Scott was on vacation last week, so he hasn't been keeping up with the news. Ontario reporter for PressProgress Eric Wickham was also on vacation last week, so he hasn't been keeping up with the news. So what happened? In a very casual episode, Eric and Scott discuss some important headlines they missed to return to the grind, what they mean and their first impressions.

Follow Eric on Bluesky and TikTok.

Check out his reporting for PressProgress.

Follow Scott on Bluesky

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading at:

https://readthecatch.ca/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Prime Minister Mark Carney's announcement on combating antisemitism, right-wing Zionist rumblings in news media claimed he wasn't doing enough. Often cited as an example of the extreme state of antisemitism that Canada is the choice of Montreal professor Gad Saad to leave for Mississippi. Saad's book, often cited as a number one nonfiction seller in Canada, Suicidal Empathy is a fundamental component of the fascist outlook. This week, Eiynah, host of the Polite Conversations podcast and someone who covers the new atheist movement and the darlings of the right-wing media sphere joins Scott to discuss Saad, his impact and the state of media when he is treated seriously.

Note: This episode was recorded June 10, 2026.

Polite Conversations on Spotify

Follow Eiynah on Bluesky

Follow Scott on Bluesky

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/right-wing-news-media-loves-this-extremist-ft-eiynah-podcast

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On May 27 to 28, CANSEC, the country's biggest arms expo, brought together Carney ministers and top arms manufacturers in a time of vast military spending. The Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI), the organization that puts it on, prevented some journalists from attending. The Maple was denied for unspecified reasons and another reporter was declined due to timelines, despite the fact that at least one other journalist was let in after the deadline. Christy Somos, award-winning Canadian journalist, producer, analyst and writer behind The State of Things, a newsletter focused on national security and extremism in Canada was that reporter. She joins Scott to discuss the process of her accreditation being denied, the worsening conditions for press freedom and how denying critical voices reveals a weakness in the arms industry.

The State of Things

Follow Christy on Bluesky

Follow Scott on Bluesky

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/barred-from-canadas-biggest-arms-expo-ft-christy-somos-podcast

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's been seemingly breathless coverage of a hantavirus outbreak that happened on a Dutch cruise ship. Everyone's asking "Is this the new COVID pandemic?" Journalists, especially. Health officials say no, but what does the coverage of hantavirus reveal when compared to that of Ebola or, more pressingly, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic? Daniella Barreto, public health advocate, award-winning podcast producer and host of the podcast Public Health is Dead, joins Scott to discuss the current state of public health and how news covers these issues.

Public Health Is Dead

Follow Daniella on Bluesky

Follow Scott on Bluesky

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/meet-the-new-pandemic-same-as-the-old-pandemic-ft-daniella-barreto-podcast

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Five months after the CANADALAND podcast "What Is Happening Here?" concluded, The Catch published a three-part series of articles diving into the validity of its narrative. While antisemitism is certainly a real problem in Canada, Jesse Brown steers his six-part series into supporting right-wing Zionist arguments at all costs. Dr. Collin Chepeka, editor of The Hunter Street Chronicle and freelance writer, joins Scott to discuss their analysis, its purpose and what we can learn from the series that pretends to be neutral, despite it clearly having such bias.

Follow Collin on Bluesky

Follow Scott on Bluesky

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/analyzing-canadalands-antisemitism-series-ft-dr-collin-chepeka-podcast

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In an April 14 story by New York Times reporter and Canada Bureau Chief Matina Stevis-Gridneff, she used AI to fabricate a quote by federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre that did not exist. In a May 1 correction, the NYT stated "The reporter should have checked the accuracy of what the A.I. tool returned." How did such a big mistake get through one of the biggest newspapers in the world? What does this say about the state of reporting at the US paper of record? When will we ever escape this nightmare? Conservation and fellowships bureau chief at The Narwhal and contributing writer to The Walrus, Michelle Cyca joins Scott to discuss the high-profile gong show.

Follow Michelle on Bluesky

Follow Scott on Bluesky

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/nyts-canada-bureau-chief-used-ai-for-fake-poilievre-quote-ft-michelle-cyca-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/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a news landscape littered with layoffs, executive bonuses and increased deference to power, it can be a bleak time for those in the industry. In a journey to focus on reporting on justice, systems of power and the law, De Facto Journalism Co-op hopes to become a new leader in Canadian reporting. Emma Arkell, award-winning labour reporter at PressProgress and editor of the Shift Work newsletter and David P. Ball, an award-winning reporter, editor, podcaster and photographer join Scott to discuss their new worker-owned outlet, how legacy news media has failed to adjust to the times and the challenges and triumphs of launching a Canadian news media co-op in 2026.

BC journalists launch new worker-owned investigative publication - De Facto Journalism Co-op

Vancouver cops are calling border enforcement more than ever. Community members fear that puts them in danger - De Facto Journalism Co-op

De Facto Bluesky Links:

De Facto Journalism Co-op

Emma Arkell

David P. Ball

Follow Scott on Bluesky

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/launching-worker-owned-news-ft-de-facto-journalism-co-op-podcast

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Amazon pulled "The Camp of Saints" from their storefront, the publisher raised a stink online of censorship. This was quickly picked up by right-wing forces like the Washington Examiner and former Alberta premier Jason Kenney as an attack on free speech. Amazon has since returned the book to their marketplace and a white supremacist screed, describing nonwhite people as violent inhuman criminals inherently motivated to kill and rape, has entered the mainstream. Amidst all this, National Post columnist Jamie Sarkonak described the book as "highly relevant today in light of Canada’s own situation." Carmen Celestini, lecturer in Religious Studies at University of Waterloo and author of the upcoming book God’s Angry Men: The Political Legacy of the John Birch Society joins Scott to actually discuss the contents of the book, its use by far-right forces and how Sarkonak and the Post helped bring hateful fascist conspiracies into the mainstream.

Follow Carmen on Bluesky

God's Angry Men: The Political Legacy of the John Birch Society

Follow Scott on Bluesky

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/national-post-praises-white-supremacist-novel-ft-carmen-celestini-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/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.