ALAS! FAME IS FLEETING

Re-action has been mixed and divided over the actions of the Senate of Canada Page, Brigette DePape, who held-up a "Stop Harper" sign while the Governor-General, the Queen's representative in Canada, delivered the Speech From the Throne in the Senate on Friday.

What seems clear however is that the young woman's protest trumped the news value of the Throne Speech, and likely will be remembered long after the contents of the "speech" (whatever they were) have long been forgotten. To that degree at least; Ms DePape aged 21, sealed her 15 minutes of fame.

About 25 years ago I attended a writing seminar in Ottawa. The workshop designed to assist writers focus their vocabulary and message for better communications was conducted by Eric McLuhan, the son of Marshall McLuhan. He made no secret about the identity of his famous father, in a government town like Ottawa it was good business. Frankly I would not have hidden his identity either. He died in 1980, but Canadian educator Marshall McLuhan is regarded as the father of, and his book "The Medium Is The Massage (sic)" (1967) the Genesis of the modern electronic age. Lest I digress; 44 years ago a typographer working on the book's cover accidentally substituted "Massage" for "Message" - McLuhan chuckled and left it uncorrected.

Pundits commenting on Ms. DePape's unique protest have quoted Voltaire: "I don't agree with one word you are saying - but, I will fight to the death for your right to say it." Just as appropriate and to the point is Andy Warhol's 1968 observation that "In the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." - The American "Prince of Pop Art" was a contemporary of Marshall McLuhan and clearly understood the "massage"!

Increasingly, (We should be alarmed) it seems the world is being distracted by a media circus, and the news neutered by the public appetite for round-the-clock gossip masquerading as essential information. It is not a new phenomenon. Since the invention of the print medium, whether Paul Revere, Evangeline and/or Laura Secord, the media have fawned over the unique exploits of otherwise unworthy commoners. Though at least in those cases theirs' had purpose. If "News" is a first draft of history: It is, as foretold by McLuhan and Warhol, that the media's new obsessions are tantamount to a modern "Great Train Robbery" of the draft - to paraphrase historian Clinton Rossiter.

I am a fan of the popular personality "Judge Judy", and the television news satire of the "Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and the "Colbert Report" - Guilty as charged! I am nonetheless appalled by the number of people, victims of Warhol's prophesy, who are willing to be humiliated (or humiliate themselves) on these and the many other "reality" television programs of our times that substitute for journalism. These poor sods, their problems, and their issues ARE NOT, as Journalist Bill Moyers would suggest: "The actual experiences of regular people...the missing link in a nation wired for everything but the truth."

No wonder that the real news makers; politicians, business leaders, personalities of consequence can obfuscate and say anything but the clear unequivocal truth with impudence and little fear of challenge....and when they can't: There's a course they can take for that too!

WHAT IF ICARUS FLEW TOO CLOSE TO SUN NEWS?

We've chatted about this previously: Whilst French Canada, primarily Quebec, has a well developed muscular "star" system in Television, Movies, Music and even Sports; English Canadians, overwhelmed by the cultural Juggernaut of the "star" system from south of the border, most frequently must seek-out their own "icons" in the most unlikely places.

It is thus that Canadians who share the same Anglo-Saxon cultural ancestry as our American partners, and in the absence of their own home-grown "star" system, have sought to identify separately and culturally with Canadian politicians, and more recently with angry and increasingly bitter personalities, many of whom are beyond their "best before" expiration date...Come to think of it: In Canada these days bitter "has beens" and our politicians are frequently one and the same - Toronto Mayor, Robert Bruce 'Rob' Ford; and ex OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino, being among their latest manifestations - I digress.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and former NHL Coach Don Cherry further blurred the line between politics and Hollywood North most recently: Harper fronting an Ottawa based rock band (Herringbone) and belting-out "Jumpin' Jack Flash" among several other "golden oldies" at a Tory caucus Christmas Party and; Cherry in an unprovoked public outburst against "bicycle riding pinkos" in a speech delivered as guest of honour at the fore mentioned Rob Ford inaugural as Mayor of the country's largest city. To say nothing of Cherry's outrageous shilling for Julian Fantino, the Tory candidate in the Federal riding by-election of the affluent Toronto suburb of Vaughan, which Fantino won on November 29th with 49.1% of the votes.

Much of which is leading to widespread speculation that Cherry will abandon his cherished "Hockey Night in Canada" sinecure, and jump ship to "Sun News," the Fox News lookalike set to hit the airwaves next March, and become a Canadian Glenn Beck clone. All of which may save the CBC the embarrassment of throwing Cherry overboard for grossly violating the Corporation's code of ethics for its broadcast professionals...as opinionated as Don Cherry may be.

If Don Cherry were to abandon "Hockey Night in Canada" for a starring role on "Sun News" it might well be a blessing in disguise for the CBC. In recent years the Corporation has "bent-over" repeatedly to distance itself from the former coach's immature outbursts, giving-in to fears that any blue-collar backlash from firing the former NHL coach would play right into the hands of the Harper Government which is no friend of the CBC; and which, most importantly, controls the purse strings that keep the struggling and frequently moribund Mothercorp alive. Perhaps adding a metaphor will illustrate the debate, and digress further - Throwing Don Cherry and his "neon" wardrobe overboard might have seriously jeopardized many of CBC-TV's ratings underwater dwellers who would get electrocuted in the process.

