— Musings —05.26.2019 07:24 PM
Doublethink by the barrel
As someone who is a columnist for two great newspapers, and as someone who is acutely aware that newspapers have been and remain in big financial trouble, I say: it is a mistake, and a conflict of interest, for media organizations to take money from the governments they cover.
— Warren Kinsella (@kinsellawarren) May 26, 2019
I’ve been hearing this a lot lately.
Will it be an acceptable platform plank in the next election to end it?
You have a point. But when someone is drowning, they will grab any hand that offers rescue.
Perhaps this $650 M federal liberal fund should be called the “Toronto Star rescue” package. I note this fawning liberal supporting paper is bleeding cash and has a collapsing stock price.
If they are smart, the 2nd panel will be politically neutral: some dough for The Star, The Rebel, etc.
Well written left of centre political opinions are valuable. Sometimes, this perspective even advances government policy decisions. Nonetheless, The Star is not worthy of bearing the standard for these political perspectives. The Star will turn on a dime with its own opinions whenever a liberal government of the day makes a policy change.
This represents the real danger of federal government funds going to supposedly protect the Canadian media. The decisions about who gets how much and why cannot be neutral and those in the media who accept the funds will be tainted as well.
I’ve noticed some people have trouble grasping the subtle nuances of going ahead, so for those folks:
Media = Print and/or Digital;
Media = Journalists;
Print or Digital Media = Often Unionized;
Unions at Media = Members;
Unions at Media = Represent Members;
Unions on Panel = Looking Out for Members.
Hope this helps!
I am somewhat encouraged that some of the most talented folks in the media are against the bail-out and have spoken against it and against their own union and Jerry Dias’s actions. Not all though, the rats of the industry will always be rats.
J.H.,
And would they still be rats if Unifor hated Liberals and buoyed Conservatives? Not in Conservative circles, they wouldn’t…
Rats come in all shades…
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/postmedia-hires-lobbyist-alberta-government-war-room-1.5140631