments and how they miss the mark.

Avant-Garde Press

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Sources and further reading at:

https://readthecatch.ca/when-ya-get-drafted-ft-ian-barclay-the-north-state-podcast/

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51st State Blues ft. Tyler Shipley

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Since late last year, Donald Trump began a very public habit of musing on making Canada the 51st state. Throughout posts on his social media feeds, press conferences about the US' trade relations and even an appearance at the World Economic Forum, Trump has threatened high-tariffs against Canada and expressed a desire to integrate it into the USA. While news coverage has been breathless, it omits the reality of Canada's foreign policy and how it's aligned with the US throughout some of its darkest chapters. Tyler Shipley, professor of political economy an author of Canada in the World: Settler Capitalism and the Colonial Imagination, joins Scott to discuss the historical and political context of Trump's rhetoric and how the Canadian political system is ill-equipped to combat these plans.

Canada In The World: Settler Capitalism and the Colonial Imagination by Tyler Shipley

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https://readthecatch.ca/51st-state-blues-the-north-state-podcast

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Breakdown: Justin Tru-Done, Metapocalypse and State of Canadian News

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 10:00:00 GMT

On this edition of The North State, independent award-winning journalist Rachel Gilmore joins Scott to have a Breakdown. Justin Trudeau resigns as Liberal Party leader, and consequently Prime Minister of Canada. How has the media covered these tumultuous weeks? Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg announced that everything can always get worse at Meta– what does this mean for Canadians? Finally, it’s time we had a proper retrospective of Canadian news media’s state in 2024. We talk about legacy layoffs and what happens when beloved indie outlets stop actually shit-talking the news.

Check out Bubble Pop with Rachel Gilmore.

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https://readthecatch.ca/breakdown-justin-tru-done-metapocalypse-and-state-of-canadian-news-the-north-state-podcast/

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Digital ID Verification is Coming... Are We Ready?

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 09:00:07 GMT

Recently, Australia passed a law requiring social media to ban people under sixteen from their services. In order to implement this law, the two avenues of age verification broadly encompass either facial recognition software or government ID verification. Both have disastrous privacy implications at the best of times. So why does Canada have a similar bill in the House of Commons, currently under way to become law? What has the news media missed? Most importantly, who does it affect the most? Scott talks with Kate Sinclaire, a law student and activist with SWAC, and Jelena Vermillion, sex worker and activist with SWAP Hamilton about the formulation and impacts of Bill S-210, as well as the news industry's poor coverage of sex work in general.

This is the last episode of The North State for 2024. We're taking a break until the new year. Happy holidays!

Sources and Further Reading at:

https://readthecatch.ca/digital-id-verification-is-coming-are-we-ready-the-north-state-podcast/

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Music:

"Devonshire Waltz Andante" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Concentration" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Breakdown: Layoff Season, War on Bikes, Bounty on Journalist ft. Dave Gray-Donald

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 09:00:04 GMT

Introducing: The North State’s Breakdown! Scott takes on multiple stories about the news media industry with the help of a guest. Publisher and Editorial Director for Toronto's The Grind Dave Gray-Donald joins Scott to talk about three big stories. Layoffs at Rogers and TVO hit the industry in two different ways. Then, Doug Ford got his way on bike lane legislation… what is the news missing? Finally, La Presse reveals that a convicted killer placed a $100,000 bounty on one of their reporters who covered his murder trial. What does this say in context of the wider threat to journalists?

Dave Gray-Donald Twitter: https://twitter.com/dgrdon

Check out The Grind

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

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https://readthecatch.ca/breakdown-layoff-season-war-on-bikes-bounty-on-journalist-ft-dave-gray-donald-the-north-state-podcast

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Opinion Sections Misdiagnose Trump Win ft. Chuka Ejeckam

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 09:00:19 GMT

Trump won. You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it. It's been impossible to escape. So it's unsurprising that Canadian news media has been committed to publishing analyses of Trump's sweeping electoral victory. But what's worthy of publishing? What purpose do these proposals serve? Unsurprisingly, shifting right is the main solution. Writer, researcher and co-host of the podcast Expats and Allies Chuka Ejeckam joins Scott to discuss the analyses published by The Globe and Mail, National Post and Toronto Star. They also discuss how even left-wing analyses of Trump's win omits important lessons for the people.

