Thank you for our media

It never ceases to amaze me how insular our society is becoming.


More and more, people across Canada are seeking out and listening only to media outlets that agree with their particular viewpoint. Whether people are “right” or “Left”, there are media they watch or read because those outlets “tell the truth” and paragons of virtue. And, of course, those “other” media are the embodiment of the devil!

All too often this insularity is coupled with a lack of discernment. People readily believe something these days because they saw it on YouTube, or read about it on someone’s Twitter account. There is no fact-checking. There is no questioning. There is no thoughtful discourse. Only condemnation of those who hold alternative  views.

I just finished taping another episode of Behind the Story a one hour public affairs show on the CTS network (see it Sunday night at 7 pm EST; or go to the CTS website online viewer) and it always amazes me and impresses me how many good journalists there are in newspapers and broadcast outlets across Canada.

And by good I mean concerned, informative, intelligent and insightful.

We covered a variety of topics on the show—from the firing of US General McChrystal to the G8/G20 meetings in Toronto, to the Vatican’s approval of the Blues Brothers and disapproval of Lady Gaga. Eclectic topics yes, but typical of this show’s broad range of discussion. The show tries to look behind the media coverage of such stories rather than discuss the stories themselves; how well (or poorly) was the news item covered, and were there any holes missing in the story?

We are lucky to live in a country where our media can cover all manner of news events. But we are also lucky to live in a country where we can ourselves question the media and its interpretations or bias (real or imagined). For those of us who make a living with words, these are important blessings that we far too often slough off as trifling.

Try explaining that attitude to those who live in countries where such freedom to communicate does not exist!

Does this mean I agree with everything another guest says on the programme? Or that they agree with me? No, but the show does demonstrate something that sadly is too often missing in today’s society—respect for opposing viewpoints.

I guess there will always be those who disparage The Star or CBC for being “liberal leftwing hot beds”, or those who rail against the Toronto Sun or National Post for their “right-wing demagoguery”. The fact of the matter is that all of them are doing a good job in difficult times of gleaning fact from fiction, right from wrong and truth from lies. We may not always agree with their conclusions or perspectives, but thank God they exist. Canada is a better place for them and its time we started drinking from the opposing cups once in a while. It might even be good for us