Free speech threatened by media monopolies

I take my hat off to the Tyee as well as David Beers and Mr. Edge. The over reaction of Torstar is emblematic of the problem with convergence and the increasing power of Canada's media monopoly: the ability to silence its critics. Just as Mr. Prichard has sought to silence the Tyee with his email. Its called the chilling effect of implied litigation. A tool well known to those with power. A tool extremely destructive to a free and democratic society. The hypocrisy of Prichard's interference in this fashion is of course beyond the pale. Indeed, Ms. Zerbisias spoke about her concerns with media convergence at a conference in Windsor this year, it was pretty clear no paper was willing to increase the column of a media critic. Keep up the hard work all. Thousands of Tyee readers are standing behind you!

Job opportunity at the "Toronto Star"?

Quote from Rob Prichard:

"Nothing has changed in this respect by virtue of our investment in CTV."

So where is the replacement media critic?

Traditional newspapers target the naive

I hesitate to mention the Toronto Star and The Vancouver Sun in the same sentence because the Star is a much superior publication, but in order for newspapers like The Star or Sun to carry any weight whatsoever with even moderately intelligent readers, they have to start allowing "comments" on each of their articles.

Until they do, they just are not relevant.

Micromanaged blogs in the dark corners of the Star's online publication where only people with professional news media interest hang out doesn't count.

Put your money where your advertiser's mouth is Mr. Prichard, and let's see daily what the world has to say regarding your version of the news.

I interviewed Debbie Kornmiller from the Arizona Star for an Assignment Zero project that was recently published in Wired.com, and asked her why traditional newspapers have such a hard time with comment sections.

Here's her response;
http://zero.newassignment.net/filed/debbie_kornmiller_arizona_star_tucson_az

I also interviewed Michael Tippet from NowPublic for the same project and here's what he thinks about mainstream news media;
http://zero.newassignment.net/filed/nowpublic_michael_tippett

Here's what Antonio Zerbisias thinks about the subject;
http://thestar.blogs.com/azerb/2006/08/notice.html

Maybe she left because Mr. Prichard didn't support her and she was simply fed up with bashing her head against the wall.

Over Reaction - good call!

Jeffrey J sez:

With all his blathering and trying to call Mr. Edge a liar without using the word, Mr. Prichard never addressed what I would consider the real issue.

If indeed -

then explain why Ms. Zerbisias has apparently not been replaced with another "journalist in the mainstream press willing and able to hold Big Media's feet to the fire." Nothing you have said precludes the possibility that she made a change because she sensed her end was nigh at the Star and her silence could well be the result of a confidentiality agreement and money she would be required to return if she breathed a word of why she left or the terms.

Mr. Prichard, your message is sometimes loudest if one listens to what you DON'T say. Whatever the reasons and terms of Ms. Zerbisias departure, what are the reasons the Star has no need/interest to replace her? Address that Mr. Bafflegab.

Horse's mouth

It just struck me that Mr. Prichard is speaking on behalf of Ms. Zerbisias.

I have read Ms. Zerbisias for many years, and have nothing but respect for her.

I'd like to hear it straight from the source, that is if Mr. Prichard will let her come out to play in our sandbox.

Where REAL Newspeople Go

I accidentally posted this over at Omar's thread....sorry

For all the bashing the MSM trys to give the blogosphere, it's amazing how more and more of them show up on blogs. I guess even REAL reporters and editors have to go somewhere to get actual, you know, real news. It must be scary for them also, being confronted with proof of how superflous and irrelevant they are.

Thanks Jeffrey J., and

Appreciate the supportive comments, Jeffrey. Just want to clarify that my reading of Prichard's emails is that he was not threatening litigation, nor trying to silence The Tyee. I welcome and was happy to publish his point of view. A good back and forth like the one between Prichard and Edge strengthens our role as an independent media outlet, rather than "chilling" it.

Laughing

"That's not good journalism as I understand it, nor, I expect, the way you teach it."

Journalism has long since been on a downward trend in North America. National editorials in local papers, reports of stories being killed because of corporate interests, and biased reporting. For a corporate CEO to critisize others over poor journalism is hilarious.