As for the seriously "Right O' Centre" cable television news channel upstart which will see the light of day early in March - About the same time Mr. Harper is contemplating a Federal election to defend next spring's budget - It could surely greatly benefit from the publicity of a Cherry move to its stable of eccentrics just as the 2011 NHL playoffs get underway...and English Canada could be on the verge of acquiring a Hollywood-style "star" system it doesn't quite justly deserve. Could a "TMZ North," with Ezra Levant be much further behind? - "I'm a lawyer!" - Oh, the Humanity!

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

In politics, as in the media business, it's important to pick your battles. - Ever- more so when the two intersect.

While they certainly haven't hoisted the white flag, nor are they about to: The folks at Sun TV News are reeling over the abrupt departure of their Vice-President, Kory Teneycke, amidst allegations of dirty-tricks played against the U.S. based group Avaaz which has been sponsoring a web-based petition against the right wing television network plans.

Mr. Teneycke's resignation came within hours of a request by Avaaz to Ottawa and Ontario Provincial Police to probe the identity of the individuals responsible for adding "fraudulent" signatures to their on-line petition - "Stop Fox News North" - which has been signed (legitimately) by more than 80,000 people.



Prior to his flame-out, Kory Teneycke who is Prime Minister Harper's former Director of Communications, brought a lot of attention to the Sun Media proposal. But it's owners, Quebecor could ill afford to wait for a criminal investigation which may involve one (or more) of Sun-TV principals before pushing him overboard.

In fact, the departure may offer some unexpected welcome relief to the Prime Minister
and his entourage on the eve of the resumption of the Parliamentary fall session next week. Kory Teneycke's past association and close ties with Mr. Harper and his government were becoming problematic distractions as the Sun-TV News application winds its way through the regulatory process before the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

Adding to the volatile mix was Quebecor's direct involvement through its President, Pierre Karl Peladeau, in a bid to return the NHL to Quebec City. That bid hinges on construction of a large ice arena complex in Quebec, an issue over which a public backlash forced the Prime Minister to back away from, just a few days ago. Mr. Harper it seems has now been favoured with additional distancing both from Sun-TV and Mr. Peladeau. Lest I digress: The new "grand-fromage" at Sun-TV is Luc Lavoie who was Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's Director of Communications...but at least that's all a few years back!

Mr. Harper, who has obsessive control over what the media says about him, the Conservatives and his government, will now be freer to concentrate on the substantive matters set to explode during Question Period over the next several weeks. Specifically the purchase of the F-35 Joint Strike stealth fighter jets; abolishing the long-gun registry; and any potential fall-out from Auditor-General Sheila Fraser's look into value for the money spent on the "Economic Action Plan" which kick-started the economy.

The recent advent of "working" coalition governments in the United-Kingdom and Australia - parliamentary systems just like-ours - may be seen to both favour and encourage the Liberals and the New Democrats to resume discussions over forcing an election once the budget is set at the end of winter. Last spring there were widespread rumours in Ottawa that just such talks were being encouraged by former Liberal P.M. Jean Chretien and the former leader of the NDP, Ed Broadbent. After a summer of some discontent, there is no reason to believe those embers aren't still burning.

If Mr. Harper who's minority government has been in power almost five years is to concentrate on the country's issues of substance. Then he can ill afford to have control over "the plot" drift away from his grasp over the mundane.

MAYBE NOT ON A FULL STOMACH

It may just be that I have been wrong to dread the resumption of Parliament in the third week of the month. Despite all the issues which have kept the media active through the intervening period, it has been a long three-months' summer hiatus. It has become anecdotally obvious that the nation's Parliamentary scribes are perhaps just as anxious as our elected officials themselves to get into the mayhem of the House of Commons and the fireworks of Question Period for the Conservative minority government of Prime Minister Harper.

Good God, in the interim they've taken to equating politics with food. In the process eliminating one of life's few simple remaining pleasures; to wit: A decent meal un-interrupted by politicians, telemarketers and snake-oil salesmen.

In a short series of articles being published by the Toronto Star, journalist Susan Delacourt has been examining how and why politics has been swayed from the institutional towards an ever increasing market-oriented model. She concludes that it's not by accident..."that politicians see the voters as one big crowd of hungry consumers, and that the citizens think politicians like...merchants, see them simply as wallets."

In fact, it is an accident of the prosperous "boom" period following the Second World War. Bolstered by the desire to re-construct the North American economy; citizens were encouraged to acquire feverishly every possible consumer gadget and widget starting with the automobile, the first television sets and even their complementary TV-Dinners. It wasn't long before we were lulled into equating prosperity and consumerism as the product of good politics and by implication those representatives we elected.

