Jessica Johnson
@jessicajohnson.bsky.social
Senior fellow at the Centre for Media, Technology & Democracy @mcgillu.bsky.social. Literary journalism professor @uoft.bsky.social. Former EIC @thewalrusca.bsky.social. I post here about writing, journalism and books.
“On one day in the preceding week, eight per cent of the population of Iqaluit came to eat hot lunches at the QCFC.”
“Some of them will say they never ate for how many days? I try not to get emotional. I get very sad, but I just try to keep my sadness in and try to help them in every way we can. I try to give leftovers to everyone.”
www.aptnnews.ca/featured/peo...
www.aptnnews.ca/featured/peo...
‘Having a hard time getting food’: Nunavut hunger crisis continues
‘People are having a hard time now getting food’: Nunavut hunger crisis continues as Indigenous Services Canada refuses to answer questions
www.aptnnews.ca
November 27, 2025 at 12:29 AM
“On one day in the preceding week, eight per cent of the population of Iqaluit came to eat hot lunches at the QCFC.”
Reposted by Jessica Johnson
Currently talking to Julian Brave Noisecat for the Audacious Book Club. Join us: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: The Audacious Book Club Conversation with Julian Noisecat. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.
Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: The Audacious Book Club Conversation with Julian Noisecat. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.
us02web.zoom.us
November 26, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Currently talking to Julian Brave Noisecat for the Audacious Book Club. Join us: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
I clearly must live in a very small bubble, but I honestly thought being able to buy B.C. wine in Ontario was the point of interprovincial trade. www.cbc.ca/news/busines...
Alcohol industry disappointed to be left out of interprovincial trade agreement | CBC News
Some in the alcohol industry say they’re perplexed and disappointed that booze was left out of a recent agreement between provinces to drop interprovincial trade barriers.
www.cbc.ca
November 22, 2025 at 2:42 PM
I clearly must live in a very small bubble, but I honestly thought being able to buy B.C. wine in Ontario was the point of interprovincial trade. www.cbc.ca/news/busines...
I could handle the soft launch of Christmas carol season but wasn’t ready for the full libretto on Nov 18 🎄
November 18, 2025 at 8:13 PM
I could handle the soft launch of Christmas carol season but wasn’t ready for the full libretto on Nov 18 🎄
Reposted by Jessica Johnson
Review of "Elbows Up!" a very different sort of anthology www.krlnews.com/2025/11/elbo... #booksky @elamin.bsky.social @jessicajohnson.bsky.social @caroloff.bsky.social @penguinbooksusa.bsky.social
November 17, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Review of "Elbows Up!" a very different sort of anthology www.krlnews.com/2025/11/elbo... #booksky @elamin.bsky.social @jessicajohnson.bsky.social @caroloff.bsky.social @penguinbooksusa.bsky.social
Reposted by Jessica Johnson
But what alarms me in all this is how the girls who were victimized by these men are largely forgotten. I want us to find ways of centering them in the discourse.
November 12, 2025 at 8:13 PM
But what alarms me in all this is how the girls who were victimized by these men are largely forgotten. I want us to find ways of centering them in the discourse.
I love that a U of T expert just wrote a book about vanilla: "In the end, my experiments now serve as car fresheners." www.utoronto.ca/news/anythin...
Anything but plain: U of T researcher digs into vanilla's rich history
The word “vanilla” is often used as a synonym for bland or boring – but the University of Toronto’s Eric Jennings says the reality is quite the opposite. Jennings, a leading authority on modern French...
www.utoronto.ca
November 7, 2025 at 8:21 PM
I love that a U of T expert just wrote a book about vanilla: "In the end, my experiments now serve as car fresheners." www.utoronto.ca/news/anythin...
Looks like the Canadian federal government is maintaining a 2025 Liberal campaign commitment to give an additional $150 million to the CBC/Radio-Canada: budget.canada.ca/2025/report-...
Our plan: Building Canada strong | Budget 2025
Our plan: Building Canada strong — Part of Budget 2025.
budget.canada.ca
November 4, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Looks like the Canadian federal government is maintaining a 2025 Liberal campaign commitment to give an additional $150 million to the CBC/Radio-Canada: budget.canada.ca/2025/report-...
I'm really looking forward to participating in the launch of Elbows Up!, a new anthology about Canada, this Thursday in Toronto with @caroloff.bsky.social, Jesse Wente, and @elamin.bsky.social (who edited the book). I wrote “Canada Needs a Rewrite.” festivalofauthors.ca/event/elbows...
Elbows Up! Canadian Voices of Resilience and Resistance - TIFA
Join editor, Elamin Abdelmahmoud, and contributors Jesse Wente, Jessica Johnson and Carol Off as they discuss the new collection Elbows Up! Canadian Voices of Resilience and Resistance. This anthology...
festivalofauthors.ca
October 28, 2025 at 4:37 PM
I'm really looking forward to participating in the launch of Elbows Up!, a new anthology about Canada, this Thursday in Toronto with @caroloff.bsky.social, Jesse Wente, and @elamin.bsky.social (who edited the book). I wrote “Canada Needs a Rewrite.” festivalofauthors.ca/event/elbows...