Great debate. I love to see

Great debate. I love to see both sides. Let's have more of this!!!! Let's hear from Ms. Zerbisias.
There is no way this negates the ugliness of the MSM monopoly, does it Mr. Prichard?

Interesting how....

it was the truthiness of Mr. Edge's story that was spotlighted in both of Mr. Pritchard's E-mails.

.

Me, moi, my job

Oh if only there were money. Piles of it. I would have grabbed it. But no. Nothing. No confidentiality agreement either. Duh. Would I be announcing my job change on my Facebook profile if there were? Would I be talking about it to bloggers who took the trouble to email me to see what was up? Would I be posting this comment???

Not that I owe anybody an explanation -- and really I am quite flattered that so many people think that my work made that much of a difference which it didn't (more on that below) -- but the truth is this;

Long before I wanted to be a media critic, I wanted to be a cross between Carrie Bradshaw and Molly Ivins. Instead, I spent the better part of 15 years glued to the TV and, eventually, the computer, reading newspapers, CRTC decisions and blogs, and having no life.

Everyday brought some new hazard. An Asper. An e-valanche of Freepers. Getting labelled anti-Semitic. Getting cut off from friends who work at other media organizations because they were afraid to be associated with me.

Meanwhile, I watched the CBC get destroyed. The visionaries in the industry got driven out. Bay Street moved in. Nothing could stop the media concentration, least of all my 800-word bleatings in the Star.

As the French say: The dogs bark, the caravan passes.

At a certain point, a girl says what am I killing myself for? Most people would rather read about Paris Hilton.

In 2003, when the great Michele Landsberg retired, I pitched to replace her -- to the extent that she could be replaced by anybody. I pitched again and again and again. I still have the multi-page proposals, complete with sample columns. Three successive Star regimes turned me down. Then, in June, 18 months after Torstar bought a chunk of CTVglobemedia, editor-in-chief Fred Kuntz saw the light.

Hurray for me.

Yes, I agree the Star should have a media critic. (I also think CBC should be doing a media show.) That's my personal opinion. After all, I am no longer a professional media critic.

But for people to expect me to continue banging my head against the wall of media concentration, CBC mismanagement and CTF funding etc. for the rest of my life is unfeeling and unrealistic. And for you to speculate about my reasons for grabbing the job I wanted without so much as an email asking why, well, that's just bad journalism and bad blogging.

But that too is a personal opinion.

I just want to do my thing now, as I am entitled to do after some 17 years of tracking the media. I think I earned it.

I don't have time for being a perpetual outrage machine. Life is too damn short.

The Facebook announcement

As captured by David Akin.

http://davidakin.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2007/6/11/3014573.html

Thank you Ms. Zerbisias

Cheers to a new life!

I'll second that Maurice!

Antonia,
As someone who has followed your career with interest and read you assiduously for years; I have no doubt, if the Star had actually given your independent and principled approach to looking at the media and focusing on the 'business' side of things the kind of support it richly deserved, that we would not today be looking for a new spokesperson to represent the interests of the public in these matters. Without that kind of support – and given the kinds of attacks you’ve had to endure during those years – who can blame you for moving on.

I wish it could have been otherwise - and I'd suggest, if Holy Joe is watching, that he's far from pleased.

Bonne chance Antonia!

Marc Edge was cutting a lot closer to the bone in his column than the folks in the executive suite at Torstar like anyone in the working media to cut. But, as you know, it was always more of a problem when the calumniation came from inside.

Bad Journalism? Bad Blogging?

Regarding Ms. Zerbisias’ comment;

"And for you to speculate about my reasons for grabbing the job I wanted without so much as an email asking why, well, that's just bad journalism and bad blogging."

I'm not exactly sure what you're referring to AZ, but people were speculating about whether your job was "downsized," which is much different than wondering why you want the new job.

Regardless of the reason, it might be bad journalism, but definitely not bad blogging.

Speculation, as long as it is not done in a libelous or slanderous manner, is an effective tool used to root out the truth.