As "The Star" explains, nowadays the shopping/consuming link to politics is often expressed through coffee choice: liberal lefties sip "lattes" at Starbucks; the common folk to Tim Hortons for a "double-double. Which explains precisely why the pollsters and marketing gurus amongst Leader Michael Ignatieff's "Liberal Express" Tour over the summer sought so hard to dispel the image, regardless of how uncomfortable it made their leader:



Without missing a beat the Conservatives this weekend have countered with the release of a "celebrity" cookbook authored by Ontario Conservative MLA (Nepean-Carleton) Lisa MacLeod - "I'd Rather Be Home Baking Cookies" lampoon's a Liberal blogger suggestion during MacLeod's last campaign that implied she'd be better at home baking cookies. Obviously the list of celebrity chefs' recipes is a who's who of Tory politicians including the Prime Minister (salsa), Ministers John Baird (cookies) and Peter MacKay (lobster bisque); and even Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien (french toast).

Bloated at first, and worried that I might be sick or fat by the time Parliament resumes, I've been relieved to learn ironically that "Tums", the iconic tummy ache tablet, turn 80 years old this week. "Tums" basic formula is unchanged in 80 years; and from its single plant in St. Louis, Missouri it churns-out more than 4 billion Tums tablets each year: I digress! (24 flavours)

Cynics define politics as the art of looking for trouble and finding it - Then misdiagnosing it and misapplying the wrong remedies. I conclude with the fear that regretfully "Tums" short-term flavourful relief may not be very helpful for what ails us.

BABY AND BATH WATER - TURFED-OUT!

The Toronto International Film Festival, one of the world's most prestigious, is about to get underway. Believe me try as he may, CTV pretty-boy Ben Mulroney is not going to be able to overcome the sad sack fact that English Canada long ago abdicated any homegrown star system to our American neighbours. In Canada there are simply no music, television or movie stars unless they first move south of the border.

While Toronto may go bonkers over the line-up of American super-personalities who will attend next week; in this country, and in English speaking Canada more specifically, our "default" stars are the parliamentarians, the politicians and the journalists who grind-out the daily media coverage of the debates, events, activities and the related travels from coast to coast.

My FaceBook friends have noted; and the Canadian Press finally now reports that there however has been an unprecedented convergence of both over the past week, and it's in fact America's "star" media which made the connection. The U.S. based entertainment trade magazine - "The Hollywood Reporter" has joined the ranks of Canadian outlets covering the controversial bid to introduce "Sun News" (Dubbed - Fox North) to cable subscribers north of the 49th. After just short of a century covering the hot American star scene, since early this month the "Reporter" has run two stories over the publicly expressed fears in Canada that the promoters of "Sun News", primarily Kory Teneycke, will turn the proposed network into a mainstream mouthpiece for the Conservative Government of Prime-Minister Stephen Harper.

Well-known author Margaret Atwood launched her own offensive against the proposed news channel about ten days ago by issuing a flurry of Twitter "tweets" denouncing the proposal from Quebecor / Sun Media and urging like-minded Canadians to sign a petition called "Stop Fox News North." Ms Atwood notes that Mr. Harper's government has a past pattern of silencing critics and she's expressed concern for the head of the regulating agency, CRTC Chair Konrad von Finckenstein - "Will CRTC head's head roll to get Sun licence? That's my concern;" she tweeted.

The CRTC has already denied Sun's bid for a category 1 licence, but concern has been expressed over an unusual decision to fast-track a revised application for the proposed channel which would allow "Sun News" to jump the step everyone else has to take: To wit - persuade cable companies and satellite providers to offer the service to their customers.

Certainly since Kory Teneycke became Vice-President of Development for Quebecor with responsibility for Sun Media's Parliamentary news service there's been a palpable neo-conservative shift in coverage. Mr. Teneycke got the job after leaving the Prime Minister's Office where he was Mr. Harper's Director of Communications. While the "new" Sun media coverage isn't always Harper positive; the most vocal critics, including long-time respected Sun columnist Greg Weston, have been turfed overboard.

Regardless of "Sun News Network's" success or not; even in its pre-licensing stage it seems to have engendered tectonic shifts in coverage of Ottawa's "Star" political scene - Not the least of which is the abrupt departure of Tom Clark from CTV's flagship political program: "Power Play With Tom Clark" after almost 40 years as one of the network's top journalists. In addition to the "Sun's" Weston, Clark joins other high-profile journalists leaving to "pursue other opportunities" including Anchors Kevin Newman (Global) and the retiring Lloyd Robertson (CTV).

In a just published commentary in the "Globe and Mail" titled: Why Does The Harper Government Do What It Does"; Carleton University Political Scientist, Jonathan Malloy describes the new Conservative ideology as inconsistent and..."in the end no one seems to have a clear explanation that makes sense of the Harper Government."

Most observers will agree that through these ending summer months the government appears to have stumbled several times from setbacks that for the most part have been self-inflicted. The wasteful spending on the Toronto Summits; the killing of the long-form census; and the controversial untended purchase of F-35 "stealth" fighter jets from the United States among them.

Somehow the scheme may be to create the kind of sharp polarization in politics here that has divided, and cripples the government, the administration and the people of the United-States, and for which Fox News (USA) bears no small level of blame. As Professor Malloy concludes in his "Globe and Mail" commentary - "One thing is clear, (Harper's) is a stubborn government that refuses to back down." But if anything, Canada's (and Canadians') history of inclusion rather suggests that we are pragmatic, common sensed, progressive, and patriotic. Hardly stubborn!