An AI Friend sounds like it has upsides, but you can get a lot of the same benefits—insights about your day, framing how you feel about them—by writing in a journal. By automating everything we can, we lose the helpful low-fi experiences of being human. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
‘I’m suddenly so angry!’ My strange, unnerving week with an AI ‘friend’
The ad campaign for the wearable AI chatbot Friend has been raising hackles for months in New York. But has this companion been unfairly maligned – and could it help end loneliness?
www.theguardian.com
October 22, 2025 at 11:17 AM
An AI Friend sounds like it has upsides, but you can get a lot of the same benefits—insights about your day, framing how you feel about them—by writing in a journal. By automating everything we can, we lose the helpful low-fi experiences of being human. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Just had to look up who wrote “Video Killed the Radio Star” and realized I trust the Wikipedia page more than the Google summary
October 21, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Just had to look up who wrote “Video Killed the Radio Star” and realized I trust the Wikipedia page more than the Google summary
Every era must have its favorite actor who plays a US president on @nbcsnl.bsky.social… I think we’re so lucky to have James Austin Johnson doing Trump. I can’t share last night’s video but they talk about it here www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/a...
On ‘Saturday Night Live,’ a Milestone for Domingo
www.nytimes.com
October 19, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Every era must have its favorite actor who plays a US president on @nbcsnl.bsky.social… I think we’re so lucky to have James Austin Johnson doing Trump. I can’t share last night’s video but they talk about it here www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/a...
This is such a sad, sad story. And it’s interesting to see this development come out now (with reporting by Lindsay Jones and Greg Mercer)
Neighbours told RCMP they heard car near trailer where Nova Scotia children disappeared
Accounts from court documents describe a car driving near the trailer where Jack and Lilly Sullivan lived in the early hours of the morning
www.theglobeandmail.com
October 18, 2025 at 12:56 PM
This is such a sad, sad story. And it’s interesting to see this development come out now (with reporting by Lindsay Jones and Greg Mercer)
Reposted by Jessica Johnson
👥👥 Panelists include @tanyatalaga.bsky.social @paulseesequasis.bsky.social @marktrahant.bsky.social + Judi Kochon! 🤝 Event co-covened by myself and @candiscall.bsky.social
VANCOUVER! Whatcha doing Fri Oct 24? Come see our free public panel, "Beyond Fire & Floods (BFF): Indigenous Narratives in an Era of Extremes," part of a larger invitational gathering of climate-related storytellers, hosted in MOA Great Hall at UBC!
sppga.ubc.ca/events/event...
sppga.ubc.ca/events/event...
October 1, 2025 at 3:48 PM
👥👥 Panelists include @tanyatalaga.bsky.social @paulseesequasis.bsky.social @marktrahant.bsky.social + Judi Kochon! 🤝 Event co-covened by myself and @candiscall.bsky.social
Reposted by Jessica Johnson
If you are a new or experienced driver your number one job while behind the wheel isn’t getting to work on time, it’s making sure you prioritize the safety of vulnerable road users not your convenience. If you’re unable to do this, plz return your vehicle. You aren’t qualified to drive on our roads.
#DYK that if a person cycling is struck by a driver travelling 50 km/h, their chance of survival is only 10%? Whether you’re a new or experienced driver, always drive carefully around vulnerable road users. 🚴
Find #RoadSafety tips at toronto.ca/WatchforBikes.
Find #RoadSafety tips at toronto.ca/WatchforBikes.
September 25, 2025 at 2:26 PM
If you are a new or experienced driver your number one job while behind the wheel isn’t getting to work on time, it’s making sure you prioritize the safety of vulnerable road users not your convenience. If you’re unable to do this, plz return your vehicle. You aren’t qualified to drive on our roads.
Finally, my way of life is vindicated apple.news/A2RCBmJO1Q3C...
Eating three yogurts a day is ‘key to living to 100’ — The Telegraph
Scientists studied the DNA of oldest person in the world to discover secret to longevity
apple.news
September 24, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Finally, my way of life is vindicated apple.news/A2RCBmJO1Q3C...
Reposted by Jessica Johnson
I love Jon Stewart. His first show after Jimmy Kimmel cancelled. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GXN...
Jon Stewart's Post-Kimmel Primer on Free Speech in the Glorious Trump Era | The Daily Show
YouTube video by The Daily Show
www.youtube.com
September 19, 2025 at 11:12 AM
I love Jon Stewart. His first show after Jimmy Kimmel cancelled. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GXN...
This post by Sarah Fay (Writers at Work) offers a good overview of what's happening on Substack and how it's likely to intersect (hint: considerably) with mainstream media in future. www.substackwritersatwork.com/p/substack-p...