Journalists are paid professionals who spend someone else's money developing stories. They are supposed to be nonpartisan. Unfortunately, more and more are not.

Blogging, at least for me, is a necessary evil because professional journalists refuse to do their jobs properly, which means someone has to tell the unsuspecting public the other side of the story.

You complain because you feel you wasted 15 years bashing your head against the wall. Well at least you were well paid for it. You see it as half empty, while I see it as half full - the glass dear, not your head.

Most bloggers don't get paid, at least not directly, but we still have to put up with the same bullshit.

The difference is that bloggers spend most of their time correcting half-truths and misinformation propagated by journalists who can't stand up to their bosses. Based on your work AZ, you obviously are excluded from this list, but if you read my blog you will see that I regularly "out" journalists who are paid to report the truth, but refuse to do so, even when they get busted time and again. (half truths are lies)

Speculation is allowed and acceptable in the world of blog. I can understand how a paid journalist would feel it is not, and I don't think you were directing your comment at me, but it's a red herring often thrown in my face as a misdirected form of exclusion.

To all the paid journalists sitting in the bush reading this thread, deflate your ego and don't think for a moment that I want to be counted as a journalist, let alone compared, or worse, "criticized" as one. I don't want your job. All I want is for you to do yours.

As a group, it was your sycophantic reporting that got us into another war. Thanks.

Speculation is good, and I don't have the inclination to chase a reporter around to debate whether or not they are telling the whole truth.

I went that route, and they either ignored me, or threatened to throw the resources of their company at me in an effort to undermine my credibility. While I patiently wait (for years) for them to make good on the threat, I blog about them and let them deal with the fallout. Adopt-a-reporter is very effective.

I don't expect or even want you to respond AZ. I'm writing this because once again someone has to tell the other side of the story.

Maurice Cardinal
Editor: www.OlyBLOG.com

Albert Einstein said it best ...

Sorry I didn't note the source at the time I copied this quote from Albert Einstein:

"Private capitalists inevitably control the main sources of information (press, radio, education). It is thus extremely difficult, and indeed in most cases quite impossible, for the individual citizen to come to objective conclusions and to make intelligent use of his political rights." Albert Einstein

We're living -- and dying -- by the proof of it every day.

Citizen Journalism Coalition

This is still happening, it's just a question of the sooner more people get involved the sooner tangible results will be seen. Contact me at

for details on where the organizational meetings for this group are being held.

Some replies

To Maurice Cardinal:

I can totally appreciate your position Maurice but why should bloggers speculate about my reasons for leaving the beat when I am easy to find and email? I always reply frankly and directly.

To G West:

Thanks for your kind comments. As for your suggestion I was not getting support, nobody could read the CRTC decisions for me. Nobody could watch all that CNN, Fox, Newsworld, whatever for me. Nobody could read the blogs I did for me. Nobody could personally reply to ALL my email as I did. My problem was I was too conscientious and tried too hard to maintain personal contact with readers. Positive or negative, they always heard back from me personally. To change that would have been to change what I did.

News manipulation

Last night (Sept. 20), PBS ran a 2 hour special on the manipulation of news, esp. TV news by the media. They found that there was a bias towards GW Bush and his policies. Reports were not researched the media repeated the lines from the White House.
Later that evening, Dan Rather was interviewed by Larry King. Rather said he is suing CBS for $70 million US for wrongful dismissal and several other reasons. Rather did a news show that was critical of GW Bush's entry and time in the National Guard. The big guns at CBS said the facts were wrong and Rather made a public apology. He was later removed from news stories and left the network. He now claims the research was correct and is suing.
Here in Canada, we see manipulation quite often, esp. in BC with the treatment of the BC Liberals verses the NDP. The major media outlets make no attempt to report the news fairly without bias. It will be interesting to see what happens to the CBC now that the new news director is a former editor of the Vancouver Sun and editor of a Hollinger newspaper in Chicago. I believe the powers that be in Ottawa got a man to run the news of the CBC who is on their side.

This bears repeating!!!