Perhaps more than ever this fall as Parliament resumes (polarized or not) Canada's news media and journalists will have a singularly significant role to play making sure Canadians are fully and fairly informed: The stakes may be that high.

THE VOODOO YOU DOO!

I haven't quite been able to engage this debate over the brouhaha involving the Long-Form Canadian Census. Perhaps it's because I have never seen the form nor (obviously) have been among the chosen to complete it. I am grateful for that because at between 40 to 60 pages long, I am not quite sure that by the last twenty or so pages, I wouldn't have been tempted, despite the penalty of jail time, to fudge some of the answers.

Be that as it may. When this began to unravel about a month ago, I frankly thought that it was one of those Ottawa political tempests in a teapot concocted by the National Parliamentary Press Gallery somewhat bored in the afterglow of the two Toronto Summit gatherings and the Queen's successful Canada Day holiday tour. But the damn story seems to have sprouted legs and engaged statisticians, politicians, pundits, hangers-on and wannabees from even beyond Canada's borders.

In an age of rapid communications when one can hardly turn around without being asked for an opinion, an idea, a survey, life's personal details, obligations, and / or a viewpoint on practically any subject on God's green orb; you'd think just about every Canadian and the organizations who represent them would have wanted to steer real-clear of any contentious debate over another survey...no matter how apparently precious to our Nation's well being. That's the part I still don't get; but I am of the opinion (poll me if you want) that the government had the same practical idea when it decided to make the long-form requirements voluntary rather than a legal obligation. By the way; lest I digress, that is all that is at stake here - Nothing more!

What's clear to me now; and a series of nationwide focus groups (Jeez more polling!) carried-out by Ipsos Reid acknowledge; is that Canadians are frustrated with the Harper Government's..."lack of communication, leaving them in the dark about the Tory agenda." It seems that there is a certain whiff of uncomfortable arrogance which has swept-over Prime Minister Harper's best efforts to tightly control the Government's messaging skills.

In Ottawa parlance: The PM, through the PMO, gags the PCO - To wit: In the four and a half years since the Conservatives were elected; the Prime-Minister's Office, frequently through the bureaucratic arm of Government, the Privy Council Office, has been accused of strong-arming strict messaging practices which a) Script the words spoken by politicians and the few bureaucrats allowed to speak publicly and b) Gag just about every other effort by journalists and the Media to inform stake holders.

The Ipsos Reid focus groups were conducted amongst a cross-section of Canadians in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Mississauga, Halifax and Trois-Rivieres. According to the Canadian Press, which claims to have seen the report, the client was the Communications and Consultation Secretariat of the Privy Council Office. Or as I read it: (Ready for this?) - The CCS of the PCO, paid to be told the PM and his PMO, are micromanaging the talking points; and Canadians are uncomfortable about that!

It's an obsession over the control of information for which the script was written south of the border in the aftermath of the sad and shattering events of September 2001. - From which the continued practiced has derailed far too many decent efforts to improve the lives of American people. - And: The aggressive pursuit of which in this country threatens to paralyze our own institutions of government over silly political partisanship. At the very least you'd think we'd learn from just watching.

Ipsos Reid claims the Canadians who took part in their research were..."perturbed by the trickle of information from...the government." Critics have been more vocal claiming the tightly scripted messages, Media lines, soundbites and photo-ops undermine democracy and transparency.

A seemingly clear case that the Voodoo some do, and their impulsive control over the release of information can eventually undermine their message and blur their vision.

A DONE DEAL...

I was surprised by friends' assumptions that since the CRTC has turned thumbs down on Sun-TV's application for an all-news "tier one" cable licence, the project is "dead in the water," so to speak.

The exodus of casualties from Quebecor's "Sun Media" hard right-turn in the last few days is otherwise proof positive of the launch; as planned in January; of what critics and pundits have described as a Fox News North clone. Respected and middle-of-the road columnists and journalists are being turfed overboard faster than Stephen Harper's popularity expectations.

Notable long-term Sun Media scribes Eric Margolis, Greg Weston, Elizabeth Thompson, Christina Spence and Peter Zimonjic; all gone in the blink of an eye-lid. Kathleen Harris has been kicked-out of the chain's Ottawa Parliamentary Bureau and now is barely hanging-on as one of the media Web's National Reporters. Lest I digress: Greg Weston it seems, is paying a pretty price for creating "all the fuss" by breaking the news over the "Fake Lake" G-20 Summit bloat just a month ago.

"Fair and Balanced.ca" is but a notch around the next corner. Toronto based "Sun-TV", which will anchor Canada's assertive new conservatism come next January first is already distributed nation-wide to Bell satellite receivers, and on cable across Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Ontario as well as parts of Alberta. Any additional carriage the CRTC through wisdom, generosity and / or nebulous Cabinet directive allows, is gravy as in the concept of: "If you build it...they will come."

