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May 22, 2019 6:34 pm  #1


The Federal Government's $660 Million Journalism Fund goes to...

Here is a report as to who and which media outlets are set to receive part of the $660 journalism fund...detailed in the February Federal Budget...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/journalism-support-fund-panel-1.5144282

Not sure that the allocation of funds is completely equal...or how it will help these organizations, but the optimistic side of me, hopes it has a positive impact within the journalism field.



 


The world would be so good if it weren't for some people...
 

May 22, 2019 7:18 pm  #2


Re: The Federal Government's $660 Million Journalism Fund goes to...

Five dollars says that Postmedia is desperately (but very stealthy) lobbying for a piece of this.

 

May 23, 2019 6:18 am  #3


Re: The Federal Government's $660 Million Journalism Fund goes to...

Chrisphen wrote:

  Postmedia is desperately (but very stealthy) lobbying for a piece of this.

Would you walk away from a fool and his money?
 

 

May 24, 2019 12:02 pm  #4


Re: The Federal Government's $660 Million Journalism Fund goes to...

The media, bought and paid for by the government. So much for fair and balanced coverage.


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

May 24, 2019 2:06 pm  #5


Re: The Federal Government's $660 Million Journalism Fund goes to...

Rosi DiManno's column about Drake's activity at Tuesday's game, in this morning's Red Star, should entitle her to a few $million (of the $660 million) 

 

May 24, 2019 4:46 pm  #6


Re: The Federal Government's $660 Million Journalism Fund goes to...

Kilgore wrote:

Rosi DiManno's column about Drake's activity at Tuesday's game, in this morning's Red Star, should entitle her to a few $million (of the $660 million) 

DiManno said everything I've been thinking for some time, now. She *nailed* it!!
It's way past time for the Raptors to stop kissing Drake's ass. Somebody's gotta tell him to SIT DOWN !!
 

 

May 25, 2019 6:43 am  #7


Re: The Federal Government's $660 Million Journalism Fund goes to...

mike marshall wrote:

    It's way past time for the Raptors to stop kissing Drake's ass. Somebody's gotta tell him to SIT DOWN !!
 

A diamond-encrusted jacket should be presented to Mike Marshall     

K.

 

May 25, 2019 2:14 pm  #8


Re: The Federal Government's $660 Million Journalism Fund goes to...

Thanks, K, but we'll pass on the jacket. Besides, our fixed income won't allow for a bodyguard.

There's an online story...

https://www.wisn.com/article/drakes-courtside-antics-clearly-violate-nba-fan-rules/25856620

...that says the following notice was placed on all seats at Scotiabank following Tuesday's game 4:

"Fans who act inappropriately will not be tolerated and are subject to ejection from the arena and/or revocation of their tickets," the advisory reads. "Examples of inappropriate behavior include, but are not limited to: using abusive language or gestures directed at any player, coach, referee, fan, or person involved in our game; making or attempting to make any physical contact with any player, coach, referee, fan, or person involved in our game; disrupting or interrupting the game; entering the playing court, throwing objects, or any other form of improper conduct.

"We encourage you to enjoy the game and to cheer for our players and teams in a respectful way. Thank you for supporting the NBA."

The notice is signed by NBA League Security.

 

September 5, 2019 5:41 pm  #9


Re: The Federal Government's $660 Million Journalism Fund goes to...

I hesitate to rekindle this old thread because nothing divides people here (and elsewhere) like politics. But all partisanship aside, I still have a real problem with this $660 million media fund that the federal government is continuing to dole out mostly to newspapers in Canada, on the eve of an election. 

I can testify that in all the years I've been writing news, no one ever told me to "slant" a story in favour of a particular party. I'm pretty sure others here in the biz can attest to the same thing. But in the same way that a judge trying a case would recuse himself if there was even a tenuous tie to one of the parties being tried, it's the perception of possible bias that truly worries me. If you lose your credibility in the news game, you've lost everything. 

I've heard a number of journalists who work for the very papers getting this largesse speak out vociferously against the funding, arguing it detracts from their work and makes them feel very uncomfortable. 

And now a video has resurfaced in a Conservative ad of Justin Trudeau making a speech at the Parliamentary Press Dinner last May. I hadn't heard this before.

Yes, he's obviously joking. And no, it's absolutely not funny in any way.

I fear there's more truth in this so-called humourous line than was intended. And though I may be accused of being partisan (and no, I don't especially like ANY of the current candidates for PM) I really find this frightening. Perhaps it's not something the Prime Minister of the country should be joking about.

I will be against this no matter who ends up winning in October. And I hope whoever wins will bring it to an end immediately.

 

September 5, 2019 7:08 pm  #10


Re: The Federal Government's $660 Million Journalism Fund goes to...

I acknowledge that he was joking. But the fund itself is no joke. Ask most journalists. His making fun of it just adds insult to injury. 

So let me say this in plain language. I don't care what party is doing this. It's wrong because even if innocently, it casts a question over the integrity of all news coverage. In this case, it's the Liberals behind it. But I would decry it whether the Conservatives, NDP, Greens, People's Party or Communists were doing it. (Actually, I would expect the Communists to do it, but that's another matter entirely!) 

Reporters cover politicians. No matter how arm's length, they shouldn't ever be paid by them. 

 

September 5, 2019 7:28 pm  #11


Re: The Federal Government's $660 Million Journalism Fund goes to...