Substack 5.0: Why You Shouldn’t "Be" on Substack Anymore
A new growth mindset for a new Substack era
www.substackwritersatwork.com
September 10, 2025 at 4:29 PM
This post by Sarah Fay (Writers at Work) offers a good overview of what's happening on Substack and how it's likely to intersect (hint: considerably) with mainstream media in future. www.substackwritersatwork.com/p/substack-p...
This argument–“we’re not based in your market, even though we operate in your market and earn revenue in your market and compete with domestic businesses in your market” has been at the heart of the tech debate for the last 10+ years.
OpenAI is arguing in an Ontario court today that a copyright lawsuit filed by Canadian news publishers involving its ChatGPT generative AI system should be heard in a U.S. courtroom instead. It's the first case of its kind in Canada.
vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/09/10/o...
vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/09/10/o...
OpenAI argues Canadian news publishers’ lawsuit should be heard in U.S.
OpenAI is set to argue in an Ontario court today that a copyright lawsuit filed by Canadian news publishers involving its ChatGPT generative AI system should be heard in a U.S. courtroom instead. A coalition of Canadian news outlets which includes The Canadian Press, Torstar, The Globe and Mail, Postmedia and CBC/Radio-Canada is suing OpenAI […]
vancouver.citynews.ca
September 10, 2025 at 2:43 PM
This argument–“we’re not based in your market, even though we operate in your market and earn revenue in your market and compete with domestic businesses in your market” has been at the heart of the tech debate for the last 10+ years.
I am sorry to hear about Graham Greene. I met him in 2018 when we were doing an event in Charlottetown. I confided in him of my fear of public speaking. "Just take a breath after every line you speak," he said. If nothing else, you can't go wrong with that. www.cbc.ca/news/enterta...
Oscar-nominated actor Graham Greene dead at 73 | CBC News
Graham Greene, an Oneida actor from the Six Nations of Grand River in Ontario who was Oscar-nominated for his role in Dances With Wolves, died Monday in Stratford, Ont., at the age of 73.
www.cbc.ca
September 2, 2025 at 5:44 PM
I am sorry to hear about Graham Greene. I met him in 2018 when we were doing an event in Charlottetown. I confided in him of my fear of public speaking. "Just take a breath after every line you speak," he said. If nothing else, you can't go wrong with that. www.cbc.ca/news/enterta...
Reposted by Jessica Johnson
Nature loss will cut UK GDP by 5% without action from private sector, say experts
Nature loss will cut UK GDP by 5% without action from private sector, say experts
Report finds regenerative approach could yield economic benefits while helping to meet environmental targets
The degradation of nature in the UK will lop nearly 5% off the country’s GDP if the private sector does not make a greater effort to halt the decline, experts have warned.
Conversely, investing in nature can produce economic returns for companies in a range of sectors, from manufacturing and construction to food, according to a report from the Green Finance Institute (GFI) and WWF. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
August 26, 2025 at 4:19 AM
Nature loss will cut UK GDP by 5% without action from private sector, say experts
Thanks to @anjakaradeglija.bsky.social for including me in this recent story on the impact of AI to news publishers.
Google's AI Overviews launched last year with notable blunders like a suggestion to apply pizza toppings with glue. While Google maintains their overall accuracy, experts say this technology is reshaping the internet as we know it. @anjakaradeglija.bsky.social reports for @cdnpress.bsky.social 🧵
August 18, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Thanks to @anjakaradeglija.bsky.social for including me in this recent story on the impact of AI to news publishers.
Thanks so much for having me on the show today, @eliasmakos.bsky.social and @cjad800.bsky.social!
Today, Senior Fellow at the Centre and author of What Should the CBC Be?, @jessicajohnson.bsky.social spoke with @cjad800.bsky.social about how Google's AI overviews are problematic for media outlets and our information ecosystem. Have a listen here: tinyurl.com/4975yuhv
Why results from Google AI Overviews can be problematic - The Elias Makos Show | iHeart
<p>Jessica Johnson, senior fellow at McGill University’s Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy</p>
tinyurl.com
August 14, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Thanks so much for having me on the show today, @eliasmakos.bsky.social and @cjad800.bsky.social!
Reposted by Jessica Johnson
🚨 Our latest report, What Should the CBC Be? is out now!
The conclusion is clear: Canadians want CBC/Radio-Canada to continue, but it must evolve to remain relevant and trusted.
Here's a sneak peek at the report 🧵
The conclusion is clear: Canadians want CBC/Radio-Canada to continue, but it must evolve to remain relevant and trusted.
Here's a sneak peek at the report 🧵
July 16, 2025 at 3:10 PM
🚨 Our latest report, What Should the CBC Be? is out now!
The conclusion is clear: Canadians want CBC/Radio-Canada to continue, but it must evolve to remain relevant and trusted.
Here's a sneak peek at the report 🧵
The conclusion is clear: Canadians want CBC/Radio-Canada to continue, but it must evolve to remain relevant and trusted.
Here's a sneak peek at the report 🧵