Conservatives on the House of Commons Heritage Committee are upset with the CBC for its newsroom’s longstanding practice of not referring to attacks by non-state groups or their perpetrators as “terrorism” or “terrorists.” When the president and CEO of the CBC, Catherine Tait, appeared before the committee this week, they took
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The Cracked Crystal Ball II: Meta’s Temper Tantrum Is Partisan Politicking
So, if you use Facebook and reside in Canada, by now you’ve noticed that anything resembling news articles are being blocked. At first, you might look at it and say “oh, that’s just Meta having a temper tantrum over Bill C-18”. You wouldn’t be wrong. It is a corporate
Continue readingAlberta Politics: The boss is going crazy! She’s practically giving her restaurant away! Plus, big tech is censoring her!
Premier Smith in a flattering photo published by Postmedia along with its flattering story about her restaurant in High River (Photo: Source not identified, via National Post). Yesterday morning, Internet sleuths noticed the notorious High River railcar restaurant owned by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and her hubby has been put
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Alberta NDP health care plan—back to the beginning
The Alberta election campaign begins. The NDP kick it off with their policy on what will no doubt be their, if not the entire campaign’s, major focus—health care. Their proposed plan prompts feelings of déjà vu in those of us with long memories. The heart of their plan is Family
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Is it news or gossip?
It is a puzzle sometimes. You look to the news media to keep you abreast of politics across Canada. The question you need to ask about the so-called political news is it news or just gossip? It is discouraging to think of some of our favourite pundits of the press
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Murdoch challenged
The most powerful man in the Anglosphere is, I submit, Rupert Murdoch, the world’s most influential media mogul. Yes, even more powerful than the president of the United States. Presidents come and go but News Corp, Murdoch’s media empire, goes on and on. Indeed, Murdoch can make and break presidents
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The accidental Newsmaker of the Year.
“Tread lightly friend around a lady of a certain age.” You have been warned. Her fecund years behind her, she might be seeking the honours of her peers, the sisterhood, in new fields—and woe to the mere man who stands in her way. And prime minister Justin Trudeau tells us
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The timeless media tempest.
It seems as though this election is taking place just for the benefit of the news media. I am not sure of the right word for it but it is the most over-reported and over-analyzed campaign I have ever seen and it is only week two. I can only hope
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Defund the CBC?
Our vacuous right wing in Canada screeching about non-glowing coverage of their team. A non corporate news source is one of the hallmarks of a democratic society. We should be giving more money to the CBC not less in the age of corporate media and fake news. Somedays it
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Oh, the drama of it all.
It is too bad the media cannot find more important news. The best answer to the current media tempest came to us the other day from New Brunswick. This reader said, “You do know that Justin Trudeau also taught drama, don’t you? “And did anyone who saw his costume and
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: In defence of print media.
Starting the day with coffee and the newspaper is a formula that works for me. The coffee wakes me and the newspaper introduces the day, informs, incites and inspires me. The ageless love for print news is my only bow to conservatism. It is a model that has its origin
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: ‘Yesteryear Politicos’ and ‘Tired Advice.’
Most people are probably unaware that they can get a good laugh from the Hill Times almost every day, for free. The Ottawa-based political newsletter will send you their headlines everyday in hopes of selling you a subscription. The problem they have with me is all I want from them
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: No facts please, a Toronto Star editorial.
It is always assumed that editorials in newspapers are more about opinions than facts. And that makes the Toronto Star just as biased as the National Post. The other day the Star’s editorial was a full-bore, full column support for our prime minister’s pipeline. Like the PM, it was small
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Circle your wagons; they’re on the warpath.
And here we thought war rooms in politics were a thing of the past? Now we see that the Toronto Sun has resurrected the idea with a one-time liberal in command. This must be the companion war room that PostMedia, owners of the Sun, promised Alberta premier Jason Kenney to
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: War Rooms from the political past.
It started back in the late 1970s and 80s when Senator Keith Davey, some of us liberal apparatchiks and the marketing communications experts, who volunteered their time, started to look on other parties as enemy combatants. I was even quoting Carl von Clausewitz’ On War when talking about campaigning to
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Saluting Salutin.
Maybe you have never wasted much time on reading Toronto Star writer Rick Salutin. I have never considered his opinions of importance or particularly well founded. I have had the impression, that the Star editors just keep him on standby to fill empty spaces in the next edition. His recent
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Holding Honderich’s Hypocrisy.
It is this writer’s observation that John Honderich of the Toronto Star can be among the most puffed up of self-important Canadians. In an opinion piece on page two of his own publication the other day, Honderich bemoaned the lack of financial support for journalism by the federal government. He
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: In defence of local media.
It came as a surprise the other evening to learn that for the past two years, NDP activist Gerry Caplan has also been a resident of Barrie, Ontario. He had been invited to participate on a panel of mourners for the late, and frankly unlamented, Barrie Examiner newspaper. By the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Donald Trump Lite and the Ontario PCs.
After spending Saturday afternoon watching Rosemary Barton and CBC News struggling with the Ontario Conservative fiasco, I was not sure whether the party or the news media did the worst job. It was embarrassing. I actually paid the CBC $6.85 plus GST for the right to watch that screw-up on
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: What ‘New’ Democratic Party?
We are hearing that ‘Love is in the air’ and the New Democratic Party of Canada is facing the future to the beat of new drums. Everyone anticipates that this new day will start with the election of the new leader of the party. And if you believe all this
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