Your humble organ has reported at length on the axing of Times Colonist columnist Vivian Smith. That axing occurred a day after tourism industry representatives met with the newspaper's publisher to complain about a column by Ms. Smith in which she encouraged out-of-towners to explore Victoria's no-charge attraction rather than its more pricey visitor venues. In an interview with Public Eye, associate professor Klaus Pohle, a specialist in media ethics and newspaper management at Carleton University's school of journalism, said it wasn't surprising publisher Bob McKenzie declined to comment on the situation, explaining "I would be totally embarrassed to admit" to canceling such a contract just after meeting with "the vested interests in Victoria...It's a terrible conflict. A terrible conflict. And it sends a terrible message - not only to the journalists at the paper but to the other media and the readers and the advertisers. It sends a message (to the advertisers) that I can interfere anytime. And that's a very, very dangerous situation to be in."
Prof. Pohle said articles that criticize established tourism venues and suggest alternatives - such as Ms. Smith's - are "a legitimate exercise. And, in a way, it's a service for tourists. So this is nothing particularly new." He added, that such pieces will upset obviously "the people who charge an arm and a leg to visit a bunch of flowers. And that's fine. But I can't imagine - as fantastic as the Butchart Gardens are - that for toddlers they'd be all that exciting" - referring to Ms. Smith's suggestion that the gardens might not be interesting to the five and under set . "They look for different things. So, unless you have a section where they can pull out flowers from a flowerbed" toddlers won't be entraced by the attraction - which also offers Saturday evening summer fireworks, skating in the winter and live entertainment options.
Prof. Pohle also pointed out that, recently, The Times (of London)'s Times 2 supplement published a cover story that "took apart some of the most well-known tourist attractions in England and just slagged them because they were too expensive, they offered nothing for the money. And they were boring. And, actually (in the case) of two or three of them or several, (the writers) gave alternatives which cost nothing." And "from what I could tell - there may have been complaints. But I didn't see any public complaints in the letters to the editor and other places in the paper."
Prof. Pohle is absolutely right, and any journalist worth his/her salt would agree. So where are the howls of outrage from Ms Smith's colleagues at the TC, its sister papers in Vancouver, its TV news operations in Vancouver and Victoria, etc, etc.
The issue here is about far more than the relative merits of paid/free attractions in Victoria. It's about the apparent acceptance that editorial/corporate policy appropriately allows a news organization to spike newsworthy information, keeping readers/consumers in the dark in order to help advertisers make more money.
If these reports are accurate, what else are readers not hearing about for fear of offending the powers to whom their daily paper is beholden?
I'm so glad I can read the news from places other than this little town of Victoria. There are hundreds of on line newspapers to keep one from falling asleep in the local paper. But I recall the Globe and Mail dropped Heather Mallick awhile back because she sided with a sort of left wing writer. She used to be my favourite in the Globe on Saturday. I don't bother getting it anymore. Heather went on to the mother corporation.
One hopes Ms. Smith goes on to bigger things.
CanWest Global is in serious tailspin as a corporation, this last week it was reported internationally thst it's media holdings in Australia nd New Zealand had tanked. On this continent, they've been bleeding for years and going through major organization upheavals. The National Post is on deathwatch.
And locally, the TC is getting whacked by the News Group in both flyers and advertising. So, it is hardly surprising that the the old girl lifted the skirt for these organizations. They have no choice, really. And in that position, you might do the same. But you're not in that position, and you ~do~ have a choice.
Completely boycott and ignore the TC. And find yourself with a lot of company.
"So where are the howls of outrage from Ms Smith's colleagues at the TC, its sister papers in Vancouver, its TV news operations in Vancouver and Victoria, etc, etc."
Good point, Dawn. The press gallery frankly does little to counteract the mistakes of bad reporters, and nothing to contradict their employers. It's small wonder, they are well paid and don't want to rock the boat. I cannot speak for the Victoria situation, but at Pacific Press I am told that any reporter who has a byline is starting at $85K per year and on up from there. What a columnist like Vaughn Palmer or Mike Smyth might be making is anyone's guess, ... so I will guess it's about $150K.
It is with great interest that I follow the recent controversy regarding Vivian Smith's roller coaster ride at The Times Colonist.
I have spotlighted CanWest numerous times in an effort to encourage them to report more thoroughly regarding issues that affect our community in Vancouver, specifically, the 2010 Olympics. I have described in detail, through my blog and newsletters that the Vancouver Sun fails to report, by design or ignorance (who knows), aspects of Olympic related issues that are important for our community to understand. For the record, I support the Olympics, but not how it is managed.
Forgive me for preaching to the choir, but not reporting critical information is either an oversight, which reflects a poor work ethic and skills, or it is blatant bias, which is reprehensible in our Olympic community when you consider that Athens suffered a deficit of $12 billion, Salt Lake City $1.2 billion, Turin is still counting, and we already have overrun costs of $110 million in Vancouver; while NBC boasts they sold advertising to 4 billion people during each of the last two Summer Games. News media are huge financial winners in all Olympic regions, and as such this creates a conflict of interest challenge, that so far, local mainstream media have chosen to ignore.
I invested three years and a six-figure budget researching how Olympic events affect a community, and as a result recently published a book, "Leverage Olympic Momentum." Also, my blog, OlyBLOG.com and its sister newsletter reach almost 10,000 readers around the world. Most readers are small and midsize business owners and managers in B.C., Alberta and Washington State, and I am also read by media in Vancouver, Victoria and across Canada, plus we are now developing London, England (Summer Games 2012), and recently media in cities around the world bidding to host the Olympics in their regions.
For the last three years I have carefully tracked and documented how "The Sun," among others, reports information regarding the 2010 Olympics, and I am less than impressed.
In fact I am so frustrated with the response of some news media in Vancouver that I recently (early July 06) offered our local journalists an opportunity to publish anonymously on my blog Olympic information they feel they cannot get into the public domain through their employers. I received immediate positive response, however, so far, none have taken me up on my offer.
As a matter principle, I do not send free copies of my book to local media, partially because it is news media's responsibility to know what they are talking about, which means it is their obligation to educate themselves before they go to work each day. If they step into the breach unprepared they cannot possibly recognize when their employers and Olympic organizations use them as pawns. I also have no intention of having news media cherry-pick the information in my book, and then disregard information that does not serve their economic purpose. Yes, I realize it is not the most effective book promotion strategy, but if local news media buy and read my book, and continue to report half-truths, at least I know they are not simply ignorant, but instead biased. The Catch 22 is that I am not about to be played or contribute to the charade by "giving" them information, which would be like "me" paying them to mislead the public and appease their employers. I do however have no problem sending complimentary copies to "national and international media," and will start to do so on a regular bases shortly. My blog is free though, and it has similar information, but it serves a more vertical purpose, which is partly to reverse engineer news media bias in "real time" and help small and midsize business owners understand what is happening in their effort to leverage Olympic momentum (I am a business person, not an activist.).
I cite local examples in my blog and book of "checkbook journalism behavior" (it's not something that can be easily proved), and understand clearly Noam Chomsky's premise regarding "necessary illusion." Vivian Smith has unwittingly become, for the more astute, a symbol of truth in media. News media bias is alive and well in B.C., and it is especially prevalent regarding reportage of Olympic process.
Maurice Cardinal
Editor www.OlyBLOG.com
Author www.LeverageOlympicMomentum.com
P.S. My detractors wish I would go away. I was told in confidence by an angry senior journalist who demands to remain anonymous, that his pals regard me as a source of humor. You can't please everyone, so I don't even try, but I'm betting that after Smith was rehired, all smiles faded quickly, except mine of course.