Free Speech for Peace was presented by Ethnorama News Winnipeg and Al Cafe and recorded at Winnipeg’s historic Ukrainian Labour Temple on March 31, 2023. The event arose out of a need to raise money to sustain this alternative publication when key advertisers (local NDP Members of Parliament) opted to
Continue readingTag: freedom of the press
Dead Wild Roses: Freedom of the Press?
The bitter partisan environment that dominates US politics is coming here. Three examples are have been captured and posted to Twitter – here the ‘freedom rallies’ exhibit hostility toward media crews on the ground who are there covering the event. These two incidents may not be typical of the all
Continue readingPaul S. Graham: Free Julian Assange!
Dimitri Lascaris is an accomplished lawyer, journalist and activist. Among his many achievements, Dimitri ran for the leadership of the Green Party of Canada in 2020, finishing second out of eight candidates and demonstrating that there at least 10,000 eco-socialists in the Green Party of Canada. Dimitri spoke at the
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Freedom of Speech: What Is To Be Done?
What is to be done about the issue of freedom of speech, and the current, deeply ominous trend of the closing down of Western society, and the inevitably linked rise of authoritarianism? The first thing to be done is to remind the people that there are, as Chomsky has said,
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Stand Up To Corporate Fascism!
Massive new mural in Germany protests the wrongful imprisonment of whistle-blower publisher, and hero of free speech and the public’s right to know about the crimes of the power elite, Julian Assange. Speak up, people! Your democracy, your rights, and your freedom – yes, yours, and all of ours –
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Freedom & Power
I am, for the record, perfectly comfortable with where and how I have positioned myself. I am passionately and steadfastly in favour of freedom, democracy, constitutional rule and human rights; liberty, equality and solidarity; and of course, as a result, I am passionately and steadfastly in favour of freedom of
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Big Exodus from Big Tech
Time for the exodus to begin in earnest from the now confirmed to be fascist and deeply Orwellian Big Tech giants. At the least, we need to begin the migration and the shift, by supporting and using the alternative social media, search engines, email, browsers, etc., which do not data
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: The Sins of Assange
“Assange’s arrest represents an abuse of power, highlighting not only how true journalism has now been banished in the West, but also how politicians, journalists, news agencies and think-tanks collude with each other to silence people like Julian Assange and his Wikileaks foundation who are a nuisance to US imperialism.
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: The Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearing and How a Calgary City Councillor Sank PostMedia’s Credibility
The Kavanaugh confirmation hearing is like a mirror shattering on the floor, shards of glass are flying every where and women are demanding accountability. Everyone knows about the two women who confronted Senator Jeff Flake in an elevator and demanded he think carefully about the message he’s sending women by
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: For All Those Who Consume Their News Online (And Free)
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Continue readingAlberta Politics: UCP leaders edge away from Rebel Media after NDP House Leader rips their cozy past with alt-right group
PHOTOS: NDP House Leader Brian Mason, one of the fiercest fighters in Premier Rachel Notley’s government, ripped into UCP leadership contenders Jason Kenney and Brian Jean yesterday for their long association with Rebel Media. Below: Mr. Kenney, Mr. Jean, media accreditation report author Heather Boyd, and Alberta Legislative Press Gallery
Continue readingLeft Over: …Then They Came for Me…
Online comments on news stories: a problem for everyone Syrian refugee stories on news sites are prompting some backlash in the comments section of some websites By Bal Brach, CBC News Posted: Jan 10, 2016 8:00 AM PT Last Updated: Jan … Continue reading →
Continue readingImpolitical: Paul Godfrey’s endorsement of Patrick Brown for PC leader of Ontario
Earlier today, Paul Godfrey, the President and CEO of Postmedia Network Inc., attended at the Ontario legislature where he stood next to Patrick Brown, candidate for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, to announce his endorsement of Brown. This is a moment that warrants some critical observations
Continue readingImpolitical: Paul Godfrey’s endorsement of Patrick Brown for PC leader of Ontario
Earlier today, Paul Godfrey, the President and CEO of Postmedia Network Inc., attended at the Ontario legislature where he stood next to Patrick Brown, candidate for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, to announce his endorsement of Brown. This is a moment that warrants some critical observations on the appropriateness of a major media CEO making such a public statement of support of a political candidate.
Here was the scene on the north lawn of Queen’s Park where, facing the legislature, the endorsement was rolled out:
.@brownbarrie announces Postmedia boss Paul Godfrey and PC titan Derek Burney are supporting him. #onpoli pic.twitter.com/5JYJIRMouz
— Robert Benzie (@robertbenzie) April 2, 2015
Godfrey is President and CEO of one of Canada’s largest media operations. Indeed, this announcement occurs on the heels of the federal Competition Bureau having given the green light to Postmedia Network’s acquisition of 175 Sun Media newspapers. There is a public democratic interest that the Competition Bureau took into consideration when granting public approval over this expansion and the recency of that decision and his company’s expanded media footprint in Canada might give some executives cause for extra caution and care when considering such a political endorsement.
Further, Godfrey’s endorsement of Brown cannot help but be viewed without considering Godfrey’s recent history with the Wynne government. Recall that in the spring of 2013, he was removed from his position as Chair of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. That history informs his announcement today and bolsters a perception of an adversarial political context.
A President and CEO of a company is the chief spokesperson for that entity. A President and CEO doesn’t simply “run the business part of the newspapers,” as Mr. Godfrey stated today, but speaks on behalf of the organization. Herein lies the perceived conflict of interest in a media CEO endorsing a political candidate, and the importance of journalistic objectivity. A CEO speaks on behalf of, represents and embodies that corporation’s public and private dealings with its many stakeholders. It is quite difficult to unpack the chief executive’s persona from that of the corporate entity due to their position and the scope of their authority. This is why, as Postmedia Network’s Business Code of Conduct, provides – “Postmedia Personnel may participate in the political process as private citizens.” – there is a signalling implicit in Mr. Godfrey’s endorsement to his company’s journalists, customers and shareholders. In short, Mr. Godfrey is not speaking as a private citizen. CEOs rarely do.
Continue readingImpolitical: Paul Godfrey’s endorsement of Patrick Brown for PC leader of Ontario
Earlier today, Paul Godfrey, the President and CEO of Postmedia Network Inc., attended at the Ontario legislature where he stood next to Patrick Brown, candidate for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, to announce his endorsement of Brown. This is a moment that warrants some critical observations
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Canadian Political Reporting Suffers Another Blow
But this time, the blow comes from within. Thanks to Ed Tanas for bringing the following to my attention: Ottawa reporters, photographers and cameramen face expulsion from Parliament Hill on the complaint of any politician or federal employee, with grievances to be heard at closed-door disciplinary hearings. The unprecedented measures
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Debt Owed To The Media
As fashionable as it is to denigrate the mainstream media for their frequent timidity and conservatism, public knowledge about both Rob Ford’s disgraceful performance as Mayor of Toronto and the current Senate scandal embroiling Stephen Harper, impeaching the integrity and honesty of both politicians, would not exist were it not
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Judgemental? Yes
But true nonetheless: You can read more about our perilous state here. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Why Is A Free Press Important?
Watch this video of an interview with Glenn Greenwald for part of the answer: H/t Popular Resistance Recommend this Post
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