“What do you think of CBC News’ new and totally revamped The National?”
Cameron Ahmad Liberal strategist “Reliable, robust, and independent journalism is critical to the success of any healthy society, and is crucial to the promotion of democracy, accountability, and transparency around the world. Canadians count on the tireless work of thousands of journalists across our country, and place their trust in national and local media productions […]
How a handful of reporters unearthed Canadian links to the Paradise Papers
A small team of reporters from three national newsrooms unearthed a web of Canadian connections in the Paradise Papers as part of a global group working in secret and scouring 13.4 million documents over almost a year before emerging last week with a series of blockbuster news reports. On Nov. 5 the CBC, Radio-Canada (its French […]
Libs’ ‘strategy right now is to weather the storm’ over Morneau mess
Crafting a cabinet shuffle is “a complex art in the world of politics” and insiders say the persistent negative media coverage like the sort surrounding Finance Minister Bill Morneau is rarely a deciding factor in pulling a minister from their role. Mr. Morneau (Toronto Centre, Ont.) has been at the centre of a storm of […]
Right-wing provocateurs’ effect on democracy hard to ignore
Just as your left-wing friends probably gravitate to the Broadbent Institute-founded PressProgress, right-wingers tend to clamour for right-wing propaganda. Research has shown that consuming certain media affects how we see others and how we see ourselves, even if we don’t realize it—which is known as implicit or unconscious bias. This could explain why Andrew Scheer […]
Echo chambers, strategists and Scheer
OAKVILLE, ONT.—A recurring theme in politics is that “behind-the-scenes” guys, a.k.a political party strategists, don’t always remain behind the scenes. Every now and again one of their number flashily pops into the media’s consciousness, sometimes popping in voluntarily; sometimes, involuntarily. An instance of the latter case occurred recently when The Walrus, a left-wing magazine, ran […]
Hamish Marshall is no Ezra Levant
OTTAWA—Andrew Scheer will not win the 2019 federal election if he espouses and advances the editorial content of Rebel Media. But he is not jeopardizing the Conservative Party’s prospects by bringing former Rebel Media corporate director Hamish Marshall on board as his campaign chair. Marshall, affectionately known by some in Conservative circles as the “Nerd […]
Donald Trump, change agent
For a guy who violates multiple rules of common sense on a daily basis, Donald Trump has ushered in more than his share of change-making political innovations. As an agent of change, Trump has introduced the widespread use of the term “fake news” to our dystopian political vernacular, enabling the leader of the world’s flagship […]
Truth isn’t dead, it’s just a casualty of war
I was going to lead this column with the quote from Greek playwright Aeschylus on truth being the first casualty of war but, apparently, he never said it. He did say, “If you will take me as your teacher, you will not kick against the pricks.” So, let’s give him a wide berth for now, shall we? […]
Social media gives a platform to hate and lies that newspapers didn’t
TORONTO—With few exceptions, newspapers aren’t very politically relevant any more. Oh, sure, the Toronto Star uncovered the fact that Mayor Rob Ford was using crack. And, yes, The New York Times and The Washington Post have done exemplary work exposing the venality and the criminality of the Trump administration. All true. But, in recent years, the role that daily newspapers played […]
Teen mental health advocate who penned letters to MPs will talk to Justin Trudeau
Teen mental health advocate Noah Irvine will speak with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday about implementing a mental health secretariat in the Prime Minister’s Office, a Sept. 25 press release from Mr. Irvine said. The Sept. 29 phone call is set to come a few days after the 17-year-old met with Health Minister Ginette Petitpas […]
