Some thoughts on “Fox News North”

I did an interview last night with Rob Breakenridge of Calgary’s AM770 on Quebecor/Sun Media’s new “Fox News North” television network, so I thought I’d share my thoughts on the subject here as well.

You know, if having a national news network run by Stephen Harper’s former communications director means I never have to ever listen to another Conservative drag out the tired canard of the so-called “Liberal media” then I think this whole Fox News North thing might just be worth it. Frankly, I thought they’d give up that sad persecution complex when they sent Mike Duffy to patronage heaven to become the most partisan shill the Senate has seen in years, but I underestimated their lack of bashfulness at making ridiculous arguments that fly in the face of all logic (my mistake, really).

But seriously, say what you will about Quebecor and Sun Media, but they’re businesspeople and they're not dumb. Launching a new news network requires a significant investment in infrastructure, resources and talent and I’m sure they’ve done their homework. They must have done the research and come to the conclusion there’s a sound business case here.

I’ll admit, I’m sceptical though. This would be the third national news network for Canada (sorry ROBTV, you don’t count) after CBC Newsworld and CTV Newsnet. I think all those networks have changed their names, but I don’t really watch them often enough to keep up. The CBC couldn’t afford chairs for awhile, I do remember that. Peter Mansbridge isn’t getting any younger, guys.

We’re not the United States though, which is able to (barely, I think) support CNN, Fox News and MSNBC. Canada has a fraction of the population and the advertising revenue to support three networks and there are only so many Alpacas to be farmed, and only so many times Patrick can take out life insurance.

I also don’t believe we’re as conservative a country as the U.S., so I wonder how much of an audience this network will hold once the novelty wears off. And, frankly, setting out to design a network with a particular bias seems silly to me. I have to wonder, just how interesting would it be?

If you like having your worldview constantly reinforced, if you never want your opinions or assumptions to be challenged, then conservatives may enjoy such a network. Fox South certainly has an audience; it’s an undeniable business success. But for me, I certainly can’t speak for all Liberals, but I’d find it boring never being challenged in my beliefs. I like a little intellectual stimulation; it’s good for the soul, and for my beliefs. And I don’t think echo chambers make for particularly compelling television either.

I also reject the premise this network seems founded on, that a liberal media bias permeates the rest of the press. I’ve been a journalist for over 10 years now (not covering politics obviously, but the IT industry) and I can say with some authority the only thing most journalists are biased towards is a good story. Bad for Liberals, Conservatives, Natural Law, they don’t care if it will get the ratings.

I get pissed off at the media all the time for alleged conservative bias. Often the same media my conservative friends complain about being liberally biased. Which either means those media outlets are just giving it to all as deserved and we're both wrong, or they're just really, really crappy and we're both right.

But as a journalist, I’m perhaps not as hostile to this new network as some of my progressive brethren may be. The media is hurting in this country; the profession of journalism is hurting. So if Quebecor wants to invest millions of dollars to hire journalists and build a new media organization, I view that as a positive. Jobs for journalist = good.

I think designing it with a bias is silly, but whatever happens on the op/ed side of the network, if they keep hiring respected professionals like David Akin on the journalism side of the house – and give them the freedom to do what they do well -- then I’m confident some real journalism will be happening there, and we do need more real journalism in Canada. I think that opinion/news wall will be the thing to watch going forward though.

So I say welcome our new Conservative television overlords. And at the end of the day, in the best of conservative theory and dogma, the market will decide the value of Fox News North. Either it will prove a viable business model, or it won’t, so I say let the market decide. And unlike Conrad Black, I don’t think Pierre Karl Péladeau is a fan of losing money for ideological reasons. If there’s no market, this new network will become Keith Olbermanized pretty quickly.

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Video: Turning the camera on the media at Canada at 150

Here at Canada at 150, the accredited bloggers have been given media passes and we're embedded with the infamous mainstream media, attending the press conferences and hanging-out in the back of the room on media row. It's been interesting talking to the journalists about their impressions of the conference, and how they cover things like this.

I thought it would be interesting to turn my camera on the media, and ask a few of the journalists here what they think the Liberals need to get out of the Canada at 150 conference this weekend. That's the question I put in this video to CanWest's David Akin, CP's Joan Bryden and the National Post/Calgary Herald's Don Martin.

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Absurdity in 140 characters or less

CanWest journalist David Akin is using Twitter to report on Member's Statements in the House of Commons, and I think Twitter's 14o-character limit, by requiring brevity, really serves to help make clear the sheer absurdity of the Conservative attacks.

This one today, reporting a statement from CPC MP Laurie Hawn, is my fav:

#HOC Con MP Laurie Hawn Upset that Bob Rae wasn't upset that Russia kicked out Cdn diplomats. Accuses Libs of siding with the Russians.

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You still shouldn't get old in an opposition riding

Canwest journalist David Akin is tracking government spending via his Twitter feed with the tag #ottawaspends, and there seems to be one inescapable pattern that's emerging: when your parents are ready to retire, ship them off to a Conservative riding.

Akin counts eight press releases on Monday from the government touting $426,554 for seniors programs -- all in ridings held by Conservative MPs.

Among the highlights:

*St. Catharines $19,700 Drawing and painting classes for seniors.
*Mount Forest $32,473 Lawn bowling club and Thames Valley Residents Assn.

Eight announcements, 100 per cent in Conservative ridings? This follow's Akin's report last week that of 32 grants to seniors groups since Feb. 17. only one went to a non-Conservative riding.

Now, of course governing parties always fether their own nests a little. Frankly, what offends me more is that the Conservatives are doing such a half-assed job of even pretending not to just be shovelling pork to their own MPs. Is a little more finesse to much to ask for?

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Bless you, David Akin

Hey, Joan Bryden! Go read David Akin. Right now.

The rest of you probably should too.

You're welcome.

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On the Conservative, the arts and Quebec

It was Quebec that denied Stephen Harper's Conservatives his majority in the last election, and it was Conservative hostility towards and cuts to the arts that played a big factor in their poor showing in the province.

Lesson learned? We'll see, there has been some damage control done on the arts file by the government certainly, but I find this tweet from Canwest journalist David Akin to be possibly telling:

He posted an update a few minutes later:

So, at least the Conservatives have one French speaker there. Seems odd not to have a francophone Quebecer though. Given the obvious sensitivity of the issue in Quebec, and with Quebec artists testifying, you know there's going to be media play in Quebec tonight, so why not have someone there? Maxime Bernier is an associate committee member, he'd have done the trick.

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