….and the blog may not be long…I seem to be quite sick with something. So we’ll talk ethics. Journalism ethics. There really are such things, though they have never been closely observed by most news media. Among newspapers, the Irving press are the sorriest lot in a generally soggy Canada.
Continue readingAuthor: Graeme Decarie
The Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Nov. 16: A giant, New Brunswick flag dominated the stage. General Alward….
stepped in front of it, adjusted his helmet, then straightened to attention with his hand rigid against the pearl-handled revolver at this belt. His steely eyes seemed to probe into the very souls of his audience, the good people of New Brunswick. “Protests threaten development”, he thundered. (The whole story
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Nov. 15: "City hall leaks hurt developmemt:mayor"
Moncton’s mayor was speaking of leaks concerning a deal which gave Robert Irving some $86 thousand a year (at least) as an incentive to keep the hockey team in town – or to make diapers here – pick your favourite reason. And m. Leblanc is so right about the leaks.
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Nov. 14: law and order vs. freedom and justice
P.4 “Police all over Canada are watching protests says top NB Mountie”. I have no doubt they are. Nor do I have any doubt about the sincerity and honesty of our top Mountie. They are watching protesters. They are enforcing the law. (They are also reporting to shale gas execs
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Nov. 13: Section A has a abig story on a new store opening…
… P.2 has a big story about a black bear. In fact, it is essentially the same story the paper had two days ago. But I guess they ran it again because it was popular. And that’s it for section A._________________________________________________________________________The big item in world news (section C) is a
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Nov. 12: How the super-patriots do nothing…
Nobody and nothing could be more patriotic than the Irving press. So it’s no suprise that the First Section and NewsToday are swamped with non-news about Nov. 11 Remembrance Day observations. Yessirree. Nobody will ever accuse the Irving press of not being patriotic. And nobody will ever accuse it of
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Nov. 11: Do we remember?
First, let’s take a look at some, kind of important stories, that the Irving press didn’t have room for. It looks as though the peace talks with Iran are wrecked. It looked as though it was a done deal, avoiding a war with Iran which could be a very dangerous
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Nov. 10: The very strange case of SWN at Rexton
Before I begin the real topic of this, it’s worth looking at Saturday’s first page of the Whatever section. It has 16 students, mostly university students, talking about what remembrance day means to them. All had conventional – and very wrong – information about it. All but one said our
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Nov. 9:Wow! "N.B. has safe fracking history: group…"
Not only that. N.B. has had only SOME contamination of water supplies as a result of fracking. Well, if it’s only SOME, then there’s no point worrying about it. In fact, we should also ease up on chasing drunk drivers, because only SOME people get killed by them. But can
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Nov. 8: A huge blunder, even by the standards of the Irving press…
Saudi Arabia has announced it has nuclear weapons to be delivered from Pakistan, and intends to use them soon on Iran. Some observers are doubtful – but not many. And it is quite certain that the Saudis have launching ramps for those weapons aimed at two countries – Iran and Israel. Israel,
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Nov. 7: I just can’t keep up….
I have pages of notes on blunders and shabby journalism by the Irving press. But I can’t use them because every day, I am overwhelmed by ths lastest and numerous travesties that appear in these papers. Today, we’re treated to yet a another big, front-page story about garbage collection in
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Nov. 6: Keeping New Brunswick in a stupor…
The national story today that cried for an op ed opinion was ignored. We got an op ed piece that it’s a good thing we have emergency services preparing for any railway accident in the city. That gem of wisdom comes from Eric Lewis. Mr. Lewis, I think most of
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Nov. 5: The light brigade in the valley of death….
For some years, I taught Canadian military history. I taught for example, the destruction of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. I spoke of their order to charge across a long, open field swept by the fire of hidden, German machine guns. They rose obediently, and began a “charge” which, for men weighted
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Nov. 4: Cheap and sloppy Monday…
There really is a pattern to the Irving press. Monday is always something thrown together in a few minutes with almost no news about anything, anywhere, and no news ever for New Brunswick worth reporting. This one, though, has one, blockbuster news story that New Brunswickers bloody well should think long and
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Nov. 3: Just a few Sunday thoughts – with a special for university students on getting As.
But first – There are few things more annoying that political arguments. And the annoyance is caused by those people whose discussion style is formed by their prejudices. Such people will pick a side based entirely on their prejudices. And they generally have two approaches to the discussion. One is
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Nov. 2: It’s a wonderful, wacky world..
Check out p. 1, “New Store prepares for World’s End. It’s a survival store – and I can see it all now. It’s not only possible but probable that there will soon be drastic food shortages around the world, and dramatically reduced crop yields even in our favoured land. So
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Interesting news….
…but not in any of the Irving papers. So let’s start with some interesting stuff. Yesterday, the TandT carried a front page story on how a young girl went from Halifax to Moncton by Via rail for the first time, and how she even got to blow the whistle. There’s
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Nov. 11: Judy Dallaire’s column..
My farourite columns are the ones that make me think. Jody Dallaire is frequently in that categorty, and she does it well. This one is about the red poppy – and the white poppy. Though I as very young, I still remember the days when boys from my father’s scout
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Oct. 30: Just another day for the TandT
The first page has the not unusual propaganda story to boost the “events centre” which, it seems, will create a pupulation and business boom (while the rest of the world continues in recession and an increase of poverty.) The weather for Hallowe’en will be nice. (That’s the banner headline, the
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Oct. 29:well , this time I DO disagree with Alec Bruce
Mr. Bruce’s column today is on shale gas. He argues that we should develop shale gas because the world is shifting to the use of coal – and that has even a worse effect on climate and environment than shale gas does. He also accuses shale protestors of being victims of
Continue reading