Working Memory hit the nail on the head:

CBC

I don't know Cruikshank but I know this: I did not like the entire search process.
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/242695

I heard that many former Mulroneyites were courted for the job. If I were still critic, I would have chased the story.

But to what avail?

Richard Stursberg would have hired who Richard Stursberg would have hired.

That's one example of what I mean by ''bashing my head against the wall.''

Sorry, one more thing ...

(I feel like Columbo!)

To G West:

I have no doubt, if the Star had actually given your independent and principled approach to looking at the media and focusing on the 'business' side of things the kind of support it richly deserved, that we would not today be looking for a new spokesperson to represent the interests of the public in these matters.

I spoke for nobody but myself.

May I suggest that, right now there is a person heading up the CRTC who, from where I sit, seems to have the public interest at heart? If you have not written to the CRTC, if you have not sent an intervention in the current diversity hearings, if you have not participated in the process, then I would say that you are not part of the solution.

There is a grassroots movement going. JOIN IT. Tell your friends. Link to it on your blogs. Make it happen.

http://democraticmedia.ca/

Thanks again Antonia

Been up to that...as to the chances of success, I have no illusions.

Have you seen this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS76DI5OR94&mode=related&search=

Why speculate?

To answer your question Antonio, regarding "Why speculate?"

From my personal experience, it has been absolutely impossible to get local journalists to discuss matters of this nature in a public forum - either their medium, or mine online.

They occasionally do so anonymously, but only when they are pushed hard to the wall. In the beginning (2003) I'm sure they thought I would go away. And for the record, I was much nicer then, than I am now. I left all my reports online from 2004 just to illustrate that I was reasonable, civil, and a bit naive.

I've been interviewed by all the majors here, but most of them drop my story when they realize I implicate news media. The interviews go along wonderfully until we hit that little snag. I've even had senior writers come back to say, sorry, I love what you're saying, but I can't get it past my editor.

I was very pleasantly surprised Antonio when you responded to my request.

Without a hint of sarcasm, and regarding "why speculate," maybe no one else thought you would respond either so they were writing like you were not in the room.

continued in next post . . .

Why speculate continued . . .

I got tired of having my letters to the editor ignored so I started blogging too, and eventually quit writing directly to journalists and editors, except on occasion where the stories they reported were so hurtful to our community that I felt like I had no choice - like last week for example regarding a gang style shooting a block from my home.

In the past, the only way I could generate a response was when we copied media releases to everyone in the news organization, including classified managers, subscriptions, etc, and wrote, "Do you have any idea what your employer is doing to our community?"

Unbelievably, one day a very nice person emailed back to say, "Wow. Thanks, I had no idea, but I'm the wrong person. You should definitely contact our editor. Here's his email address." My response was, "Would you mind forwarding it?"

We also copy owners just so they know we are not speaking behind their backs. I rarely do it now because I have a good following of small and midsize business owners. I've given up trying to engage some local mainstream news companies. (98% of businesses in Vancouver are small or midsize, which means I have all the market I need. Our slogan is, "We don't break the news. We fix it.")

Basically, we cut out the middle person and went straight to the source. Now we do workshops to teach business owners how to bypass news media too. It's not what we envisioned, but it works. It'll be interesting to see what happens when 2010 rolls around because we've just scratched the surface and I still have a ton of ideas to roll out.

You underestimate the impact you had Antonio, but I understand why it was time to move on and enjoy life a little.

I'm truly sorry you felt we were unfairly speculating, but hopefully now you have a better idea of why we might have done it.

Maybe someone else has ideas . . .

Excuses!

Antonia, I haven't read anything of yours, although I have on occasion read coverage in the Star of events in BC that have been covered better in the Star. But to do better than our sorry collection of Canned West papers from 3000 miles away isn't surprising or difficult to achieve. I guess I would say the Toronto Star from what I've seen is one of the better ones of a bad bunch. (Indeed the Star and all the papers in your neighborhood were taken to task in the Sun yesterday for not being respectful and in awe enough of that un-indicted criminal and traitor to Canada greed monger Brian Mulroney).

