2016T

RANSPARENCYR
EPORT

2016wasbumpyaf.

Welaunchedourartsshow,TheImposter,thencancelledthelaunchwhenourhost
droppedout,thenwetooksometimetofindanewhost,thenlauncheditforreal.

AsimilarthinghappenedwithCOMMONS,ourpoliticsshow.AfterDesmondand
AndraylefttheshowweannouncedVickyMochamaandSupriyaDwivediasthe
showsnewhosts,thenlostthemtwomonthslatertoothergigs,andtheshowtooka
breakforyetanotherhostsearch.Finally,oureditorJaneLytvynenkomovedonfrom
thecompany.Inthatcase,RobertHiltzwastheretoseamlesslykeepourcoverage
going.Wedonttakebreaksfromnews.

Throughoutallofthis,wepublished151podcastsin2016,brokeabunchofstories,
andcoveredthehelloutoftheGhomeshitrial.Also,wewroteabook.

Thingsarefinallyontrack.AliyaandKevinarekillingitontheImposter,Jonathan
Goldsbiejusttookoverasourpermanentnewseditor,ManaalFarooqi,Russell
Gragg,andCoreyMarrjoinedourteamtolookafterahugespanofthings,andwe
justannouncedouramazingnewCOMMONShosts:AshleyCsanady,Ryan
McMahonandHadiyaRoderique.

Thereisonereasonwhythingsdidntgoabsolutelytoshitin2016:ourpatrons
steppedup.Weaskedyouformoremoneytoletuspayourpeoplebettersothatthey
mightstopleaving(andalsobecauseitsfair).Yougaveittous.

Nowitstimetogiveyouacloselookatwhatweachievedwithyourhelplastyear,
andwherewefellshort.Wedothiswork,whichwelove,becauseyouchooseto
supportus.

Thankyou.

JesseBrown
Host/Publisher
CANADALAND

 TOPC
ANADALANDN
EWSS
TORIES,2
016

DiversityandrepresentationinCanadianmediaisterrible,a
ndw
e
documentedit:guestsonpoliticsshowsareo
verwhelminglymale,the
CBCsstaffis9
0%w
hite(10%morehomogenousthanC
anadaitself)
ando
thernewsorgseitherdontc ountdiversitystatso
rr efuseto
releasethem.

Wereporteda
bunchofthingsthatwentotherwiseignoredduringthe
Ghomeshit rial:thefamilyc onnectionbetweenM
arieHeneinandthe
trialjudge,thefactthatGhomeshisbailconditionswerer elaxed,the
realstoryb
ehindLucyDecouteresletter,andmostimportantly,the
factthatGhomeshididinfactdriveayellowV
olkswagenatthetime
thatadiscreditedwitnesssaidhedid.

TheWalrusmagazineallegedlyv iolatedtherulesofitscharitable
status,s toleafreelancerspitch,ando
verstateditsc irculation
numbersinagovernmentgrantapplication.

TheQ
ueensParkPressGalleryb
lockedanindependentjournalist
fromthelegislature.

BellcobrandedanadcampaignwiththeLiberalparty,whilethey
werelobbyingtheLiberalparty.Bellwasalsotheo
nlyc ompany
consideredbya
federaltourismboardforapublicitycontract.Bellalso
hado
rdereditsr adiohoststonotexpresso
pinionsa
boutM
arineland,
becausetheyw
ereasponsor.Finally,aformerBelle
mployeetoldus
whatthec ompanywasr eallylikewithrespecttoherm
entalh
ealth.

Saskatchewanmediacompaniesarehuged
onorstotheruling
Saskatchewanparty.

TheC
BCfacedabunchofnewh
arassmentc laimsandlawsuits.A
lso,
theystartedpublishinga
dvertorialsandb
lockingtheirp
odcastsfrom
apps.Andw
efoundouthowmuchtheypayM
ansbridge.

AG
lobeandM
ailreporterwho,accordingtotheGlobeitself,w
rote
anunbalanced(sponsored)storyaboutacontroversialdiamondmine,
alsoa
cceptedag
iftfromanaffiliatedjewellerystore.Plus,yetmore
plagiarismfromMargaretWente.

