FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Dec 19

Impact of Social Media on How We Perceive Foreign Wars

by bcurry

A very recent poll by the New York Times indicated that American youth are more inclined to oppose President Biden’s handling of the Israeli-Hamas conflict in Gaza.  For example, the poll noted that voters between 18 and 29 years old, traditionally a heavily Democratic demographic, jump out.  Nearly three quarters of them disapprove of the way Mr. Biden is handling the conflict in Gaza.  On the other hand, older voters were far more sympathetic to Biden’s efforts.  Fifty-two percent of registered voters 65 years and older approve of Biden’s actions on Israel, 12 percentage points more than those who disapprove.  Biden’s administration has refused to officially call for a cease fire, while pushing Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.

In Canada, the governing Liberal Party under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has take a more moderate stance, now calling for a cease fire to allow more aid for Palestinians into the devastated region along with the release of the hostages held by Hamas.  In either case, there is no win-win scenario for President Biden or Prime Minister Trudeau.  Pro-Palestinian protests in both countries are continuing, with a good deal of growing support on university and college campuses.  One of the main factors influencing the youth in both countries is the daily rapid access to scenes in the war zone, especially violent imagery of civilian casualties and hospital bombings, often through social media such as TikTok and Instagram.  Young people who use social media primarily to get their news find such images as being horrific and merciless. 

The same result can be seen in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.  Besides mainstream media, social media is also being used by both sides to influence our opinions of the war.  In some cases, recorded events are most likely going to be used to support allegations of war crimes against the Russian forces.  News media tends to slip between both conflicts, reporting mainly on the most significant and often horrendous events involving loss of life and mass destruction.  Everyday, terrible scenes of innocent civilians fleeing the war zone are propelled across our television screens and onto our tablets and cellphones.  At no other time in history has so much instant coverage occurred, influencing viewers and policy makers alike.  The most affected of course are young people who did not live through 9/11 or the Iraq war.

As more time goes on, the initial causes behind conflicts are often forgotten and become less important than the most recent revelations of atrocities and humanitarian crisis.  The longer the conflicts continue, support for current foreign policy positions will take a hit.  We see this among European Union countries, most notably Hungary, where support for Ukraine may be waning and opposition growing.  The same can be said for the Israeli-Hamas conflict which increasingly is turning into a broader conflict with the Palestinian population, not only in Gaza but also in the West Bank.  Israel still retains healthy allegiances in the U.S.  However, as the above noted poll indicated, the future of such sentiments is unclear.  Among young voters, 46 percent sympathize more with the Palestinians, against 27 percent who favour Israel.

There is little doubt that the opposing parties will continue to use social media in order to win over support their causes.  Especially by young people, it’s 24/7 and it’s readily accessible and most often not authenticate or corroborated.  Whether or not you think that it’s a form of propaganda, the use of social media will continue to play a very important role.

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Jun 15

Once Again, Mainstream News Media Taking a Hit in Canada

by bcurry

For several years now, I have been following reports about the disappearance of local and regional printed news sources in numerous communities across Canada.  I have written several blogs about the crisis that has hit mainstream news media, including Lost of Community Newspapers Is Sad Day For Free Press in November 2017, Issues Surrounding Daily News Now Being Absorbed Electronically In Bits and Bytes in January 2021, Media Under Terrorist Attack — Let’s Not Hit the Panic Button Just Yet in January 2015, and The Press Is Physically Under Attack By Police in the U.S. in September 2020.  My primary argument is that mainstream news media has to have journalists on the ground to adequately and accurately cover major news events.  With fewer and fewer regional and international news coverage by major outlets, there is indeed a serious threat to democracy in the form of a smaller number of accessible, reliable and respected news sources.

Now the hammer has come down on televised and radio news outlets in one major Canadian network.  This week, BCE Inc. announced that it is cutting 1,300 positions — about three per cent of its workforce — and closing or selling nine radio stations as the company plans to significantly adapt how it delivers the news.  The stations are found in several large Canadian cities such as Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and London (Ontario).  CTV is a major television network in Canada, and BCE Inc. is its parent company.  The announcement indicated that CTV’s foreign bureaus in London and Los Angeles are set to close, with all positions based in those locations eliminated.  Its Washington bureau will apparently be scaled back to focus more fully on important news from the U.S.A. and the impacts on Canada.  Bell Media, which controls CTV and the radio news outlets, says the job cuts are in response to unfavourable public policy and regulatory conditions in Canada.  Unfortunately, Bell says it can’t guarantee there won’t be more job cuts.