Also I assume that your work was of a high quality because some folks whose opinions I respect have said so. I thank you for coming on to this thread and speaking for yourself, though a bit less implied put-downs of bloggers would be appreciated.

The simplest way to put how I see all this is that some of what you have said and all of your boss' self serving bafflegab have the ring of excuses. Meanwhile Maurice and G. West are just trying to point out the problems and we all would prefer to see solutions and improvements - excuses don't really cut it.

More

First of all it's AntoniA. I am very touchy about that. :-)

Second, I was a blogger and I worked 18 hour days, 7 days a week. That did not stop me from trying to get responses. If people did not comment, then I would say they did not comment. Really, what is so hard about that?

In fact, it makes them seem even more negligent if they don't.

That is not a putdown, implied or otherwise. That is a simple fact. Bloggers would have far more credibility if they stopped behaving like a lynch mob and more like those who were genuinely interested in getting out the truth.

As for that link, G West, is that like a JOKE? OMG.

Antonia

Joke?

Yep, but, when you see and read of some of Howard's actual performances you have to wonder.

Have a look at the Aussie policy on media concentration.

I just fear he gave pee wee that drill while they were down under for APEC recently.

I just wish you'd been able to continue full time covering the media and the 'business' side of things that you did so competently and well before any of the blogging started.

The blogging was fun and crazy-making – you even got the odd comment from me and I managed to convince some crazy right-winger from West Virginia where to spend his free time when his cruise ship docked in Vancouver - but I'm sure but the other stuff (as the country’s only real full-time MEDIA columnist) given your background and your ability to analyze an income statement and a balance sheet - was invaluable.

I miss it!

Thanks G

But I don't.

It was too depressing.

Thanks Antonia

Just wanted to welcome Anontonia Zerbisias to the comments thread. And thanks to our commenters for their engagement in this discussion.

As an aside, I think Antonia is spotlighting a interesting issue in this era of blogging and immediate feedback online -- the psychological effects on the journalist who a) must in the course of his or her reporting become immersed in facts and controversies that don't exactly lift the spirits on a daily basis, b) feels an extra responsibility to do a very good job given the scrutiny and feedback and c) must be prepared to receive much anonymous, polemical criticism for their efforts. It can be a grind folks. Just know that and appreciate Antonia and the many journalists who lend their bylines to The Tyee for the work they do. I know I do.

Credibility

Sorry about the A to O typo Antonia.

Re "credibility," I could say the same for mainstream news media . . . msm would have far more credibility if they quit pandering to politicians and advertisers - it's a "complex fact" left unreported by msm. Your industry is not capable of policing itself, and the CRTC is incapable, which has spawned a shoot from the hip mentality from bloggers.

Mainstream news media trained smart people to ignore them - so now we do. It's impossible to please you guys.

The music industry tried to impose their traditional conventions on a fast growing MP3 mob, and the mob said, "see you on peer to peer."

It doesn't necessarily make it right in the traditional world, but it is effective in our growing new media empire.

A couple of years ago I attended a large gathering where a self-described group of "elite" local academics were discussing a watchdog plan re 2010. They were already two years late to the table, but still wanted to talk about it and do more research. I suggested that they just start blogging and put what they already "knew to be true" out there so readers could decide for themselves. A women turned to me with a sly smile and said, "You're not an academic are you?" I said, "No, I actually get things done."

If msm continues to ignore smart people all they will have left to market to will be the naive. Like many markets, news consumption is being fractured beyond recognition. Humpty Dumpty it all you want, it ain't going back together because people like me know there are advantages to separating the herd. Msm can keep the lazy, and we'll cherry pick the smart from your milling crowd.

Change management is an important and favorite topic during consultations managed by my media communications company. Darwin wrote, "It's not the strongest species that survive,
nor the most intelligent, but the one most
responsive to change"

One person's credibility is another's opportunity. Credibility is a managed perception, not an absolute.

Good point David

I also believe journalists are stuck in the middle, and I'm really happy to have you gracing our 00101010001's Antonia.

Vancouver is reputed to be the most livable city in the world Antonia, so if you ever consider a change of scenery keep us in mind.