Many already believe that the Conservative Party of Prime Minister Stephen Harper is operating from the American Republican Party's "playbook": To wit - Using any single frightening event or memorable case where justice is seen not to be done as more emotionally riveting and politically useful than reasoned debate. Pretty much anyone who has worked with the Prime Minister knows already that his top priority is message control based on the tenet - Control the message, and you control the outcome. Kory Teneycke, Vice-President of Development at Quebecor, is behind the new Sun-TV venture. He was Mr. Harper's Director of communications. - An entire channel run by people who think that political dialogue panders to extremes and pivots on name calling.

It was just a few days back in the United States that a cleverly edited video of an Agriculture Department Official Shirley Sherrod, which aired on Fox News, caused a furor and eventually forced President Obama to apologize for throwing Ms. Sherrod out of her job in the ensuing uproar. An all too familiar scenario that maybe former Cabinet Minister, Helena Guergis, could share some sympathy with: Two women thrown under a bus as examples of things deemed wrong with politics by an overly partisan too fast paced simplistic accelerated modern news media cycle.

Yes indeed: Canada's political media landscape is shifting rapidly. Doubtless, it is true that the public is better served by having a broad range of perspectives rather than just one or two. But, as President Obama and his Agriculture Secretary just learned; there is inherent danger lurking when fringe elements are given access to a forum for rants based on perceived biases. Canadian politicians in high places should perhaps take a lesson from the example.

MISINFORMED "ON-LINE"

The advent, and the subsequent rapid development, of Internet generated journalism, opinions and posts in blogs; forums and group message boards has the Court system, government agencies, and perhaps also our own societal norms scrambling to catch-up.

In recent years, bloggers, unconventional sources and questionable stories have placed enormous stress on "legitimate" journalistic organizations. In North America; radio has essentially abandoned its traditional news gathering role in favour of talk and opinion formats frequently of some questionable validity. Once dominant newspapers and their ownership chains have been decimated by the trend to on-line journalism. Television news operators, particularly the "all-news" channels, have been forced to dump staff and reduce costs, all-the-while stuffing their news cycles with FaceBook, My Space, Skype and Twitter chatter from their own viewers to make-up the shortfall.

Lest I digress; even a recently published commentary on Leader Michael Ignatieff's, "Liberal Express" national tour questions why he is on a face-to-face tour to meet with voters, and eschewed the modern "web" way of reaching the same audience by staying at home in the relative privacy of a computer keyboard, webcam and screen.

The Federal Government is assessing a pilot project it launched last spring to refute Internet information deemed incorrect or questionable. There is some danger there: Not everyone is likely to agree with Ottawa's definition of "on-line" misinformation. What seems to be clear though is that the next time someone posts an opinion in an Internet forum such as FaceBook, they may very well receive a rebuttal from an employee of the Federal government.

Of course there is some legitimacy to worries about government employees being paid to monitor on-line chatter and post comments. But, in early April the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) paid a Toronto company $75,000 to monitor social activity and identify areas where information was being presented about the always controversial east coast Seal-Hunt. Once alerted about questionable on-line comments, employees at Foreign Affairs and/or Fisheries and Oceans posted comments, including views the Government considered more consistent with Canada's position.

That may be just the tip of the iceberg. A spokesperson for DFAIT described the Seal-Hunt initiative as just part of an effort ..."to establish foundations and recommendations for future programs and campaigns to use social media as another way to listen to, inform and engage with Canadians."

On the other front: Twice now, Courts in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have issued orders which restrict the limits of anonymity and privacy on the Internet. Most recently, the New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench ordered the publishers of the Moncton "Times and Transcript" to reveal the identity of an anonymous commenter after the target of the post launched a defamation suit. The Judge ruled the plaintiff's rights would be violated unless he knew the identity of his accuser. In Nova Scotia in April, a Halifax weekly, "The Coast", was ordered to release all the information it had to identify seven anonymous commenters who had posted on-line allegations of racism, cronyism and incompetence at the Halifax Fire Department.

Last fall in Ottawa, SLAW.CA which deals with legal matters, launched an effort to reveal the identity of the blogger behind "Zero Means Zero", an insider's look at the administration of controversial Mayor Larry O'Brien. The blogger has since stopped his postings and the blog appears to have been removed.

As clearly it should have, privacy on the Internet has its limits. Recent anecdotal evidence suggest that there is a diminishing appetite on the part of websites, Internet providers and social media sites to protect people who are posting anonymously. In his own recent post; former CBC colleague and Visiting Professor of Journalism at Ryerson, Jeffrey Dvorkin, questions the media's rush to publish the photos of some G-20 rioters provided by the police. He argues that while some photos clearly show acts of vandalism, others of head and shoulder shots don't reveal any evidence of law-breaking beyond the say-so of authorities. The sources of some photos (From cellphone cameras for instance) may be questionable; and Professor Dvorkin raises the danger of citizen journalism of almost any nature verging on vigilantism.

Though the debate about access to new technology and the phenomenon of social media's impact on society is far from over; people should think twice before posting anything on the Internet because they can almost always be identified. Those recent east coast legal decisions mean people posting comments or nebulous photos on the web can't expect to have, nor do they have, a lot of privacy.

ODE TO 20TH CENTURY JOURNALISM

The proliferation of personal communication devices, and the explosion of the social networking phenomenon via the Internet have strained the practice of journalistic integrity near its inability to recover.