However, from a business perspective, most analysts would argue that the days of companies making money off providing the news are gone.  They note that today Google and Facebook have basically eaten into the advertising market. There’s fewer and fewer advertising dollars left for print and on air journalism.  In addition, companies like Google and Facebook are exploiting mainstream news sources to provide news to their users, without having to compensate those same sources for such exploitation.  However, it is taking a long time for the Canadian government to pass laws requiring such compensation be made to mainstream news sources.  Additional revenue could help these sources to continue to provide journalistic services at the local and national levels.

The fact of the matter is that youth today rely heavily on on-line search sites and social media to get their news.  One would hope that these news sources are credible, reliable and do not simply spread misinformation and disinformation.  Unfortunately, journalism has become somewhat politicized by numerous groups, including some politicians, and is under attack from extremist groups who have continued to proclaim that mainstream news sources are spreading so-called “fake news”.  Moreover, accredited news sources have every right to also express editorial opinion as long as such commentary is clearly identified as being an editorial piece. 

With fewer journalists in the field and far fewer avenues for good journalism, one can only express a certain degree of anxiety about the future of mainstream news journalism.  Increasingly, people graduating from some of Canada’s elite journalism programs will find it hard to obtain employment and opportunities in both print and television/radio media.  Often, investigative journalists have gotten their start and initial experience in local community news outlets, aided by recognized mentors in the industry.  A future career in journalism is getting tougher every day, suggesting that future generations may find it difficult to have access to sources offering credible and reliable news reporting.  Consequently, we will all feel less well informed!

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Oct 14

When Compared to Americans, Canadians are still Naive about Extremist Groups

by bcurry

Finally, something very interesting is coming out of the House select committee investigating the January 6th 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol.  Ten days before the attack, a Secret Service field office relayed one tip sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warning that members of the far-right nationalist gang the Proud Boys planned to march, armed, into Washington DC.  For years, federal law enforcement agencies have sounded the alarm about rising threats of far-right violence in congressional testimony, in-depth reports and internal memos.  Months before 2020 presidential election, the FBI issued an intelligence report warning that far-right groups and white supremacists pose a “violent extremist threat” to the U.S. and the 2021 presidential inauguration, which could serve as a “potential flashpoint” for violence.  Even with all this available intelligence, largely because of Donald Trump’s continued provocation and resulting inaction, we know what tragically happened on that day.

Here in Canada, there is similar awareness among government agencies such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) who are at the forefront of Canada’s national security system.  For years, they have been aware of the activities of foreign and domestic extremist elements operating in Canada.  To be sure, there are linkages and interactions among several far-right groups and white supremacists between Canada and the U.S.  The Internet has simply made the constant communication among such groups all that easier.  This includes platforms and messaging apps like QAnon-hosting 8Kun, Parler, Gab and Telegram; and even such mainstream platforms like Facebook groups and on Instagram stories, Reddit, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.

Despite the evident surveillance of extremists by the RCMP and CSIS in Canada and constant communication with foreign security agencies, including the FBI and Secret Service, most Canadians continue to be unaware of their activities in the country.  The Trucker Convoy, which occupied Canada’s capital last winter for three weeks and set up blockades at U.S.-Canada borders, had several extremist elements behind its planning and illegal operations.  Taken somewhat by surprise, this forced the federal government to take the unprecedented action of invoking the Emergencies Act in order to help end the Trucker Convoy’s activities.  Authorities appeared to have been taken by surprise by the extent to which small groups could carry out such protests in a threatening way and even call for the overthrow and replacement of the current legitimate federal government.

Like in the U.S., Canada has seen a significant polarization of the political spectrum.  Right-wing extreme groups have latched onto Canada’s angry populism, especially during the COVID pandemic and the imposition of vaccine mandates and other restrictions by governments across the country.  In Canada, at the very least, consensus politics is becoming a thing of the past.  For some time, politicians have been blind to the new emerging reality while the liberal mainstream press remains arrogant and complacent.  Indeed, some politicians have even gone as far as to show their vocal support for so-called freedom movements, although they represent a tiny fraction of the overall population.  Governments have had to once again declare that the right to be heard does not include the breaking of laws and any promotion of violence.

