This Matters
The world is changing every day. Now, more than ever, these questions matter. What’s happening? And why should you care? This Matters, a daily news podcast from the Toronto Star, aims to answer those questions, on important stories and ideas, every day, Monday to Friday. Hosts Saba Eitizaz and Ed Keenan talk to their fellow journalists, experts and newsmakers about the social, cultural, political and economic stories that shape your life.
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 22 minutes
- Episodes
- 1076
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
Un-masking the mandatory mask policy
Toronto’s Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vinita Dubey talks to Saba Eitizaz about the new mandatory mask policy, what we need to do to protect ourselves and others, and why there is such con…
The not-too-distant future of travel
How do we travel now? What are the ways that are safest? Travel bubbles, a road-trip renaissance, camping, RVing, longer and more meaningful trips, visiting friends and family. Sarah Khan, travel wri…
Should armed police be on the mental health frontline?
John Sewell, former Toronto Mayor and member of Toronto Police Accountability Coalition, speaks to Saba Eitizaz about why the police are on the mental health frontlines and what can be done to avoid …
Can an ad boycott change Facebook? It's complicated
Facebook’s current relationship status with advertisers: It’s complicated. Steven Levy, tech journalist at Wired and author of Facebook: The Inside Story, discusses the Facebook advertising boycott c…
Squeaky wheels: Two opinions on bike lanes
For Toronto’s cyclists, many of their dreams have come true, as the city has aggressively and quickly added a number of new bike lanes on several thoroughfares to provide more space for those travell…
Breaking down the Theriault trial and Dafonte Miller's call for justice
Wendy Gillis, Toronto Star’s crime reporter, breaks down the details of the Theriault trial verdict with Adrian Cheung. And they discuss how this case is playing into larger questions of community tr…
A lawyer breaks down the "extreme intoxication" defence
Some say the "extreme intoxication” defence sends the wrong message on sexual assault, and takes society back to a time when judges found ways to excuse violence against women. In today’s episode, Sa…
“Yellow Peril”: How the pandemic is fuelling anti-Chinese racism
Three Canadian journalists discuss anti-Chinese racism. The Toronto Star’s digital producer, Evy Kwong, audio engineer/producer, Sean Pattendon, and host/producer, Adrian Cheung, are in conversation …
Are TikTokers and K-pop fans practising politics, or pranktivism?
This Matters is joined by Travis M. Andrews, an internet culture reporter at the Washington Post, to discuss Kpop stans' and TikTok teens' efforts to flex their online muscle and embrace a new kind o…
“Out of office” forever: A tech giant and a local newspaper discuss working from home
Paul Burns is the managing director of Twitter Canada and he discusses why his company is letting employees choose if they want to come back to an office. We are also joined by Kennedy Gordon, managi…
Hustled, episode 6: What does the future hold for gig workers? (aka Golden State)
This Matters will broadcast the Toronto Star’s six-part podcast Hustled each Monday. In the final episode of Hustled, Foodora couriers in Toronto are buoyed by a recent win. They want to create a gol…
Shop talk: How retail will look now and in the future
BodyBreak’s Hal Johnson on racism in media
Hal Johnson, of ‘BodyBreak,’ talks to Adrian Cheung about the racism he faced in Canada’s media industry, how those incidents drove their will to make the famous show, and why systemic and structural…
Does technology perpetuate racism?
Charlton McIlwain (@cmcilwain), Vice Provost of NYU and author of the book Black Software: The Internet and Racial Justice, from the Afronet to Black Lives Matter, talks to Saba Eitizaz about whether…
Name dropping Dundas Street
Andrew Lochhead started a petition to have the Dundas Street renamed, with over 10,000 signatures and City Hall looking int it. He and Melanie Newton, an associate professor of history of the Caribbe…
Hustled, episode 5: Foodora couriers just won their union vote. Here’s how it happened — and what it means (aka Groundhog Day)
This Matters will broadcast the Toronto Star’s six-part podcast Hustled each Monday, where the Star’s labour reporter Sara Mojtehedzadeh takes us behind the scenes of a David vs. Goliath battle betwe…
Lights! Camera! Physically distanced action!
How do film and TV come back safely? Emily Andras is the creator, executive producer and showrunner on supernatural horror western Wynonna Earp, and she joins Raju Mudhar to talk about television and…
We the Champs: One year since Toronto Raptors’ championship run
Doug Smith, the Toronto Star’s reporter on the Toronto Raptors talks to Adrian Cheung about the Raptors’ championship run, his memories covering the franchise for 25 years and what a restarting NBA s…
Athletes, sports and a game-changing protest
Morgan Campbell, a freelance sports writer, joins Raju Mudhar to discuss the new world of sports activism, and how the business of sport is responding. “Stick to sports” has been the catch phrase whe…
Desmond Cole and the case for defunding police
Desmond Cole, activist, journalist and author, offers his opinion in a conversation with Adrian Cheung, on the movement to defund policing and why he thinks the system of policing, as we understand i…