Solidarity, Disruption and Spin: Covering Canada-Wide Demonstrations

For weeks, demonstrations in support of hereditary chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation in northern British Columbia have resulted in in unprecedented rallies, blockaded railroads and intentionally disrupted commuter routes for drivers and transit users alike -- not to mention attempts to stall legislators in the capitol and even taking their placards to the premier's own home. The issue of whether or not to allow the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline has deeply fractured the Wet'suwet'en community and Canadians at large have been divided on whether protests are lawful and acceptable expressions of support for First Nations or illegal acts of disruption that should result in arrest. As the days go on, the impacts are increasingly felt by people across the country.

Hard at work to report on the daily goings-on and the larger picture of what's at play are journalists scrambling to get to the latest barricade, protest and sit-in -- despite increasing hostility from the demonstrators themselves. It's a challenging but important task, so reporters and videographers are getting creative in order to cover all aspects of the developments, despite significant logistical and geographic hurdles.

BTS with CTV Vancouver host Penny Daflos discusses the complexities of reporting on this issue with reporter Allison Hurst and their colleague, Melanie Nagy, Vancouver bureau chief for CTV National News.