I've been told that a condition of the funding is that Blue-helmeted McKinsey stormtroopers replace the top seven layers of management at the subject company and flood the newsroom with Antifa midwives.

 

September 5, 2019 7:54 pm  #12


Re: The Federal Government's $660 Million Journalism Fund goes to...

It is worth repeating that the fund total of $595 million is over five years and $360 million of that is in tax credits.  So not much the feds just writing cheques all the time. I have read a few articles and they sort of imply like the fund was $600 million per year which is incorrect. I have also heard some comments on talk radio and again listeners seem to think it is this amount every year for print media.

Speaking of Post Media, they have said that the company would receive or have credit for 8 to 10 million this year. Don't know if this has happened or if they were just assuming that amount.

I saw the Trudeau clip a while back and both he and Scheer were trying to yuck it up at the Press Gallery Dinner. The clip makes more sense if you see more of Trudeau's speech.  CAPAC ran the dinner speeches and Scheer actually had a good line. He mentioned that after dinner the social conservatives in his party would be leaving immediately because they heard there was going to be music later and that might lead to dancing. That got a pretty good laugh.. even from the folks at the Toronto Star!

 

 

September 5, 2019 8:36 pm  #13


Re: The Federal Government's $660 Million Journalism Fund goes to...

Whatever money or credits that print companies receive is sort of like advertising dollars in a way. So you could argue that any money that the Toronto Sun or Star receives in advertising from  The Hudson's Bay, as an example, shouldn't make those companies beholden to The Bay. If this is the case then those news organizations didn't have much credibility or ethics to begin with. Same applies to any money or tax credits from the federal government. And what if the Liberals lose next month, then they will be getting this from the Conservatives. 

I can't really see Post Media treating the Liberals or any Ottawa politician any different just because they received 8 to 10 million per year or tax credits from the feds. In the scheme of things that is not a lot of money for Post Media, considering the size of the company. 

It also not to say that this program is permanent. In five years we will see where the newspaper business is and who survives. In most cases newspaper websites and digital has not come close to replacing the hundreds of millions in print advertising losses over the years. The biggest chunk of advertising losses have been in classified and in national advertising for most newspapers. And these have been huge. 

 

September 5, 2019 9:49 pm  #14


Re: The Federal Government's $660 Million Journalism Fund goes to...

I have heard Christie Blatchford, Adrienne Batra and Anthony Furey, among others, definitively make statements against the funding on their various radio appearances. Alex Pierson, while not a newspaper person, has also been among those expressing dismay. And yes, they all lean Conservative. 

But there has been a plethora of people of all political stripes I personally know in the news business who have privately expressed discomfort to me over the scenario, although not on air, so I don't think it would be right to give out their names. One who has gone public in this very thread is SOWNY creator Dale Patterson, who spent several decades as a reporter/writer at The Canadian Press. 

No less an entity than the Canadian Association of Journalists, made up of writers and reps from throughout the news industry, including the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star and even the CBC, called into question the way the fund is being doled out and asked for additional transparency from the government. 

Suffice to say that while some newspaper owners are perfectly happy with this arrangement, many (but surely not all) of the scribes who fill their pages have, at the very least, commented on the uncomfortable nature of this arrangement. 

I don't think you can reasonably contend that the concerns of all these veteran news people are "foolish."

 

September 6, 2019 12:26 am  #15


Re: The Federal Government's $660 Million Journalism Fund goes to...

Digital startups aren't eligible for the cash, and many are against the fund because they were hoping to hire some experienced journalists when entities like Postmedia are finally dead.

 

September 7, 2019 12:25 am  #16


Re: The Federal Government's $660 Million Journalism Fund goes to...

but then there's this...
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/trudeau-media-bribery-fake-video-1.5273163

the article explains the video, then states "At this point, a number of headlines begin to appear on the screen — at the dinner, these were projected behind Trudeau. The headlines include one from the Toronto Star that reads "Justin Trudeau is tampering with Canada's brand," and another from the Globe and Mail stating, "Trudeau has lost the moral mandate to govern."

Trudeau then quips "you don't get stellar headlines like these without greasing the wheels a bit."However, in the edited video, those headlines are covered up by a still image from a Conservative Party of Canada campaign ad before the video fades out. The video has been shared online with titles such as "Justin Trudeau Arrogantly Brags About Bribing The Media."

 

September 7, 2019 11:46 pm  #17


Re: The Federal Government's $660 Million Journalism Fund goes to...

Why do political parties or media that support certain parties do things like this? Eventually it will come out and and it makes the party or on line media outlet look ridiculous. How many people were at the Press Gallery Dinner, and CAPAC showed the speeches various times. Only a matter of a few days that somebody will noticed that the clip has been altered and taken out of context. And it fairness the Liberals have stooped to low level tactics like this as well..Remember the ads from two campaigns ago when the Liberal ads showed heavy military equipment rolling down the street and implying this was what waits for Canadian cities if Stephen Harper was elected, giving the impression that we would be a police state. These ads weren't on air very long but very poorly thought out and stupid. And of course the conservative ad was pulled after a few days that mocked the face of Jean Chretien. 

Amazing that they could be so foolish and think this will actually turn the tide and win an election...really dumb, and shows no respect for the voter. All parties should know by now that Canadians generally don't like extreme or inflammatory views from either the right or left. Just rubs most people the wrong way, and you lose credibility very quickly.