There are some topics where writing anything is enough to get people angry. No matter what you say, and no matter how many hours of research you conduct, someone will say you’re wrong, you’re an idiot and you shouldn’t be writing such garbage.

I count among those topics: the Israel-Palestine conflict, abortion, most politics and — after my latest freelance article in the print version of Maclean’s — the Canadian polar bear hunt.

It doesn’t mean these topics should be avoided. No way. Controversy and conflict make a story interesting, and there isn’t going to be only one right side to important debates. For journalists in the digital age, tackling controversial topics also means developing a thick skin and not taking comments on Twitter, comment boards, or other social media too personally.

Here’s my latest from Maclean’s, which was originally published in the March 25, 2013 issue. Continue reading →