http://thetyee.ca/Mediacheck/2010/12/28/NewNewJournalism/

The new game began in Canada on Aug. 27, 1980. “Black Wednesday”, as it became known, was the day newspaper corporations across the country colluded to swap properties and kill competition. The Ottawa Journal and the Winnipeg Tribune folded, and Vancouver Province’s owner, Southam, bought the Vancouver Sun. The two had been in bed together since 1950s via a press-and-profit-sharing agreement at Pacific Press that killed the third paper and defended against upstarts.

Suddenly competition for readers was no longer necessary; these publicly traded corporations now focused on advertiser-pleasing copy as the technique for pulling more ads.

At least Postmedia has an understandable reason for changing standards: they’re legally obligated to maximize profits. But the fact that the commercial-free public broadcaster also ignores the public good suggests that there is a new definition of journalism.

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Between 1990 and 2005 there were a number of media corporate mergers and takeovers in Canada. For example, in 1990, 17.3% of daily newspapers were independently owned; whereas in 2005, 1% were. These changes, among others, caused the Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications to launch a study of Canadian news media in March 2003. (This topic had been examined twice in the past, by the Davey Commission (1970) and the Kent Commission (1981), both of which produced recommendations that were never implemented in any meaningful way.)

The Senate Committee’s final report, released in June 2006, expressed concern about the effects of the current levels of news media ownership in Canada. Specifically, the Committee discussed their concerns regarding the following trends: the potential of media ownership concentration to limit news diversity and reduce news quality. (2)

http://pushedleft.blogspot.com/2010/11/cold-case-solved-murder-of-canadas.html

With fewer journalists on staff, news editors increasingly turn to the copy provided by organizations like the Fraser Institute to fill the “news holes” between advertisements in their papers.

This is why we get so many reports from bogus groups like the Fraser, the Frontier Centre, The Canadian Taxpayers Federation and the Manning Centre for Destroying Democracy. Not enough staff so we allow them to fill in the blanks.

http://pushedleft.blogspot.com/2010/11/cold-case-solved-murder-of-canadas.html

CAUTION: not recommended for small children and independent thinkers who can formulate their own opinions based on fact not ideology.

http://www.vancouverobserver.com/politics/2012/01/09/ndp-mp-nathan-cullen-slams-harper%E2%80%99s-witch-hunt-environmental-charities

http://www.kathrynmarshall.ca/bio/

BC Showdown: Sierra Club vs “Ethical Oil”
One of them is a Ridiculous Radical
http://youtu.be/toR3Tt9fS2E

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http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=330503280316370&set=a.128215507211816.14188.100000701030243&type=1&theater

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7,262 messages sent – pls click link and punch in your email to auto. send a msg. to Harper

The Harper Government is privately threatening Canadian charities helping people participate in the public hearings about Enbridge’s western pipeline and supertanker project. According to a whistleblower, they are labeling Canadian environmental groups “Enemies of the government of Canada”.

We need to speak out now to demand Prime Minister Harper stop the threats, and ensure fair hearings that let Canadians decide if the project is in our best interests.

http://www.leadnow.ca/fair-hearings

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http://www.wewillnotbesilenced.ca/

“Canadians should be concerned when a supposedly arms-length agency (National Energy Board) **supposed to regulate the oil industry, including conducting hearings on Enbridge’s proposed new tar sands pipeline across British Columbia…

.. is listed as an ‘ally’ of Harper’s neocon Reform Party Gov.

…said Keith Stewart of Greenpeace.

http://ca.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idCATRE80P1RU20120126?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

repost from Geri M Jordan – Harper has created so many grass fires since Parliament recessed for Christmas Break, it really is difficult to determine what is a diversion and what is a ‘test balloon’.

http://www.facebook.com/condomar/posts/305540246160854

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And three, because it seems clear to me that the object of this exercise is to terrify us ALL, to soften us up for what promises to be a bloody budget.

So in order to try to panic the population into going along with their insane scheme, they’re prepared to terrorize seniors all over the country. Because they know they’re vulnerable, and can be easily scared. And fear is contagious.

http://montrealsimon.blogspot.com/2012/01/real-reason-cons-are-scaring-seniors.html

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Harper to Seniors: You’ll have to eat cat food.

Seniors: TOTAL FREAK OUT

Harper: Okay, then I’ll just cut CBC and health care.

Everybody heaves a sigh of relief and goes back to their t.v. show.

http://www.leaderpost.com/business/Pension+might+distraction/6081837/story.html

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HarperCON has instructed one of his MP / Senator puppets to float a trial balloon in order to gauge public reaction; then his obedient puppet MP / Senator takes the heat instead of Harper.

Harper is just ticking them off his list. This obsequious puppet Con MP / Senator is his mouth piece, running it up the old flag pole, seeing which way the wind is blowing. Sometime next year some other Reform scullion will bring up the subject of reinstating the death penalty, and all the injustice that adheres to that punishment. It’s only a matter of time. All with the full support of the Globe and Mail.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20110401/amnesty-harper-record-110401/

boisvp@sen.parl.gc.ca

I was listening to Radio Australia very early this morning and the following story caught my attention:

AUSTRALIA’S richest person, mining billionaire Gina Rinehart, wants to buy a huge swathe in Fairfax Media that would make her the media group’s biggest shareholder.

Fairfax Media says a stockbroker acting for Mrs Rinehart approached fund managers in a $192 million attempt to acquire 10 per cent of the company, which publishes newspapers including The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian Financial Review and owns radio stations.

Mrs Rinehart already holds four per cent of the company and if she is successful in her latest purchase she will hold 14 per cent of the group with a possible seat on the board.

http://www.news.com.au/business/gina-rinehart-makes-bid-for-more-fairfax-media-shares/story-e6frfm1i-1226258850356

The reporter covering the story said that she might be inclined to influence editorial content to take a more active pro-resource development stance, with particular positive reporting on mining.

Made me wonder who are the largest shareholders of our media giants. Given all the positive attention to Harper and his oil sands and other resource development pushes, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some cross-pollination between both investment groups.

But keep up the good work, there are many of us reading, if not commenting. It’s worthwhile, critically important work you are doing and I commend you.

Since Harper won his majority, there have been no jobs in Canada for six months. He refuses to answer why is it, Canadians shop in the U.S. and save up to 50%? They save big bucks, by gassing up their vehicles in the U.S.

I certainly hope Harper and his Conservatives will not get their pensions, until they are all 67 years old. All politicians should have to wait until they are 67, to get their gold plated pensions. I think their outrageous salary’s are sufficient enough, they can pay their own pensions out of their own pockets. They also have expense accounts, used for the entire family to travel to visit them. The wealthy should not get the OAS. The wealthy should be paying for their own hospital procedures and premiums. The gigantic corporations and the wealthy should be taxed 30% off the top. Why should wealthy business owners, pay less in taxes than their employee’s? They even brag about it.

That’s what I call fair. Can you imagine the squealing at the trough?

And y’know why? Because my children and I will always remember what we have right now, before the hardline Harper came in. And because we are dreaming a better tomorrow.

Always, I remember the words of T. C. Douglas: Courage my friends, tis not to lake to make a newer world.

And to that I now add the parting words of Jack Layton: Let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic.

OK, I admit I’m not feeling so loving right about now, but I’ve been up all night blogging and though I had a helluvalot of fun doing it I’m really flipping tired right now, so please forgive me my grumpy tone!