Whenthem
ediareportsonHIVassaults,thestoriesa
reaboutblack
andimmigrantoffenders69%ofthetime,eventhoughtheyonlymake
up20%o
factualconvictions.

 MILESTONES

$12,500/month:N
ewA
rtsa
ndC
ultureS
how
Reached:M
arch2
2,2
016
UPDATE:TheImposterwithAliyaPabanilaunchedinJuly.Withinmonths,itwas
namecheckedontheOnionAVClubsbestpodcastsoftheyearlist.Highlightsinclude:
theTanyaTagaqinterview,theLidoPimientainterview,theDegrassiepisode,The
Wiretapappreciation,andthedocaboutWarrendale.

$12,500/month*:E
verybodyB
utJ
esseG
etsa
R
aise
Reached:O
ctober1
8,2
016
UPDATE:Done.Basesalariesimmediatelywentup16%to$40,000/year.Freelancerates
forpostswentup33%andwealmostdoubledwhatwepayourCOMMONShosts.Plus,
wenowprovidehealthbenefitsandstockoptionstostaff.Westillhaveawaystogo,but
werenowcompetitivewithothernewsstartupsonsalariesanduniqueinour
coownershipprogram.

$13,500/month:I
nvestigationsF
und
Reached:O
ctober2
0,2
016
UPDATE:proceedingok.Wevealreadylaunchedsomesmallerlongtermprojectsbut
haventyetdecidedonamajorinvestigativeproject.Acceptingpitchesnow,formalcallto
come.

$14,000/month:A
pprenticeshipP
rogram
Reached:O
ctober2
2,2
016
UPDATE:Werebehindonthis.Manysubmissionsreceivedbutwehaventformalizeda
programyet.

$15,000/month:P
odcastD
evelopmentF
und
Reached:O
ctober2
2,2
016

UPDATE:behindonthistoo.Developingoneprojectinhouse,butweneedtofigureout
theparametersandputoutanopencallforpitches.

*NOTE:Patreonchangedthewayitdisplayscrowdfundingtotals.Theyusedtoshowthe
totalamountofmoneypledgedbyeveryone,nowtheyshowonlytheamountweactually
receiveaftertheytaketheircutandsomecreditcardsaredeclined.Anyhow,thechange
bumpedourpublicfacingnumberdownbyover$2000,sowesettwogoalsinarowat
thesamenumber.

 HowW
eS
pendY
ourM
oneyE
achM
onth
(currentP
atreonf undinga
so
fF
eb.15,2
017:$
16,080U
SD)

Salaries(inCAD,02/17):Jonathan(newseditor):$4166/month.Jesse(publisher/host):
$4000/month.KevinandRussell(producers)andManaal(sales&admin):$3333/month
each.Aliya(host):$2916/month+adrevshare.COMMONShosts$200250/podcast,
each.Freelancers:$200perpost(baserate).

 IMPACT
Correlationisnotcausation,butalotofthingswecoverchangeafterwevecovered
them.Someoftheseinclude:

CBCFollowingourcoverageofCBCsunrepresentativediversitynumbers,CBC
putinplacediversitytrainingforcertainstaffers.Nowordonactualchangestothe
makeupoftheworkforce.

#AdFreeCBC in2016,CANADALANDraisedandchampionedtheideaofan
adfreepublicbroadcaster.Shortlythereafter,theCBCannounceda(ridiculous)
plantoabandonadvertising(inexchangefor$400millionayear).Also,a
governmentcontractedthinktankrecommendedthattheCBCbebarredfrom
sellingadvertisingonline.

QueensP arkP ressG alleryAdayafterourstoryaboutindependentjournalist
AlisonSmithbeingdeniedentrytothegallery,aGallerymeetingwasannounced,
andshortlythereafterSmithwasgrantedmembership.

VancouverR ealE
state BackinJune2015wefocusedontheworkofIanYoung
oftheSouthChinaMorningPost,whohadbeenreportingoncorruptionandforeign
investmentintheoverheatedVancouverrealestatemarket.Itwasoneofourmost
popularstories.ThetopiclaterbecameafocusofamajorGlobeandMail
investigation,followedbygovernmentreforms.