For some time now, I have been highlighting the extent to which there have been radicalization movements in both countries.  For example, The Role of Conspiracy Theories in Radicalizing North American White Folk, Potential of Insurgency Grows Everyday in U.S. and Canada, Canada also has its own Right-wing Extremist Groups, Right-wing Extremism is a Growing Concern in North American Communities, and White Extremism in North America is very Worrisome and Dangerous.  As indicated in FBI and Secret Service documents and gathered intelligence prior to the January 6th Capitol assault, there are mounds of evidence regarding the continuing activities of extremist groups in the U.S.  One would hope that Canadian agencies and mainstream media are paying attention so that Canadians won’t be as naïve as they were prior to the Trucker Convoy last winter.

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May 9

The Internet Was a Blessing Until It Became a Curse

by bcurry

A judge just threw out Donald Trump’s lawsuit against Twitter that challenged his ban from the social media platform.  U.S. District Judge James Donato rejected Trump’s claim that Twitter violated his right to freedom of speech guaranteed under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.  He simply declared that Twitter is a private company, and ‘the First Amendment applies only to governmental abridgements of speech, and not to alleged abridgements by private companies.’  When Trump’s account (with over 88 million followers) was suspended by Twitter, he went on to set up his own platform Truth Social which apparently has not done very well.  Now, the question arises over whether Twitter’s takeover by Tesla CEO Elon Musk will offer Trump a possible return to the social media platform.

Marshall McLuhan, a well-known Canadian philosopher whose work was among the cornerstones of the study of media theory in the late sixties, coined the expression “the medium is the message” and the term “global village”.  He is credited with predicting the World Wide Web (WWW) almost 30 years before it was invented.  Little did he know, having passed away in late 1980, of the incredible eventual impact on our daily lives of the Internet.  The Internet is this generation’s equivalent to the telegraph, the telephone and the fax machines that allowed us to communication instantaneously and broadly across the globe.  However, as a marvellous communication tool, the Internet has also proven to be more susceptible to the spreading of misinformation and disinformation than any other means in modern times.

When one talks of ‘misinformation’, one is normally referring to suspect, invalid and often poorly researched information passed on by persons to other persons via social media for example.  Often such information is transmitted without real malice, but simply and inadvertently by persons accepting the information as being valid or such that supports preconceived views, referred to a ‘confirmation bias’.  ‘Disinformation’ on the other hand is where someone is deliberately providing false information in support of their causes, goals or conspiracy theories, similar to what we would view as propaganda.  Unfortunately, we are seeing a lot more disinformation being conveyed via the Internet then ever before.  States or organizations that want to control the flow of information for their own purposes are notorious for facilitating the spread of disinformation, especially as a form of mind control within their borders.  One needs to go no further for examples than Russia, North Korea and Iran.

Unfortunately, during the Covid-19 pandemic, certain groups within the U.S. and Canada began disinformation campaigns against the public health measures introduced by many governments to deal with the tragic consequences of Covid on our lives.  The information was used to justify anti-vax, anti-mask, anti-lockdown and other public health mandates, regardless of their evident effectiveness in controlling the spread of Covid and reducing the number of associated deaths and hospitalizations.  These campaigns of course led to numerous protests in both countries easily and quickly arranged via social media, often tying up scarce government resources.  In addition, groups have used the Internet to spread ridiculous conspiracy theories, the most notable being that which promoted the belief that the results of the 2020 Presidential election were affected by corrupt voter fraud.  This culminated in a mob of Trump supporters attacking the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, after Trump repeatedly said that he would never concede the legitimate election.

We must do a better job of educating future generations about the potential pitfalls of relying on one or two sources for information, particularly those who rely on non-verifiable and suspect origins.  We need to be much more suspect when assessing the accuracy and validity of our Internet sources, be they found in social media or on websites.  I might suggest strongly that we include mainstream news media and websites provided by objective professional organizations as an integral and regular part of one’s information sources.  Perhaps this is easier said than done.  After all, access to information via social media in particular is quick and dirty.  Regrettably, this is what the purveyors of disinformation and misinformation are counting on.

