By Postmedia standards, the Vancouver Sun is fairly liberal, being the hippie brother to the redneck trash, the Vancouver Province, both being owned by Postmedia. But it’s still Postmedia. In this most liberal of cities, the Sun can’t help emulate at times its namesake in other Canadian cities and carry on the Conservative tradition of Post papers.
Here’s a little example why. This story from Reuters, reprinted by the Vancouver Sun, boasts the headline, “U.S. deficit: Democrats want tax hikes to be first item in talks”. OK, Dems want to end the Bush tax cuts for the richest Americans when that privilege expires next year. No, Dems do not want to raise taxes; they simply want to let the failed tax cuts expire. But neither Reuters nor Postmedia tell you that until paragraph nine. They also don’t tell you that taxes for the middle class are at their lowest in 50 years, thanks to Democrats.
In fact, this article reads like a Republican press release. It happens quite often, even at the black sheep Vancouver Sun. Editorials from right wingers often make their way into the paper and headlines for misleading articles such as this one are a regular part of the cherry picking Sun.
Don’t get me wrong. I read the Sun; I quote from it in blog posts and find a timelier take on the news than such established players as the Globe & Mail. But it is part of the Post empire and it does promote the same drivel the National Post pumps out. It’s part of being in a family I guess but it is always disappointing reading misleading articles or propaganda from people like Ezra Levant.
