I am at Carleton University where a talk called “Journalists and Online Hate” featuring Global’s Rachel Gilmore, Columnist Erica Ifill, CBC President Catherine Tait, & Minister Marco Mendicino among others is about to start. I will share updates throughout the night below. ⬇️ 
Carleton journalism head Allan Thompson opens the event, warns that it will contain “harsh disturbing language.” He does a land acknowledgment, and says he is conscious as a “fifth generation settler”. Says journalists must challenge and dismantle white supremacist mindsets.
Rachel Gilmore and Erica Ifill just arrived.
CBC President Catherine Tait says the internet is a dangerous place. She says going after journalists undermines democracy. CBC is pushing for action to remove “toxic messages” and ways to prevent those messages in the first place. She also wants legislation & societal change.
The Star’s Saba Eitizaz says hate followed Maxime Bernier’s call to “get dirty” with journalists. Says other politicians have legitimized messages. She says the burden of facing attacks should not be held by journalists and the matter is a danger to democracy.
Marco Mendicino expresses gratitude for journalists like Rachel Gilmore. Says attacks against journalists are racist, myssiginstic, and criminal, and done by people who want to preserve a status quo. Adds that spaces must be kept safe.
Erica Ifill says her organization does not always support her. They recognize some threats but not others. She says a huge problem is the far-right; convoy people, convoy adjacent people, and white supremacists. Notes that the panel had not characterized it as such.
Saba Eitizaz brings up Diagolon, says the group has legitimized violent language. She also said that Trump and other populist leaders have created a problem for journalists.
Erica Ifill says when she seeks an expert opinion, she does not talk to white men because her job is to challenge power. She then talked about CBC’s Queen coverage, and noted she was glad the queen died. She also says the media treats black women very poorly.
Erica Ifill also says women are expected to be submissive towards white men, she calls it “misogynoir” (misogyny directed towards black women). She expects people to be assholes, use the n-word and call her a bitch, but “digital lynchings” cross a line.
Saba Eitizaz brings up the controversial Toronto Star anti-unvaccinated cover, which she says was a page designers’ choice. Says the original article was taken out of context and the journalist who wrote the story was the subject of abuse.
Rachel Gilmore is talking about her TikToks. She says TikTok is a “far less toxic platform”. She adds that it feels nice being on the platform as she can talk about her stories.
Rachel Gilmore notes that when Holly Doan tweeted abt tonight’s event, ppl were laughing at it. Notes David Menzies says what is happening to her is mean tweets, but its not because she feels unsafe in her community. The fact I am looking over my shoulder, is that a mean tweet?
Erica Ifill on wokeness: she says calling things woke is gaslighting to the max. She says the word comes from black liberation, but has been manipulated to gaslight people out of fighting for social justice.
Rachel Gilmore says the hate she is receiving is unfair. Notes this happening because she is a woman and the matter rooted in misogyny. She notes that white men do not have to deal with this to the same extent.
The event has ended. Carleton journalism head Allan Thompson mentioned he is a “poster boy of white privilege” as he closed off the event.
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