I should not have been shocked last week (though I was) to witness a seasoned practitioner of the trade, Larry King, reduced to interviewing the judges from "American Idol" on his once top-rated nightly CNN show. The lines separating news and entertainment; opinion, rumour and fact; professional from amateur have been obliterated during this first decade of the 21st Century.

Anyone with a connection to the Internet may now contribute to the discourse of public conversation. Doubtless it is more democratic, but is it any more healthy? In the United-States a recent survey conducted by the reputed Pew Research Center notes that Americans have become a nation of "news grazers" whose..."relationship to news is becoming portable, personalized and participatory."

But: In a society where journalism (Voyeurism to some degree - I digress!) includes citizens with cellphone cameras; the micro-blogging service Twitter; social media Facebook, and millions of blog sites and bloggers, few of us have neither the time, nor the skills and ability to sort-out the news from the entertainment, and the facts from the fiction.

The U.S. media reported recently about a debate within Fox News which has divided the organization over journalistic principles and the antics and pronouncements of its highest rated program hosts (to be polite) the eccentrics Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck. Little wonder that the Pew Research survey referenced above found that 70% of its respondents were "overwhelmed" by the amount of news and information from different sources and; more critically, that almost two-thirds (72%) thought most sources of news were biased.

Most current efforts by 20th Century media organizations to carve-out 21st Century niches amongst the clutter of un-traditional journalism are frequently misguided.- Which may explain why Larry King interviews "American Idol" has beens; Barbara Walters hosts "The View"; and CBC News Network's "Power and Politics" interviews Kitty Kelley about Oprah's biography.

The sensible late 20th Century phenomenon of "All-News" TV channels has evolved from a desire for competent round-the-clock journalism to a relentless competitive aggressive multi-channel universe. Each of which; in a relentless search of audiences and revenue; has devolved, along a particular political bias and agenda, from sensible journalistic choice to an egregious barrage of infotainment alternatives. In the process each bears a substantial level of blame for elevating the mundane to manufactured crisis. As in the case of last fall's "swine flu" pandemic. And, perhaps more recently the grounding of all flights over Europe; and (here in Canada) scandalous allegations involving a former junior Cabinet Minister and her partying husband.

It seems that the traditional news hierarchy has been up-ended. A recent opinion forum published in "USA Today" concludes that consumers of information are both overwhelmed and appallingly under-informed..."With actual news, and items that look suspiciously like news, coming at us from a variety of outlets, how do we know what to trust? How do we distinguish credible information from raw information, misinformation and propaganda?"

Then why should anyone seek-out quality journalism - especially if we believe anyway that it's all driven by opinion, entertainment, ratings, revenues and bias?

LET THE 'BON TEMPS ROULER!'

It has been acrimonious, divisive and angry: But at least the Congress of the United States of America has been debating issues of seriousness and importance to the nation's citizens.

In our Great White North, it seems the Harper government has just about abandoned domestic politics to focus on Canada's waning and damaged reputation on the world stage. Ours is not a superpower...never will be. There is a sense, to me apparent, that we've lost our direction about what's relative and important here at home.

Here is what I know: Mr. Harper's Conservative Party, our Federal Government, in the public opinion polls has been stuck in minority territory since their defeat of Paul Martin's government back now over four years ago - In January of 2006. Meantime the self-anointed, natural governing "Liberal" Party, has basked in a frantic national leadership comedy of errors worthy of a Monty Python skit. Last week's "should I vote yes...wait...maybe I should vote no!" Flip-flop over the attempt to embarrass the Tories on abortion being just the latest in a string of Mike Ignatieff's headline grabbing failures.

Little wonder therefore that the current session of Parliament bereft of any ideas, solutions and suggestions obliges Ottawa's national media gallery to fret, argue and ponderously opine over the visit of some flash-in-the-pan American right-wing pundit, one Ann Coulter, rather than focus on anything of real concern to Canadians.

Dudes - Here's what up! Since that January election of 06, the nation has sunk from a staggering $15-Billion (or so) annual surplus to an even more staggering $50-Billion deficit. Lest anyone forget: Just one year ago (March 31, 2009) the books weren't only balanced, but we were still $500-million on the plus side. And, depending whose manifesto you support: The heretofore Tory darlings of the Fraser Institute, or the Liberal leaning Conference Board of Canada: The stimuli have been a waste, or the best thing since Alex Bell invented the phone. Crap! Either way we, and the grand kids, will be paying this tab til near the end of time. (2012 if you believe the Mayan - Halleluyah! I digress.)

Instead, doubtless to "hang ten" (Dude! Surf talk- OK?) in the afterglow of February's La-La land Olympics; the Harper Government has hitched the nation's image to a series of international blockbusters with little measurable payback...just likely more debt for us. While we'll probably never know just how many billions of dollars the Jean Chretien Liberals ultimately committed to the increasingly obvious frustrating folly of Afghanistan. - Later in the week it seems the current government will commit to a minimum, $100-million investment just to (maybe) have a limited say over the future of Haiti. A sad nation, somewhat like our Ontario, that is obliged, hat-in-hand, to seek sustenance outside its borders. Aye, Ya, Ya ye!