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Feb 24

Unfair Condemnation by American Mainstream Media of Canada’s Invocation of the Federal Emergencies Act

by bcurry

For the first time since its creation, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act, giving the government far reaching powers, allowing the government to freeze financial accounts, press tow truck operators into service and end blockades.  As required, limited to an initial thirty day period, the invocation of the Act was subsequently debated in Parliament.  However, on February 23rd, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau withdrew the law, stating that it was no longer necessary because illegal protests that included blockades at some border crossings and the occupation in downtown Ottawa were no longer considered an emergency.  He said the federal government is confident existing laws and bylaws are now sufficient to keep people safe.  No one’s peaceful “right to protest” was ever affected, as long as no laws were being broken.

Interestingly but not surprising, mainstream media in the U.S. came down hard for the most part on the use of the Emergencies Act to deal with the border blockades and Ottawa occupation by the so-called “Freedom Convoy.”  Mainstream media is a term and abbreviation used to refer collectively to the various large mass news media that influence many people, and both reflect and shape prevailing currents of thought.  Major outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times and Fox News threw in their lot with the truckers — or at least, the truckers’ right to protest.  However, while the Canadian protests where not as violent against COVID-related mandates as occurred in Europe, the protesters did block the Coutts (Alberta) and Windsor-Detroit border crossings for over a week and occupied downtown of the National Capital of Ottawa for over three weeks.  The courts declared that these blockades and occupations were illegal and ordered protesters to reframe from such activities.  In order to carry out the resulting injunctions, the province of Ontario called upon the federal government to provide whatever assistance that it could.  Hence, the invocation of the Emergencies Act on February 14th.   Over two-thirds of Canadians polled approved of the Act’s invocation.

What the Act achieved was to allow all national, provincial and local police services across Canada to collaborate in the removal of illegal blockades and occupations.  Up to then, protesters, often with leadership involving fringe groups, had thumbed their noses at municipal police services.  The Act also went after the funding sources for the protesters’ illegal activities, often provided for by right-wing American sources (U.S.-based crowdfunding websites) initially through GoFundMe and later through GiveSendGo — resulting in millions of dollars worth of support.  More than half of the funding came from American sources, clearly representing foreign involvement in the domestic affairs of Canada.  None of the American mainstream media really caught on to this new phenomenon until GoFundMe froze the funding and the GiveSendGo funding website was hacked into, disclosing several large contributions originating in the U.S.  While the federal government asked Canadian financial institutions to freeze the accounts of the convoy protesters to encourage them to reframe from continuing illegal activities, it was designed to primarily target the accounts of many of the known leaders.  With discontinuation of the powers provided for under the Emergencies Act, the accounts should no longer be frozen for persons reframing from illegal activities.

Indeed, as in any democratic society, the Act was created in 1988 to ensure compliance with Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms and was to used as a last resort in the event of national emergencies.  There is little doubt that its use will be challenged by various groups and certain Conservative provincial governments in the courts.  While there appears to be no similar piece of legislation in the U.S., any suggestion that the Act’s invocation removed the democratic rights of Canadians has be overblown and misunderstood by American mainstream media.  While one can appreciate such a reaction by the so-called “alternate media”, I find the editorials in most U.S. media to be an overreach.  At no time during the Act’s implementation was the “due process” under existing laws not carried out.  Those being charged by the authorities under Canada’s Criminal Code will have their day in court, and many were released with or without bail until their appearance in court.  All the normal judicial processes were carried out under very difficult circumstances.  I would hope that most Americans would support this?

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May 22

The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict Once Again Raises the Issue of Bias in Journalism

by bcurry

Back in February 22, 2019, an opinion article in the Washington Post by Jeremy Littau talked about the five myths of journalism.  One of the myths alluded to is the belief that good journalism must be objective.  However, Littau points out that the press in the past was more often than not openly biased.  Indeed, he points out that The American Press Institute says the public has developed a flawed conception of news objectivity by confusing it with lack of bias.  On the other hand, I have read that some believe that younger journalists tend to be more activist, thereby leading to more overt bias in their coverage of news events.  The very terms that they use to describe or portray these events often illustrate such biases.  Some have even demonstrated evident biases through their personal social media outlets.  This can lead to their dismissal by news outlets as it has on occasion in the U.S.

