It has been almost two year since 253 workers of Le Journal de Montréal -- journalists, photographers and office staff -- were served with a lockout notice by their employer. On every single day since Jan. 24, 2009, whether under the scorching summer sun or the chilly winter of Montreal, these locked out workers have picketed the building they used to work in.
The new tarted-up, glossy, all-colour Globe and Mail is many things, but it is not a real "news paper."
It has been "dumbed up" and robbed of much of its news content.
The result is a hybrid never before seen in North America. It is some of the old Globe of course. But is also part Maclean's magazine and The Economist. It is part National Geographic, Sporting News, Vanity Fair, and Women's Wear Daily.
Paper.li is a content curation service that allows users to publish their own newspapers.
Via the Paper.li platform, users are able to assemble an online newspaper from articles, blog posts, videos, and photographs shared on Twitter or Facebook.
A free and critical press is a mainstay of healthy democracy. Given that undermining of Canadian democracy is a central concern in the 2011 F
federal election, it is particularly worrisome that yet another attempt has been made to silence another fine Canadian journalist. Sun newspapers have recently fired their regular Friday columnist, Michael Harris for reasons one may surmise when you read Michael Harris' last Sun newspaper piece below.
Harris' work over the years has sparked four royal commission of inquiry in Canada. In fact, his intrepid reporting exposing the sexual abuse at the Mount Cashel orphanage was the impetus for a previous firing from a Newfoundland newspaper!
Editor's Note: This is now the last of five articles that address the need to develop independent media -- print, broadcast and Internet-based -- in Canada. The first three articles explored the reasons why traditional media no longer provide reliable news and information to the Canadian public, and can be viewed HERE, HERE and HERE. The fourth article discussed what independent media could be like and how it could benefit communities across Canada.
Le Devoir, the Montreal newspaper about ideas -- take note, important ideas about Canada -- celebrated its 100th birthday Jan. 10. Not well recognized outside Quebec, the French language daily was founded by the political leader, and journalist Henri Bourassa. Bourassa was the man who made the case for Canadian independence from Britain and its empire, thus becoming the patron saint of Canadian nationalists, you might say, except ... Le Devoir was not founded to urge Canadians to stand on their two feet.
Note from the editor: This is another in the series of articles that address the need to develop independent media -- print, broadcast and Internet-based -- in Canada. All articles will appear on rabble.ca. The first article explored the reasons why traditional media no longer provide reliable news and information to the Canadian public. It can be viewed here. The second article, which explores how for-profit, corporate-owned media filter and censor the news, can be seen here.
Get Real Coverage.
Introducing the Dominion's special issue on the 2010 Olympics.
This event will also be showcasing the launch of THIS magazine's latest issue!
Olympic Competition?
16,500 troops and police. 2,500 athletes. At least 16,500 cops, soldiers, and security guards will descend on Vancouver and Whistler in 2010. These include US Naval vessels and airborne drones. They are well ahead of the 5,000 athletes arriving for the games.
Olympic Sponsor?
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2.jpg "David Climenhaga, author of the Alberta Diary blog, is a journalist, author, journalism teacher, poet and trade union communicator who has worked in senior writing and editing positions with the Toronto Globe and Mail and the Calgary Herald. His 1995 book, A Poke in the Public Eye, explores the relationships among Canadian journalists, public relations people and politicians. He left journalism after the strike at the Calgary Herald in 1999 and 2000 to work as Communications Director of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, which with more than 73,000 members is Alberta’s largest union and Canada’s 10th largest. Alberta Diary focuses on Alberta politics and social issues. Contact: albertadiary @ gmail.com")