Wait there's more! Come the month of June the Prime Minister will step centre stage to host the G-8 in Huntsville, Ontario; and the G-20 in Toronto. Worthy as they may be: Additional commitments are sure to follow. Take a number! These days fifteen minutes of world fame neither come cheap nor are they likely to be about what matter most to Canada's down-home domestic agenda.

If successive governments and weak opposition have succeeded in soiling our international reputation, then we'll spare no cost for a headline on Fox and CNN.

Only money, right? Let the Good Times Roll!

ADJUVANT THIS!

In the wake of media stories over the weekend that hundreds of doses of the H1N1 vaccine have been dumped for being passed their "best before" date, Federal health officials are sheepishly admitting...Ho-Hum, it isn't much of a pandemic after all. Qu'elle surprise!

The country's Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. David Butler-Jones, says the rate of infection across Canada is about 8% in this second wave; mild even when compared to the annual "seasonal flu" outbreaks. Not anywhere near the pandemic "to end all pandemics" predicted, anticipated, perhaps even wished for by some authorities anxious to test their skills and preparedness. Sheesh! At the cost of terrifying; Nay! Scaring to death an entire country, and then having the gall to tell everyone to wait in line...No! Don't bother - We've run-out: Go home!

Interesting that fully a month into this manufactured crisis the Canadian media has begun to wake-up and do precisely the investigative leg work it should have been doing all along, instead of buying into the panic created by a rookie, inexperienced, clearly out-of-her-depths Federal Minister of Health and her Ottawa and Winnipeg based officials. If this was meant to be Minister Leona Aglukkaq's shinning hour, she has clearly missed this boat looking more often like a frightened deer caught in twin headlamps, than an accomplished federal official. What is it with those eye glasses anyway? - Hire her an image consultant please. (I digress!) Little wonder that recently it's been mostly other Ministers of the Crown rising in the House of Commons to deal with the difficult questions over this alleged pandemic.

Is it any wonder that Canadians and the public-at-large grow increasingly cynical of those they elect, the bureaucracy they hire, and the media pledged to uncovering the truth? In this case there is plenty of blame to go around. Starting with the World Health Organization anxious to press the panic button in the flame-out of the bogus Avian Flu predictions a couple of year's back. - Federal and provincial politicians and institutions eager to demonstrate preparedness after being caught with their proverbial "pants-down" over the SARS outbreak in 2003. - And, the media who failed miserably in their crucial role in a democracy to debunk the fabricated "crap" of politicians without any vision beyond their next run for re-election.

If the Auditor-General Sheila Fraser is right? (As she frequently is) Then God help us the day a real crisis erupts. Although countless millions have no doubt been spent, our Federal bureaucracy still has not managed to get a grip on the National Emergency Preparedness Plan it vowed to create in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 tragedies more than eight years ago. Amen!

POSTER CHILD FOR AN INDUSTRY

There are less than three weeks remaining before - Surely with the wisdom of Solomon - the Canadian Radio, Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) meets head-on the proponents and promoters of: "Save Local TV" and those of "Stop the TV Tax."

Canada's big entertainment providers the television broadcasters; and those who distribute their programs the cable and satellite providers, have been waging an all too public over the air battle to win our hearts and minds. One group guts local programming and threatens more cuts. Increases in the monthly bills from the other outpace rising costs and any reasonable expectations.

Regardless; and at the risk of becoming the poster child for this national malaise, any solution which the sages of the CRTC can cobble together will come too late for the now bankrupt Global Television Network who's assets will by then be portioned-off amongst the parent company's $4-billion creditors.

Even before Global's flow of red ink sank the network beyond its capacity to recover, rumours in the business were circulating as early as last spring that the network's national news anchor, Kevin Newman, was ripe for the picking. Since signing-on the early evening newscast in September 2001, its star anchor has matured into an accomplished seasoned newscaster...a far cry from his difficult American beginnings back in the mid-nineties at ABC News where he struggled with "World News Tonight" as with later on "Good Morning America."

While Mr. Newman surely ranks amongst Global's valuable assets; it stands to reason that both salary and production costs for his major national and international news package seven evenings per week are also a considerable liability for the now bankrupt network. The temptation to shop Newman's talents to rival broadcasters can't possibly have escaped those charged with making the best out of Global's tenuous future.

Neither the CBC nor CTV have vast talent pools from which to draw replacements for their own anchors. At age 76, Lloyd Robertson will have to retire some day. On the eve of its massive coverage of the winter Olympic Games from Vancouver, Kevin Newman would seem to be a perfect fit for CTV. Over at the CBC, though at age 61 Peter Mansbridge is younger than his CTV rival, he has just one more year left on his contract. The network's well documented financial problems and lacklustre ratings could crack open the door for a younger less expensive replacement with the profile of the "Global National News" high in his pedigree. After all if you believe Global's spin on ratings, though given different broadcast hours it's like comparing apples and oranges, still Kevin Newman consistently beats rivals CBC and CTV every night.

"Global National with Kevin Newman" does an admirable job with a consistently well produced newscast particularly given the network's limited resources. Global's finances are floundering and the network's trustees in bankruptcy are unlikely to pump any additional cash into the operation. The stars may have just aligned perfectly to encourage the anchor to jump ship before sailing into rougher waters. Let the bidding war begin. That is if it is not already underway.

