Canada’s establishment media won’t tell it like it is — or how it could be.
National newspapers are owned by billionaires or U.S. hedge funds, the CBC has become afraid of its own shadow, and social media platforms are swimming in ugly clickbait.
They not only misrepresent our most pressing issues, but they leave people hopeless about ever changing them.
The Breach is our response — an independent media outlet producing critical journalism to help map a just, viable future. We provide a platform for voices you won’t often find in the establishment media and investigations, analysis and video content about the crises of racism, inequality, colonialism, and climate breakdown.
Imagine coverage that doesn’t dismiss social movements proposing bold policies like defunding the police or Landback, but gives them proper airtime.
Imagine journalism that doesn’t channel anger toward the working poor, refugees, Muslims, Indigenous and Black people, but aims squarely at the corporate class.
Imagine reporting on the climate crisis that doesn’t focus on doomsday scenarios or small tweaks to the status quo, but on political transformations that are urgent, beneficial and entirely realistic.
A more honest, adversarial approach to journalism
The billionaire-owned media and our public broadcaster have long peddled the claim that they’re objective, but most people have stopped buying it. In a world of injustice, no one — and especially not journalists — can be truly neutral or impartial. “Objectivity” becomes merely a cover for uncritical reporting or a muzzle on those speaking simple truths about power and privilege.
The Breach practices a more honest journalism: rigorous in our reporting and evidence-gathering, fair in our arguments and judgements, but transparent about our views and values.
We believe journalism can be credible while still open about its commitments: to inspire action, tell stories about people remaking society, and amplify visions of a new world to win together.
• Read our 2021-2022 Transparency Report
Our name: a hopeful signal sent into the dark
We work to live up to our name, whether that’s by prying public-interest documents from the clasp of powerful institutions or rupturing old stories that suggest little is politically possible.
“Breach” has another, less expected connection to our journalistic mission. It refers to the joyous sight of whales leaping and splashing onto their backs, in waters across the three coasts of these lands.
As scientists have recently noticed, breaching is how whales in fact communicate: the impact generates sounds underwater to invite other whales kilometres away to join them in shifting direction.
Like the best stories, it’s a long-range message — a hopeful signal sent into the dark.
The Team
- Publisher
Dru Oja Jay - Managing Editor
Martin Lukacs - Contributing Editors
Dawn Marie Paley
Cara McKenna
Emma Paling - Development Director
Deydra Baptiste
- Senior Video Producer
Michael Smith - Contributing Editors-at-large
Isabel MacDonald
Moira Peters
Riley Yesno
Sharmeen Khan
- Video Editor
Henri-Julien Rabelais - Financial Coordinator
Monique Willis - Columnists
Pam Palmater
Linda McQuaig
El Jones
Donya Ziaee
- Marketing strategist
Ella Sabourin - Assistant Producer
Katia Lo Innes - Art Director
Andira Hernandez-Ramdwar
- Designer
Kevin Lo - With support from
Indiegraf Media
Support The Breach
The Breach relies on sustaining members to produce investigations, video, and analysis. Please consider a monthly contribution of one hour’s wages today!