How Emily Mathieu reports on most vulnerable citizens
On her beat, she must balance journalistic standards with requests for anonymity
This story is part of the Star’s trust initiative, where, every week, we take readers behind the scenes of our journalism. This week, we focus on how Emily Mathieu, the Star’s affordable housing reporter, approaches her work with vulnerable populations.
Earlier this year, Emily Mathieu toured a Scarborough women’s shelter researching a story on two new facilities for the homeless for her beat covering affordable and precarious housing.
During the tour, which took place in January, she met a woman with a compelling story that Mathieu wanted to share with Star readers as she felt it captured the reality of women who rely on emergency shelters.
The woman said she was a victim of domestic abuse. Three of her fingers were fractured and she had bruising on her back. The man who she said assaulted her had been arrested and released and was now on probation. Willing to be interviewed, but saying she feared for her safety, the woman asked that the Star shield her identity.
It is a request Mathieu encounters periodically on her beat.
The Toronto Star’s Newsroom Policy and Journalistic Standards Guide says that the public interest is best served when sources journalists use for stories are fully named. The guide also says that crime victims and their families “should never be harassed for their stories, identities or photographs.” Any decision to keep a name anonymous can only be made after discussions with a senior editor.
In this case, the woman told Mathieu she was still facing a serious threat. After a discussion with Julie Carl, senior editor of national and urban affairs and social justice, Mathieu agreed to only identify the woman as Lynda. In addition, the Star decided not to publish the name of the shelter.
Carl says she is dedicated to running full names in most situations because it is important for the credibility of the news organization.
“You can’t kick and scream about transparency and then not hold yourself to the same standard.”
However, she generally agrees to withhold names if there are legal or safety considerations.
“With Emily’s beat I have learned that life on the street is often like living in an abusive relationship that you can never leave,” Carl said.
“Some of her subjects are extremely vulnerable people, struggling to survive in a hostile environment, and identifying them, calling attention to them, can put them in danger.”
Mathieu agreed to shield the woman’s identity largely for her safety. When interviewing people who are in a vulnerable position, Mathieu says, it is also important to consider dignity and privacy.
“I believe that accuracy and accountability are at the core of the work we do as journalists,” Mathieu said.
“I also believe that if we excluded everybody who didn’t want to be fully identified, because of the stigma around homelessness, we would be removing a large percentage of people from a very important conversation. However, I never presume they want any part of their identify concealed.”
Earlier this month, Mathieu was at The 519 community centre to report on a program called Street Eats that teaches people who have experienced homelessness to prepare healthy and affordable meals. There, she met Brandon, a man staying at Seaton House, Toronto’s largest shelter, and a member of the cooking team.
Mathieu wanted to quote Brandon for her story, but he didn’t want his family to know about his living situation. Once again, Mathieu agreed to use only a first name.
Brandon was willing to share his perspective and Mathieu felt confident that it didn’t require exposing his identity.
Mathieu said she explains to people she interviews how their personal information will be used and where it will appear.
Most of the time, says Mathieu, people give their full names. One such individual was a man named James Ribble, a client of Streets to Homes, a city program that helps get people into housing.
Ribble ended up in a dank, dirty, graffiti-covered basement apartment on Coxwell Ave.
That place, he told Mathieu, was in such bad shape he would rather be on the street.
“Mr. Ribble understood the importance of having his full name and a photo published in the Star,” Mathieu said.
“He wanted his story to be told, felt it was in the public interest to explain how public money was being spent and understood that if he was going to make allegations against city staff and the man who acted as his landlord, he needed to be on the record.”