No Embargo

Today: Are we in the era of the perpetual election campaign?

From November 3, 2026.

With U-S mid-term elections underway, various provincial and municipal votes just completed in Canada, and six new federal Canadian by-elections on the horizon, we discuss campaign messaging versus the style of messages from elected parties, and whether all of this fuels voter fatigue and frustration.

Today: How does the messaging around recent election campaigns in Canada compare with the approach in the U-S mid-term elections?

From October 27, 2026

Campaign ads and events in the U-S feature messages that seem to become increasingly personal, negative and vilifying toward opponents.  That has an impact on candidates for office "down the ballot". We've previously discussed the idea of fear marketing.  Now, we look into campaign messaging and distribution in recent elections in Canada, including the municipal elections in Ontario.

Today: The greatest media literacy fail of the 20th century 

From October 21, 2026

When The Mercury Theatre on the Air performed a specially written radio drama of The War of the Worlds on October 30th, 1938 some listeners thought they were hearing news about an actual Martian invasion. But there was no mass panic as newspapers of the day claimed. And the relatively few listeners who did experience panic lacked what we now call media literacy.

Today: the fear economy and marketing fear.

From October 14, 2026.

Are advertising and political rhetoric more impactful when they stoke and exploit fears? Trevor and Paul explore the concept of the fear economy as current election campaigning targets emotional responses around crime (crime rates are down) and question whether the news is helping consumers understand the reality versus the messaging.

Today: If they're not on the news, how do we find out about candidates running in our local elections?

From October 9, 2026.

Municipal election campaigns are in progress in Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island.  In some communities, there may be very few candidates for a given office.  But how can a candidate in a big city get themselves into the news? How can voters find out who's running when so much local media has been lost? Are incumbents entrenched when there's little coverage? How about the U-S midterms?

Today: All NHL games are behind a paywall now!

From September 15, 2026.  As the NHL season begins September 29th, many fans across Canada will find they don't get NHL games on tv anymore!

The original announcement that NHL games would be available on screens in Canada only if you pay a sports channel subscription fee (if you already have a "cable" or satellite tv provider) or if you pay for an app or for some non-broadcast streaming access came back in June.  Hockey season was past and way off; and the World Cup was taking place. We were distracted. But now, fans who relied on over-the-air tv reception, or got the games on broadcast channels on basic cable are finding...they don't get NHL games anymore.

Trevor and Paul seized on the issue immediately back in June...and take a dive in again as the new season is set to begin. Should your nearest NHL team's games be available free on tv? If public money goes into facilities they or their players use, should you have to pay for the tv feed? This move is unusual; there may be a U-S border city near you that beams their NHL team's games over-the-air to the Canadian city where you live.  

And here's the link to our No Embargo advance season episode in which we first started to explore this.  

https://noembargopod.podbean.com/e/advance-episode-2/

Commentary and analysis.  Opinions are our own.

Today: Will Artificial Intelligence annihilate us all?

From September 15, 2026.  Social media and the news have been buzzing about the revelations of a former AI worker who went public to voice his fear run-away AI could wipe out humanity.  Perhaps within a decade.

Trevor and Paul dive right in, as the AI industry and politicians were scrambling to respond and stake their claims in the discussion. Good communications? Fearful wording in the news?

Commentary and analysis.  Opinions are our own.

Today: Why are we making No Embargo?

Introduction: Trevor Campbell and Paul Cross discuss why we’re making this series No Embargo and how we hope it has value to the listener.  Trevor is a public relations specialist.  Paul is a veteran news broadcaster.  Through our professional and career perspectives we unfilter news and spin examining how some issues come to be in the news, how they’re covered and communicated in the news, and the communications approaches or strategies that may be at play in how they become news.

No Embargo - Unfiltering news and spin

Commentary and analysis. Opinions are our own. 

Today: Remembering September 11, 2001. 

From September 9, 2026. Trevor Campbell and Paul Cross remember the moment they heard about the tragic events in New York and how newsrooms and the public reacted.

This episode contains additional material not included in this week's No Embargo Advance Episode 7.

Commentary and analysis. Opinions are our own. 

No Embargo - Unfiltering news and spin

Today: Our first grab-bag of current issues including the trade situation, recent by-election outcomes, a shout-out for good news coverage, and a start at remembering 9-11.

From September 9, 2026.

No Embargo - Unfiltering news and spin

Commentary and analysis.  Opinions are our own.