THE FAMILY JEWELS

Doubtless the numbers-crunchers from Portage Avenue, through Bay Street, Rue de la Gauchetiere, and all the way to Wall Street are poring over the entrails of the now bankrupt Canwest Media Company. Reality dictates there is not here anymore in Canada a knight in shinning armour ready to rescue this failed media empire.

Though the failure of Canwest Media, its parent company crushed under a $4-billion debt, may signal the greatest media sell-off in Canadian history, the takers are likely few; if any. Judging by its incessant whining about tethering on the verge of poverty, CTV-Globe Media, is obviously not poised to rescue neither the Global Television Network, nor its newspaper empire; even though the "National Post" competes directly against the "Globe and Mail" and would be an obvious candidate for closure.

Sun Media also of Toronto is wholly-owned by Quebecor of Montreal and that publisher's global empire isn't quite as frisky as during the halcyon days of Pierre Peladeau. Though Power Corporation also in Montreal has the financial resources to rescue all of the Canwest assets, and its enormously profitable Great-West Life Assurance division is headquartered in the Asper family's Winnipeg homestead. Power Corp. has been cutting back on media holdings and pleading mercy for its money losing "La Presse" newspaper of Montreal.

This is not Global Television's first bankruptcy, but surely it is its most spectacular and it may shake Canada's national media to their vary core. Surely not quite what its founders, Al Bruner, a former Detroit big band singer, and Peter Hill his business partner had in mind when Global signed-on as Canada's third English TV network on January 6, 1974. Sadly, their fate foretold of the future for Global. Three months into the first year of operations, Bruner and Hill were bankrupt. That's when Izzy Asper, the Winnipeg millionaire owner of small independent CKND-TV bought the Global name, franchise and network.

Blame the regulator, the CRTC, for licensing a total of six conventional networks (Three English: CBC - CTV - Global / Three French: SRC - TVA - V) in a country of less than 35 million people; and then further failing to monitor adequately their increasing dependence on American imported programs to make ends meet. Public hearings scheduled to get underway in just a few weeks into the so-called "fee for carriage" demands of the television broadcasters may be a blessed opportunity for the CRTC to mend the errors of its past.

As for the Canwest holdings, newspapers and television alike: The scavengers of this cut-throat media business; aided by the bankers and money managers who hold much of the company's now near worthless assets; will pick-out the best. The rest will be dissolved. Canadian culture will be further diminished and impoverished in the name of the greedy.

SECRET...OR NOT (SO) SECRET!

There is a debate amongst journalists in this country over whether the "secret" documents left behind at CTV's Ottawa News Bureau were indeed "state secrets"...and the implications for journalistic integrity to hold-on to them for 6 days if indeed they were.

One thing is clear - They weren't "secret" enough in the mind of the Prime-Minister to cost the Minister of Natural Resources her job as had, for instance the secret NATO documents left behind at Julie Couillard's condo by Maxime Bernier...almost a year to the day.

Writing for the Sun Newspapers this weekend, Columnist Greg Weston suggests that it's easy enough for a Federal Government obsessed with confidentiality, and a Prime-Minister obsessed with control, to stamp "Secret" on pretty much any document it wants to keep away from prying eyes - Journalists and opposition politicians included..."Truth is no one got excited about a breach of official secrets because there were none in the documents"...So says Weston.

The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council publicly chastised CTV-News recently after a full review of the broadcast of a television interview, three false starts and all, of former Liberal Leader Stephane Dion, with its Halifax anchor, Steve Murphy, during the fall 2008 Federal Election campaign. The interview was re-broadcast ad nauseum on "Mike Duffy Live" for which the CBSC also blasted CTV.

While I may subscribe to Greg Weston's interpretation about the value of the documents left behind at CTV by the Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt; I am having difficulty understanding why they were held-on to by the News Bureau for 6 days while it prepared a news story based on their content. It seems to me (As the CBSC seemed to raise in the Dion matter) to call into question CTV's journalistic integrity perhaps verging on an abuse of our journalistic freedoms...well at least it seems un-Canadian.

Regardless of the value, authenticity or worth of the documents; a year ago when in Maxime Bernier's case, Julie Couillard brought with her "his secret documents" to a TVA French language interview in Montreal, authorities there didn't hesitate...and sure as hell didn't read or copy the contents...they called the department of Foreign Affairs who sent the RCMP to retrieve the briefing book. To me it seems that is the "only" way to behave...I fault CTV for doing less (much less) with the documents left behind at their studio by Minister Raitt.

The documents may not have been so secret after all...they didn't hold Canada's nuclear bomb formula (as if we had one!)...but leaving them behind, and CTV's disclosure cost at least one departmental insider her job.

Somewhat like an acrobat walking the tight-rope, there are dangers inherent with stretching the limits of broadcast freedoms and calling into question one's journalistic integrity - Sometimes either the rope snaps, or the acrobat slips off.

To say the least: Either way I'll be making sure to hang-on to my wallet and credit cards if ever I am invited into CTV's Ottawa bureau. They're not so secret either, but I wouldn't want them in someone else's hands for 6 days without getting called.