I know a restaurant with a view that will knock your socks off, actually, I know about twenty of them.

Thanks you Mr. Beers, for making this exchange possible.

Back at 'ya Antonia

Moreover, thanks for stopping in David!

Just so nobody thinks that Antonia (despite her move along the dial to 'lifestyles' at the TORSTAR machine) still hasn't got something worthwhile and provocative to say I'd like to link to her column from Sept 14.

http://www.thestar.com/article/256397

I know she's busy with other things at the moment, but this is definitely worth a read - especially here in pee wee's kingdom - considering his National Citizen's Coalition/family values background...

Conception days anyone?

Alternatively, perhaps we can look at what some other 'media' personalities have to say about immigrants and diversity. Mind you, CKNW had to do 'something' to attract an audience. But one would think they could have done a little better than Bruce Allen's:

..."If you're immigrating to this country and you don't like the rules that are in place, then you have the right to choose not to live here..."

Among other things. Sounds a lot like Darren Entwhistle’s FIFO to me – maybe they go to the same barber….(nope, couldn’t be that, Allen is bald)…

My last point

If every blogger and commenter who bitches about media concentration took the time and trouble to write letters of intervention to the CRTC and to their MPs instead of talking amongst themselves, maybe, just maybe, things would change.

If, instead of virtual meetings, you got together and took action, things would change.

It happened in the States.
http://www.freepress.net/

People in Canada are trying to do it here.
http://democraticmedia.ca/

Trust me, the ''other side'' makes itself heard.

Get on the bus or get off the soapbox.

(Thanks G West!)

Of Buses , Soapboxes and a land of Communications called CANADA.

Very fascinating extension of a story that seems to have legs.., as they say. ( Especially with Antonia's coming out of the wood works ).., and the real story is the exchange going on right here.

As I write this a thought goes to WORKING MEMORY ..and of course the Tyee itself , Mr Beers and so many others .. Gwest in particular.., BC Mary ( great quote ).., and readers who make this a living working factory of IDEAS..., talk about a fitting description of what follows from the INDUSTRIAL AGE itself.., as information and knowledge take their rightful place.., as the very '' fuel '' that drives this imagination economy*...

Other memories goes to that panel discussion held at the downtown Vancouver Public Library ..., remembering with great detail how one particular Publisher not only held his own ..., with the subject matter of NEWSPAPERS themselves... , but what became very clear to me was how well the publisher of the Tyee itself not only held his own alongside the two other Publishers ( VANCOUVER SUN and GEORGIA STRAIGHT ,) who were on the same panel..,, but what struck me most was that he - David Beers - was way ahead of the pack on most of the issues raise as to the future of Newspapers and whatever other forms that might replace them one day..., ( hence congratulations... once again... for, as I see this very topic being discussed following this particular article written above..., *I become fascinated that the transformative visions and changes that we all speak about is happening before our very eyes...*...,

Not that long ago I recall Working Memory and others wishing out loud for a discussion such as this one..., and BINGO.., the very MEDIA STORIES we were looking for is unfolding before our very eyes...,

Thus for the TYEE to have created not only the medium itself but the FORUM COMPONENT of this online magazine.. and to have created also the kinds of articles that eventually compelled the CEO from Torstar to engage initially in this, is an example which proves many points that Maurice- among others - is trying to raise on the parallel Communications Environment that better defines and describes this 21st Century .. !

My take on how this transformative vision ( quantum phenomena ) of ..., CITIZENS JOURNALISM 101 ..., is indeed that a Brave New World ..-
( thoughts of another book intended ).., of CITIZENS , bloggers , posters , journalist themselves and what have you.., is that all of the above is indeed successfully challenging the status quo..., )

And me thinks that all the publishers that are reading this forum at this time .. .would be well advised to hear very carefully what is being shared here!..., this is a new world communicating to itself.., via an immediate and very satisfying MEDIUM that permits a direct and non interference related ... exchange of IDEAS... ... describing very well the ...

fact that intelligence is coming to the Land..*

Village.