(photo by Alison)
Might as well start numbering these. Might as well count on setting an hour or so aside every day for them as well.
Paul Schneidereit of the Chronicle Herald is a dishonest sack of manure:
The vociferous — and at times unhinged — attacks by critics on the proposed new Sun TV News channel, or "Fox News North" as its detractors like to call it, are really about censorship.
No it isn’t. Many, like Atwood, are concerned about the process - the Sun TV application to the CRTC seems to have been fast-tracked. Also, there is little doubt that Harper himself has had his fingers in this, it being now confirmed that he met with Fox News reps months ago with Kory at his side. While we do not have minutes of the meeting, it cannot be ignored considering circumstances and Harper's obsession with message control and free propaganda. Also, unlike most of his meetings with high level groups where he has his camera crew in tow for the latest photo op, he tried to keep this meeting secret. No, I’m not going to link to this, it is now common knowledge.
As critics have been saying repeatedly, we cannot have a Prime Minister hand out licenses to media groups.
Another note on the free speech line: some people do object to the proposed content, and rightly so. Journalists are not like bloggers or folks writing a letter to the editor. (although bloggers have been sude for printing lies) They are expected to be factual in their reporting. They have a lot of leeway in opinion pieces, but they are not supposed to knowingly print lies or misrepresent facts. Kory’s recent involvement in the Avaaz petition and interference is a good example of media crossing not only an ethical line, but a legal one as well.
Consider how ridiculous Don Martin, for example, would sound ranting on about free speech if he decided to knowingly print a lie. The public has certain expectations when it comes to journalism which is why journalists are supposed to verify their sources and information carefully before printing anything. That they can be sued for printing lies and misinformation is telling.
Schneidereit indulges in more manipulation of facts by leaving out important information:
Yes, it’s true the potential new channel has Kory Teneycke, Stephen Harper’s former director of communications and now Quebecor’s new vice-president of business development, behind the application to the CRTC. So what? No law forbids conservatives from starting TV news channels.
That’s right, no law forbids that, but the laws do forbid political interference, partisanship, and massive conflict of interest. Which is probably why Schneidereit chooses to leave out the very important fact of Harper’s involvement from the start in his meeting with Kory and Fox News months ago. He knows that’s what many people object to, it’s been stated often enough in the news.
But the fact remains there’s no reason, other than partisanship, for Sun TV News, which aims to launch in 2011, to not get a licence. The CRTC decision on a licence is expected in November.
OK. Really. This is where sane people shake their heads at the utter audacity and hypocrisy of rabid right wingers. Yes, there clearly is partisanship at play, but can anyone with more functioning brain cells than a flat worm not see that the partisan colour here is blue? Fox Fiction is run by Harper’s ex director of communications, is beyond any doubt devoted to promoting Harper’s image and themes and denigrating anything the opposition comes up with.
And there’s that very problematic and telling meeting of Steve’s with Fox News.
Keep telling your lies, you Harper whores. And we’ll keep exposing them.
**update: go to Unrepentent Hippie here, comment section for stageleft's comments on licensing and funding. Clears up a lot of confusion.
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