WELLINGTON COUNTY – From Oct. 6 to 12, newspapers across Canada will celebrate National Newspaper Week.
The awareness campaign recognizes the role newspapers play in providing readers with credible, factual news and to spotlight why newspapers continue to be a trusted source of information that is critical to democracy.
“We remain thankful for a community that embraces our newspaper each week and a staff who work very hard to keep it interesting and informative,” said Advertiser publisher Dave Adsett.
Noting the federal election is less than three weeks away, Adsett said such campaigns are the perfect time to highlight the critical role played by newspapers.
Research from the Canadian Internet Registration Authority found that 70 per cent of Canadians are concerned fake news could impact the outcome of the federal election.
“The fact that Canadians are concerned about fake news and disinformation reinforces the need for media literacy,” states the website for News Media Canada, which represents hundreds of titles across the county.
Carrier day is Oct. 12
Though journalism is the focus of National Newspaper Week, each year the campaign also acknowledges distributors and carriers who bring news to their communities.
This year Carrier Appreciation Day is on Oct. 12.
“Our delivery personnel, totaling more than 175 dedicated individuals – van drivers, rural drivers and walking carriers – are the last link in the chain,” said Advertiser circulation manager Catharine Goss.
“They are out delivering in all types of weather conditions, to ensure that our valued customers receive their newspaper every week.”
When learning during the 2015 federal election that Postmedia (under then-CEO Paul Godfrey) ordered its metro-daily newspapers to editorially endorse and run paid ads on newspaper covers by the incumbent Stephen Harper Conservatives, my disappointment said ‘Say it isn’t so’.
Two years later, upon reading excerpts from Rafe Mair’s 2017 book Politically Incorrect, I was angry.
Within, Mair (the late popular and well-respected B.C. lawyer, politician, journalist and radio host) notes some astonishing quotes by some of Canada’s news-media decision makers.
For example, during a Postmedia presentation, it was stated: “Postmedia and CAPP [Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers] will bring energy to the forefront of our national conversation. Together, we will engage executives, the business community and the Canadian public to underscore the ways in which the energy sector powers Canada.”
To this, Mair himself exclaims, “This is the formula guiding Postmedia as they hold the oil industry’s feet to the fire!”
More recently, though, Postmedia acquired a lobbying firm with close ties to Alberta Premier Jason Kenney in order to participate in the latter’s government’s new $30 million PR “war room” in promoting the interests of Canada’s fossil fuel industry. But the newspaper giant’s apparent bedding with the powerful industry is not news (albeit it’s little known amongst the general population).
I believe that the promotion of massive fossil fuel extraction, even Canada’s very own, should be the last partisan position for a newspaper giant to take.
(Frank Sterle Jr.)