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Christie Blatchford

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Christie Blatchford
Blatchford on November 21, 2008
Born (1951-05-20) May 20, 1951 (age 73)
Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec
Occupation(s)newspaper columnist and broadcaster
Notable credit(s)Toronto Sun, National Post, Globe and Mail

Christie Blatchford (born May 20, 1951[1]) is a Canadian newspaper columnist, journalist and broadcaster. She has published four non-fiction books.

Life and work

Blatchford was born in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec,[1] and attended North Toronto Collegiate Institute.[2] She worked for the student paper of Ryerson University.[3]

She worked as a sports reporter for the Globe and Mail, and as a columnist at the Toronto Star, before moving to the Toronto Sun.[1] She remained at the Sun for almost 20 years. In 1999, she received the National Newspaper Award for column writing.[4] She later moved to take up a columnist's job at The Globe and Mail in 2003. She returned to the National Post in 2011.[5]

During four trips to Afghanistan in 2006–07,[6] she reported on the experiences of Canadian soldiers. Based on these experiences, she wrote the book Fifteen Days: Stories of Bravery, Friendship, Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army. The book went on to garner the 2008 Governor General's Literary Award in Non-fiction.[5]

Blatchford's book Helpless: Caledonia's Nightmare of Fear and Anarchy, and How the Law Failed All of Us, concerning the Grand River land dispute, led to some controversy including several members of the student body of the University of Waterloo protesting her speaking engagement and leading to its being cancelled on grounds of security.[7]

In an article in the National Post online on August 22, 2011, she criticized the outpouring of support resulting from the death of federal NDP Leader and the Parliament of Canada's Leader of the Opposition Jack Layton, calling it "a public spectacle",[8] and referring to Layton's "canonization". This caused an outcry toward Blatchford herself.[9] Blatchford's commentary on the 2013 suicide of Rehtaeh Parsons also led to Parsons' father accusing Blatchford of victim blaming.[10]

Bibliography

Non-fiction

  • Helpless: Caledonia's Nightmare of Fear and Anarchy, and How the Law Failed All of Us (2010) Doubleday Canada ISBN 0-385-67039-7
  • Fifteen Days: Stories of Bravery, Friendship, Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army (2008) Doubleday Canada ISBN 0-385-66466-4
  • Close Encounters (1988) Key Porter Books ISBN 1-55013-096-X
  • Spectator Sports (1986) Totem Books ISBN 1-55013-003-X

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Coulter, Diana (spring 1984). "Blatchford Behind the Byline: When it comes to the real Christie Blatchford, reading is not believing", Ryerson Review of Journalism. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  2. ^ "Foundation News" (PDF). North Toronto Collegiate alumni newsletter.
  3. ^ "Blatchford Behind the Byline :: Ryerson Review of Journalism :: The Ryerson School of Journalism". Rrj.ca. 1951-05-20. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  4. ^ (June 1, 2011). "Journalist Christie Blatchford leaves Globe and Mail for Postmedia", Toronto Star. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  5. ^ a b (June 1, 2011). "News veteran Christie Blatchford joins Postmedia", CBC News. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  6. ^ Blatchford, Christie (June 25, 2011). "Christie Blatchford: Surrounded by our troops, I’ve never felt so alive", National Post. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  7. ^ National Post web site
  8. ^ Blatchford, Christie (August 22, 2011). "Full Comment: Layton's death turns into a thoroughly public spectacle". National Post. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
  9. ^ Mac, Amber (August 24, 2011). "Layton’s death reveals the good, the bad and the ugly online", The Globe and Mail. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  10. ^ Allison Cross, "‘It’s always about the victim’: Rehtaeh Parsons’ father responds to Christie Blatchford’s column," National Post, February 26, 2013, URL accessed February 26, 2013.
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