Oh, those cheap-shot journalists

Patrick Corrigan's Sunday Star editorial cartoon depicts Ontario Premier Mike Harris holding Justice Dennis O'Connor's Walkerton report under his left arm featuring the headline: "Shared Blame," while in his right hand he holds another report headed: "All Koebel's Fault." The caption quotes Harris saying: "Yeah well ...I like the leaked version better." That neatly sums up the cheap-shot approach many journalists directed toward Canadian Press reporter Colin Perkel for daring to scoop everybody on Walkerton. Perkel's "leak" -- which, perish the thought, probably involved some diligent journalism on his part -- did not suggest that Walkerton was "All Koebel's fault," something Corrigan might have discovered by reading the third paragraph of his own newspaper's account of Perkel's story, to wit: "A Canadian Press story says the report has found that the two incompetent and dishonest brothers AND (my emphasis) a Conservative government determined to slash spending and red tape were key contributors to the tragedy." On the official report itself, last Saturday's Globe and Mail blackline read: "Harris accepts the blame," leaving the impression -- falsely -- that a) Harris was totally to blame and b) he accepts that fact. The Globe did mitigate this one-sided impression slightly by subheading: "Provincial cuts, Koebel brothers' mismanagement led to tragedy in Walkerton, report concludes." Both the Saturday Post and Sun also went Full Harris in their main headlines, again leaving the impression -- and we all know headlines stick -- that Harris was faulted completely for this tragedy. He wasn't. Neither were the Koebels. Which is what Perkel reported in the first place. On the Thursday leak, the Globe story began on the bottom of page A1 and, like the Star, focused more on knocking Perkel's story down rather than telling readers just what O'Connor had concluded. Andy Barrie, Toronto morning CBC Radio spit collector (to borrow a phrase from former Star man Val Sears), was literally fulminating at Perkel, prompting Globe columnist Michael Valpy, a serial CBC apologist, to write: "The normally sensible Andy Barrie ... icily demanded that Mr. Perkel explain himself, and declare what -- if any -- public purpose his article had served. "About the same public purpose, one would guess, as the half-hourly CBC news broadcasts repeating Mr. Perkel's article," wrote Valpy. Valpy's column was entitled, "How a leak gave rise to so much hot air." Speaking of hot air and Valpy -- sorry, I couldn't help myself -- Valpy's gentle slap at CBCer Barrie did not stop CBC Newsworld from inviting him on the afternoon show Saturday to debate such things as the merits of public versus private laboratory ownership. Perhaps Newsworld viewers might have been told that Valpy, in addition to being a Globe columnist, is also a failed federal NDP candidate from the last election. Not that that disqualifies him from having a view or expressing it, only that it puts his views into context. You can bet a former, say, Alliance candidate, would be identified as such -- in the unlikely event the CBC would ask his opinion. Perkel, by all accounts an extremely competent and respected journalist, sat through the entire Walkerton inquiry -- is writing a book on the tragedy -- and obviously has terrific contacts. Good for him. Isn't that what journalist are supposed to do? Officialdom gets ticked when their plans are foiled by journalistic enterprise, but you'd expect other journalists, while smarting from being beaten, would applaud. Not so in this case, at least not with many of Perkel's fellow practitioners. Don Sellar, The Star's Ombud -- which, by the way, is not a real word -- dutifully bowed to his newspaper's anti-Harris hysteria by speculating -- based on what, we ask? -- that the leak was a Tory plant -- conveniently ignoring the fact that Perkel reported that O'Connor dumped on the Tories as well. Sellar also wrote: "There was also legitimate debate about the dubious journalistic ethics involved in writing the story without the report or direct quotes in hand." Dubious journalistic ethics? Is he serious? Is he suggesting Perkel made it up? Surely not, since the actual report concluded pretty much what Perkel had reported in advance. Or is Sellar ushering in a new Star policy: no more leaks unless the entire document is in hand, complete with direct quotes? Not bloody likely. If so, that will come as a disappointment to every bleeding heart social agency in Canada. There's nothing unethical or "dubious" about Perkel's story. Au contraire. It was a great piece of good, old-fashioned journalism. If it were up to me, Perkel would be the odds-on favorite to win the National Newspaper Award for enterprise reporting. Claire Hoy's e-mail address is sallyclaire@sympatico.com

Oh, those cheap-shot journalists

Globe ‘opened up’ its ‘process of reporting’ on China’s attempted election meddling when it published anonymous source’s op-ed, says Boswell

‘For the people’? Ford’s health cuts show disconnect between rhetoric, reality

O’Connor’s dismissal would ’embattle’ government

Globe ‘opened up’ its ‘process of reporting’ on China’s attempted election meddling when it published anonymous source’s op-ed, says Boswell

How can Ontario achieve net zero, with greater energy reliability and resilience? Roadmap to a clean energy future

Broadening access to digital services for Canadians through secure verification and authentication

Members of new tech caucus pledge to work across party lines so Parliamentarians aren’t ‘left in the dark’ by rapidly advancing AI

Feds turn to offshore oil regulators as ‘experienced hands’ to oversee offshore wind industry

Smith’s win ‘complicates’ climate change debate for Ottawa, but Trudeau may gain from provincial sparring partner, say observers

Resuming Saudi ambassadorial link gives Canada increased access, chance to focus on trade and investment: experts

Who should know what at core of opposition leaders’ refusal to look at top-secret annex

Neither O’Neill nor Citizen has uttered a correction or an apology

If Parliament and police owed Arar a public apology, some journalists do too for their part in damaging his reputation

If Parliament and police owed Arar a public apology, some journalists do too for their part in damaging his reputation

RCMP didn’t question reporters on Arar leaks

What made Canadian newsrooms tear a page out of the Police Gazette in coverage of Stronach?

News

Get free news updates

Opinion

Submit a guest opinion article

resources

Advertise

subscribe

get help

Oh, those cheap-shot journalists

Become a Political Insider