Nowhere was the nature of journalistic integrity challenged more then during the reporting in both the U.S. and Canada on the recent Palestinian-Israeli conflict.  In some cases, choice phrases were borrowed from implicated groups to describe Israel’s attacks on Gaza, such as “indiscriminate airstrikes”.  The phrases “ethnic cleansing” and “forced expulsions” emerged to describe what is happening in the occupied Palestinian territories, phrases often employed by some human rights groups.  Of course, it didn’t take long to discover that input about the conflict on social media was by far more favourable to the Palestinian cause than to Israeli justification for its military actions.  Heartbreaking videos being released and viewed by millions provided clear evidence of the resulting destruction within Gaza.  Not only did these appear on social media, but many were selectively used by news outlets to describe the scene, especially those depicting injured women and children.  The emotive term “humanitarian disaster”, whether justified or not, was repeatedly used to describe the tragic situation on the ground.  Moreover, one would have to do a more in-depth study to assess whether and how many biases did occur among reputable news outlets.  How were journalists influenced in their accounts and by whom?

As Andrew MacDougall, a communications consultant, pointed out: “It’s one thing for an opinion journalist to make such an incendiary claim; it’s another for a straight-news reporter to do the same.”  Despite what journalism schools may proclaim on the need for objectivity, MacDougall sees younger journalists increasingly identifying themselves as activists as much as they do practitioners of the news craft.  Furthermore, this cohort views journalism as a means to an end, a tool to produce the changes it wishes to seek in society.  There is little doubt that journalists can be influenced by accounts of events on social media, but by how much is another story?  It cannot be easy to maintain objectivity in an era of the me-too generation, Black Lives Matter, indigenous issues, systemic racism against minorities, etc., etc.  Activism is most often encouraged on campuses and its influences upon journalism faculties are just as certain to be found on most campuses.

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Jan 21

Issues Surrounding Daily News Now Being Absorbed Electronically In Bits and Bytes

by bcurry

In 2008, I read an interesting book by Mark Bauerlein entitled “The Dumbest Generation”.  In it, the author discusses how the Digital Age stupefies young Americans, asserting that this jeopardizes our future.  The results may be particularly problematic given that many Canadians, Americans and others get the majority of their local, national and international news through electronic media.  As asserted in the past (Finally the American mainstream media got it right – Oct. 26, 2020) there has been a significant decline in mainstream print media.  There also has been a lot of misinformation and disinformation put out by online sources trying to appear to be reliable sources of news.  Unfortunately, way too much of this situation occurred during the Trump era, as witnessed by conspiracies surrounding the 2020 presidential election and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

How many people really take the time to consult mainstream media outlets in print, on the radio, on television and through the Internet?  When researching a story, I like to have as many facts as possible and sometimes several interpretations of those facts from several reliable sources.  By reliable, I mean that the reports have been vetted a number of times and the dependability of the sources has been confirmed.  Unfortunately, this is frequently not the case with many Internet sources.  In addition, while we all have our opinions about a subject matter, we should try to obtain as many viewpoints as possible before reaching too quickly any immediate conclusions.  Failure to do so leads us to what is referred to as “confirmation bias”.  This is where one attempts to confirm one’s beliefs and viewpoints by selectively seeking out those sources which simply reinforce our preconceptions.

Unfortunately, this is what a lot of extreme right-wing or left-wing proponents do in order to justify their interpretations of news events.  The extreme right has for years festered in a variety of places on the Internet, including 4chan, Parler, Gab, CloutHub, etc., etc.  Of course, then there is the Breitbart News Network (known commonly as Breitbart News) which is an American far-right syndicated news, opinion and commentary website founded in mid-2007.  Breitbart has published a number of falsehoods and conspiracy theories as well as intentionally misleading stories, including claims that Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration supported the ISIS.  Breitbart columnists love to attack The Washington Post and The New York Times as being “the mortal enemy of conservatism” (Joshua Klein, Breitbart, 25 Dec. 2020).  Normally, it is rare for mainstream media to attack another media source in this manner, but not for Breitbart.  Breitbart also spent an inordinate amount on its election news coverage, especially anything dealing with unfounded allegations that the Democrats stole the election from Trump.