ERRORS
Weregularlypublishclarificationsandcorrectionstoournewsstories,andour
hostshavewalkedbackcommentsorapologizedwhenneeded.Afulllistofall2016
correctionsandclarificationsish
ere.Threemistakeswentbeyondthetechnical:

*RespondingtoearlyreportsthatoverstatedtheimpactoftheFortMcMurrayfire,
inadditiontophotosandvideosthatsuggestedtheentiretownwasburningtoa
crisp,wetitledanepisodeofShortCutsFortMacIsGone.Thiswasastupid
editorialmistake.FortMacisnotgone,becauseofpeoplewhoriskedtheirlivesto
saveit.
*DuringtheGhomeshitrial,wemisreportedthatGhomeshiwasbackon
Facebookwheninfacthehadneverdeactivatedhispersonalaccount,just
scrubbedhispublicpage.Besidesbeingwrong,itwastrivialstuff,anditdetracted
fromtherestofourtrialcoverage.
*WemisidentifiedthesourceofaleakasbeingthechiefofstaffofOttawas
mayor.

 SOMEN
UMBERS

Weget372,000d
ownloads/month.
Wehavereachedover 9,000,000t otald
ownloads.
EachCANADALANDpatron(onaverage)paysfor 10o
therp
eople
toheartheshow(thatsnotincludingourradiolistenerswedonthavethose
numbers).
MOSTD
OWNLOADEDE
PISODES,2
016

CANADALAND:
1.HowToSaveOurCBC
2.NotesontheGhomeshiTrial
3.WhitePunditsMatter
4.EdmontonIsWeird
5.NewfoundlandIsScrewed

COMMONS:
1.LegalWeedisBadforPoorPeople
2.Don'tLetHarperHappenHere:WabKinewon
EnteringPolitics
3.WhiteMenGottaSpeakonThis
4.TheGovernmentFinallyAdmittedTheyIllegally
SpyOnUsandNobodyCares
5.DrunkonLiberalPower/KellieLeitchonAntiCanadianValues

TheI
mposter:
1.BrushesWithDrake
2.SpoilerAlert
3.DEGRASSILAND
4.TanyaTagaqisUnreconciled
5.SexCanoe

 GOALSF
OR2
017

Withyourcontinuedsupport,herearesomeplanswehavefor2017:

Doe verythingw ered oingn ow,o nlyb etter Wemayhaveexpandedtoo

quicklyin2016,soourtoppriorityistofocusontheshowsweremakingandon
ournewscoverageandgetthemassolidaswecan,allthetime.Thisinvolvesa
bunchofbehindthescenesorganizationalstuffthatweveignoredtoolong,but
whichwerefinallydealingwith.Improvingconditionsforourstaffwasabigpartof
this,andthisprocesswillcontinuein2017.

Improveo
urr ewardsp
rogram
Ittakesustoolongtogettshirtsandstufftothepeoplewhosupportus.Weneed
tostreamlinetheprocessandgetthisstuffoutquicker.

Diversifyo urt eama
ndo
urc overage Thiswasagoalfor2016,butourteam
isactuallylessdiversenowthanitwasthen.Includingwomenandpeopleofcolour
ateverylevelofCANADALANDisnotanicetohave,itsanessentialaspectofour
business,andweneedtodobetter.

Covert her esto
fC
anadab ettert hanw
ed
oWhileCANADALANDand
COMMONShavebothmadeheadwayinrepresentingtherestofCanada,thereis
moreworktobedone,andtheImposterwouldbenefitfromcoveringmorestories
andartistsfromoutsideofToronto.

FightF ascismTellingthetruthandcelebratingartisincreasinglyapoliticalact.
In2017,CANADALANDwillredoubleitseffortstocounterspin,falsenarratives,
bullshitandalternativefacts,whilecallingoutthesubtleandexplicitwaysinwhich
standardsofhumandecencyarebeingeroded.Throughfactsoverpassionwewill
exposeandridiculeeffortsmadetonormalizeliesandtoappeasetyrants.Yes,this
isaboutTrump.