Clarification: Ritchie Torres was not one of the Democrats who spoke out against trans athletes.

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https://readthecatch.ca/opinion-sections-misdiagnose-trump-win-ft-chuka-ejeckam-the-north-state-podcast

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Decisions 2024: Election-fever-mania

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 09:00:14 GMT

British Columbia, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan all had provincial elections within two weeks of each other. On the ballot was the incumbent government's track record and the ideology of the electoral options. But according to news coverage, two were referendums on progressive ideals. According to news coverage, no matter the result, the conservative view held firm... even when the Conservatives lost. By examining the coverage of these elections, we can learn what to expect for election coverage in the future.

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https://readthecatch.ca/decisions-2024-election-fever-mania-the-north-state-podcast

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One Year of October: The People

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 08:00:16 GMT

So far in this series, we’ve discussed the function of journalism and the government in Canada. It’s important to bring the conversation down to a personal level and examine how the current climate has affected Palestinian-Canadians and their connections to Palestine.It's additionally crucial to know the perspective of Jewish people, whom Israel proclaims to speak in the name of. Today, Scott speaks with Maryam Afana, a Canadian born in Gaza who now lives in Toronto; Fatima Saleh, a Canadian born Palestinian activist based in Alberta, and Gur Tsabar, spokesperson for the Jews Say No to Genocide coalition based in Toronto.

Sources and Further Reading Available at:

https://readthecatch.ca/one-year-of-october-the-people-the-north-state-podcast

"Apprehension" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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One Year of October: The Parliament

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 08:00:59 GMT

In the second part of this three part series, Scott discusses how Canada aligns with Israel in both its foundational structures and how our Liberal government materially supports their genocide. Journalists Alex Cosh and Justin Brake have both, in their unique ways, confronted the Canadian government about their support for Israel. Alex has been reporting on arms exports for the better part of this past year for The Maple. Justin, Editor-in-Chief for Newfoundland's The Independent, mainly focuses on provincial issues. But when he had a chance to confront Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about his government's support of Israel's genocide, he took it. Two different approaches but very similar results.

Sources and Further Reading Available at

https://readthecatch.ca/one-year-of-october-the-parliament-the-north-state-podcast

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Music:

"Blue Sizzle" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Long Note Three" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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One Year of October: The Press

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 07:00:46 GMT

It’s been one full year since Oct. 7 and the world will never be the same. In the first part of this three part series, Scott details how Western news media, and the Canadian news media specifically, has distorted coverage of Israel’s crimes in Gaza. Interviewing journalists Emma Paling and Samira Mohyeddin, The North State shows how their reporting and experiences reveal the deep anti-Palestinian bias at the heart of the news industry.

Sources and Further Reading Available at

https://readthecatch.ca/one-year-of-october-the-press-the-north-state-podcast

Music:

"Stay the Course" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Bittersweet" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Mesmerize" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

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Who Watches the Newsmen? (Trailer)

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 10:00:50 GMT

It's been a dark year for Canadian news media. Legacy news has failed to show the full story, hold politicians to account or, in some cases, even cover important stories. Certain podcasts purporting to criticize the state of journalism have abdicated any and all responsibility. Join independent journalist and the writer behind The Catch, Scott Martin, as he cuts through the news noise.

Head to readthecatch.ca and sign up for a subscription to support The North State.

The North State is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network. Visit Harbinger for more progressive Canadian podcasts.

Artwork: Zo, Studio Bonjourhi

Music:

"Concentration" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

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