More has to be done to alert young people in particular about the need to seek out news from different sources, including mainstream print media.  It is just not good enough to have them be informed by too conveniently accessing bits and bytes.  There is a real danger that they will be influenced by conspiracy theories and could become radicalized in one form or another.  Want to know about historical events, read a book or view documentaries on the History Channel.  Even better, talk to some informed people who actually witnessed the events in real time.  The truth is out there, one only has to take the time and make an effort to find it.

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May 8

Much Ado About Nothing and Today’s Absorb News Coverage

by bcurry

The phrase ‘much ado about nothing’ is of course from William Shakespeare’s play – Much Ado About Nothing.  It appears that this phrase greatly applies to the political and social issues of the day and their related news coverage.  Think about many of the headlines covering news stories today in North America and abroad. Journalists appear to be more interested in the on-going saga of the current American President and a well-known porn star, a rather irrelevant royal marriage in the U.K., the Canadian Prime Minister’s ridiculous sartorial choices while in India, and the usual absurdities displayed during the recent NRA’s national convention.   With so many other much more important issues dominating the international and national scenes, you’d think that news outlets would have much better things to do than sensationalize such negligible events.  Especially since these events don’t really change anything in a meaningful way.

If anything, such events simply provide good fodder for late night comics, talk-show hosts, the tabloids and bloggers. The problem is that the average North American relies on these outlets for the majority of their news — fake or otherwise.  The real important stuff is conveniently hidden away in the back pages of print media.  The problem is also that people selectively choose what they want to hear or read, particularly if it supports their views — referred to as ‘positive reaffirmation’ by psychologists.  Moreover, getting caught up in the banalities of insignificant current events is just another form of escapism and avoidance of the real issues.

Instead, we consciously allow our leaders — political, religious or otherwise — to tell us what we should believe. No questions asked.  Opposite positions and arguments are conveniently provided for us to regurgitate upon command.  As for many of the issues being debated, we’ve been over the same points time and time again.  Maybe this is why there is so much desire for distraction and comic relief in our societies.  Such is the bread and butter for T.V. and radio talk-show hosts.  Just try watching and listening to their ramblings and that of their faithful listeners and you’ll appreciate the points that I’m making.

Let’s not complicate matters. Just give us the simple explanations.  Even better, just entertain us.  After all, Rome’s emperor, the decadent and unpopular Nero, was said to have “fiddled while Rome burned”, although fiddles actually didn’t exist in that era.

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Nov 30

Lost of Community Newspapers Is Sad Day For Free Press

by bcurry

The announcement by the two largest Canadian-based media corporations, Postmedia Network Inc. and Torstar Corp., to close numerous free daily and community newspapers across Canada is certainly a blow to several localities. In the Ottawa region alone, I count up to nine such newspapers on the chopping block. Both companies claim that their deal will result in cost savings and the shut down is primarily due to declines in print advertising revenue.  However, along with several hundred employees loosing their jobs across Ontario, the real pain will be felt by readers within the communities affected. For some, community newspapers offer the main legitimate media source for local news, especially among seniors who may not have access to the Internet or paid dailies.  As most community newspapers are free, they have become an important source of information to those who cannot afford to subscribe to paid dailies or on-line Internet services.

In addition, the existence of a healthy and thriving free press is an essential element of any real democracy. Legitimate media print and other sources provide citizens with information and facts to allow for informed discussion about the issues that affect our communities and nation.  They also provide a real opportunity for the development and training of young journalists and other media staff.  Many young writers who learn to become adult writers got their start in community newspapers.  They have provided a mainstay for education related to investigative journalism, giving the large dailies an inventory of future journalists on the national scale.

Yes, it is estimated that about fifty percent of people get their news, legitimate or fake, from various sources on the Internet. However, a good deal of such news often has not been verified through the traditional means associated with credible and professional journalism.  The news content of such sources cannot be readily verified and the providers cannot really be held accountable.  Their integrity must be questioned, along with the possibility for editorial bias and manipulation of the facts for self-interests.  For the most part, the same cannot be said for legitimate news media, especially in print media.  Who is to hold politicians, organizations, corporations and governments accountable if not the news media?

I’m afraid that the above recent announcement represents another bleak harbinger for the future state of the free press in Canada, and possibly also in the U.S.

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