Lightning round with Denise Balkissoon

In a Newsjunkie lightning round, The Narwhal executive editor Denise Balkissoon weighs print against digital, reporting against editing and deadline pressure against misery. She also names an overlooked local beat, recommends novelist Jesmyn Ward, recalls two magazines she misses and explains why she remains optimistic about journalism.

Print, digital or both?

In my heart, I’m print, but digital comes with me everywhere. I read paper books, but my news is mostly digital.

Do you prefer being a reporter or an editor?

I love both. I think people should switch back and forth more. It helps you understand the other person’s challenges and position.

Do you use a notebook or a recorder when you’re working?

Both.

Do you prefer phone interviews or face-to-face interviews?

Face-to-face, if you can get them. It depends on the interview and exactly what you’re going for.

Does deadline pressure motivate you or make you miserable?

It motivates me.

Besides the environment, do you have a favorite journalism beat?

Gender and women’s issues.

What do you think is the most underrated local news beat?

Other than City Hall, I don’t know that people really understand how important it is beyond scandals. That’s the level of government that affects your daily life the most.

What is one Canadian issue that isn’t getting as much coverage as it should?

There’s a very big push for resource extraction now, and the tagline is that it is what we need to be economically sovereign from the United States. The economic drawbacks of the environmental effects, and the smoke and mirrors around how many of these companies are actually foreign-owned, are not being covered well enough.

I also think the secrecy that governments are imposing is not getting enough attention. Many of my colleagues at many publications have tried to reinforce that point to Canadians, but it is such an abstract issue. Then there is the falling apart, bit by bit, of our world-famous social safety net. I don’t think people are seeing that big picture as clearly as they should.

Is there a journalism cliché you’d like to retire?

I have a whole rant about objectivity. I don’t believe objectivity exists. I believe fairness exists, and I believe in challenging yourself, but no one is a blank slate who comes to a story without experiences or opinions.

Who is your favorite writer who isn’t a journalist?

Oh, boy. Whenever I get questions like this, my mind goes completely blank. I’m just like, “Have I ever read a book in my life?” I’m looking right now at a Jesmyn Ward book. She’s excellent, and she has won the National Book Award multiple times, so let’s say she’s one I recommend.

Is there a magazine or news source that no longer exists that you wish were still around?

A million. In Canada, I was just thinking about Saturday Night, which used to be a weekly news magazine that was both fun and really smart. I’m a girl of the ’90s, so I miss Sassy magazine. There are so many.

Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future of journalism?

I feel pretty optimistic, to be honest. People really seem to want information right now, and they also seem to need good, clean information, so I feel pretty good.