Free press, without government subsidy, is the best solution
Re: “Support for Canadian journalism shouldn’t come in the form of a cheque,” (The Hill Times, March 7, p. 8). Bravo! Your stance on government support is laudable, especially the concluding paragraph: “People can tout free speech, but the government doesn’t have to fund your right to say anything. And the same goes for the media. […]
Government support for Canadian journalism shouldn’t come in the form of a cheque
The Liberals’ third federal budget followed through on rumours the financial plan would include support for the media. In the days leading up to the budget, The Toronto Star said the feds were going to be doling out $50-million to community media projects, which came to pass when the document was tabled on Feb. 27. […]
Former Senator Bert ‘Determination’ Brown dies
Former Conservative Alberta Senator Bert Brown died at the age of 79, the CBC reported Feb. 14. “Saddened to hear about the passing of Bert Brown, a proud Albertan and Canadian. I admired and respected Bert and his passion for public service—always striving to make a positive difference. Thoughts are with his family and many […]
Kinsella’s ‘affidavits’ column prompts speculation, PM, party leaders asked about sexual conduct as #MeToo hits the Hill
In response to some criticism that he fanned the flames of Ottawa’s rumour mill in a column he penned featuring a sensational story of a “very powerful” politician who used affidavits to silence victims, Warren Kinsella says his assertions are true and he received so much reaction from people because they’ve heard “similar allegations.” “I […]
‘I loved her to bits,’ Rosaleen Dickson knew how to tell a story
Rosaleen Dickson, who helped her son Ross Dickson start The Hill Times back in 1989 and was the editor of The Shawville Equity for more than 30 years, died last week at the age of 96 in Ottawa. I loved her to bits. She could be a tyrant but always had time for people who needed […]
The Post: a brilliant reminder of what democracy looks like
Of all the things the Steven Spielberg Pentagon Papers drama The Post is, a period piece isn’t one of them. Yes, it’s set in 1971. Yes, there are shots of hot metal typesetting and everyone’s smoking their heads off. Newsrooms were noisy and at Georgetown dinner parties, the women, including Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham, peeled off in a […]
Hold the last rites, Scheer’s got a pulse
OTTAWA—Compared to our southern neighbours, we are blessed these days to have predictable patterns in our national politics. One of those familiar routines is to have columnists and others write the obituary of the opposition leader of the day. If the Conservatives lead the official Opposition, it is almost certain such pronouncements will appear not […]
Women on the Hill should band together as united front against sexual harassment
The Canadian Press last week reported on results from a survey it conducted last month with current female MPs from every party, in which it asked them anonymously to share their own experiences about sexual harassment, assault, and misconduct, including during their time in elected office. Of the 89 female MPs, 38 responded. The MPs […]
A sign of the times: press gallery members say constitutional changes ensure ‘people don’t fall through the cracks’
Hill journalists, freelancers, and online news organizations will have an easier time getting accredited with the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery if proposed changes pass, aimed at addressing the fractured media landscape and updating the gallery’s constitution which was written before the 24-hour news channels and before the internet. The press gallery’s updated constitution will also […]
Trump and TV: why we’re still amusing ourselves to death
The late Neil Postman, who was arguably the intellectual heir of Marshall McLuhan, was one of the most articulate critics of television. In his 1985 book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, Postman wrote of the decline in the American thirst for knowledge and the written word, and laid it at the doorstep of television: “There is […]
