The magazine says Canadian universities are “Too Asian.” Previously, it called all of Quebec “corrupt.”
This is turning into a pattern.
In both cases, politicians called for the magazine to apologize. (In respect of the Quebec mess, its parent company did apologize; in respect of the “Too Asian” headline, it has deleted that intolerant headline, and expressed hope that it caused “no offence.”)
Are you convinced? (See that? That’s a Maclean’s trick. Say something really offensive, but follow it with a question mark. That way, you get to say it, still, but you can hide behind the question mark if things get too hot. To wit: IS MACLEAN’S RUN BY TOTAL IDIOTS?)
Anyway, getting politicians involved just turns it into a big free press thing, with predictable results. Much shrieking and braying, etc. etc., nothing really achieved.
But if average citizens and community groups are upset – and with the “Too Asian” edition, they truly are – that’s something Maclean’s can’t so easily dismiss. They need to carefully consider what is being said to and about them. If nothing else, they need to think about what they are doing to their credibility.
Will they change course? Who knows. Rush Limbaugh is quite popular, I suppose, but I doubt there’s a soul alive who still considers him a journalist.
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