

The Decibel
The Globe and Mail
Context is everything. Join us Monday to Friday for a Canadian daily news podcast from The Globe and Mail. Explore a story shaping our world, in conversation with reporters, experts, and the people at the centre of the news.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 2, 2022 • 21min
The toll shooting war takes on photojournalists
Making a career out of holding a camera lens up to the frontlines of conflict, photojournalists can find themselves in tough - if not precarious - situations. The Globe’s new documentary, Shooting War, features nine photographers known for their work in conflict zones.Santiago Lyon, featured in the documentary, worked with the Associated Press for 25 years covering conflicts around the world. He talks about the physical and mental toll capturing wartime images can take and the work he is doing now as the head of education at the Content Authenticity Initiative to counter misinformation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 29, 2022 • 17min
A family flees Kabul, then Kyiv
Jawed Haqmal risked his life for the Canadian military. Now, he is waiting for the Canadian government to let him know if he can move to the country he once helped. Jawed is one of many Afghan nationals fleeing the Taliban who have been battling government bureaucracy to get to Canada for over six months now.Janice Dickson, a parliamentary reporter for The Globe, provides an update on Jawed’s journey and some context on the different challenges Afghan refugees face compared to people fleeing the war in Ukraine. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 28, 2022 • 20min
Canada’s first count of trans and non-binary people
New data from the 2021 census has been released. For the first time, the Census has counted Canada’s transgender and non-binary populations after making some controversial changes to its questions about sex and gender.Dr. El Chenier, a history professor at Simon Fraser University and founder of Boldly Nonbinary, talks about why this data is important and how it could be miscontrued. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 27, 2022 • 16min
Elon Musk is set to own our ‘digital town square’
Elon Musk has agreed to buy Twitter, the social media platform for US$44-billion on Monday, just a week after the company’s board tried to block the takeover.The Globe’s technology reporter, Temur Durrani, tells us who is financing the deal, what Twitter’s users and advertisers think of it, and why it matters even if you’ve never written a single tweet. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 26, 2022 • 20min
The mixed emotions of going back to the office
It may be time to dust off your dress shoes and button-down shirts. Canadians are slowly returning to the office after two years working from dining tables and home offices. The Globe and Mail recently surveyed over 400 people about heading back to the office, and their responses were … emotional.The Globe’s future of work reporter, Vanmala Subramaniam, joins the podcast today to talk about the takeaways of the survey. How are Canadian white-collar workers feeling about this – and what can employers learn from time spent at home? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 25, 2022 • 19min
Buying a $50-million trip to space
The age of private space travel is upon us. For a paltry few tens of millions, you could buy your own ticket to visit the International Space Station. A 10-day trip with Axiom Space cost Canadian businessman and philanthropist Mark Pathy US$50-million to be exact.Ivan Semeniuk, The Globe’s science reporter, got the chance to interview Mark while he was floating around the ISS. Ivan joins the show to talk about what Mark is doing with his time in space, why he decided to pay the large price tag to go and what this could mean for the future of space tourism. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 22, 2022 • 16min
Trouble is brewing in the craft beer world
There’s no shortage of craft breweries in Canada. Over the past decade, they grew at an explosive rate, from just a few hundred breweries in 2008 to almost 1,200 in 2020. While this is good news for beer lovers, brewers face an oversaturated market and are struggling to turn a profit.Globe reporter Jason Kirby explains how the industry got here, why the pandemic exacerbated the problem and how the craft brewery landscape will change in the coming years. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 21, 2022 • 17min
How Edmonton hopes to get mosquitos to buzz off
Warmer weather means summer, picnics, camping … and mosquitoes. Edmonton is particularly famous for their mosquito season. But with a focus on environmental sustainability, the city is ditching the pesticide spraying they’ve used for years to control mosquitoes, instead turning to a more natural solution – bats and dragonflies.Dr. Ken Fry is an Entomology Instructor in the School of Life Sciences & Business at Olds College in Alberta, and grew up in Edmonton. He studies pest control management and mosquitoes, and tells us why it’s so hard to get rid of these pesky bloodsuckers – and why learning to live with them is the better solution. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 20, 2022 • 19min
If you didn’t get a big raise, you probably got a pay cut
With inflation eating into people’s bank accounts, some people are starting to wonder: Hey, is my paycheque shrinking? And according to a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, it is.Economics reporter Matt Lundy explains how inflation is resulting in a pay cut for most Canadians and what – if anything – you can do about it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 19, 2022 • 21min
Pierre Poilievre’s populist appeal
Pierre Poilievre has been known as the federal Conservative’s attack dog. He’s often hyper partisan in Parliament, not afraid to pander to the base and support controversial movements, like the truckers convoy that occupied Ottawa earlier this year.And yet the career politician has tapped into a populist vein and is gaining attention by talking about issues like housing, inflation and cryptocurrency. But is it enough to allow him to win the Conservative leadership race? And then, resonate with the wider public? Globe and Mail columnist Robyn Urback talks about why Poilievre’s messaging is finding its audience right now. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.


