SOS From the Republic of CanWest:
Media Tactics Interfere with Federal Election Outcomes, Canadian Unity, and Canadian Identity
By Keetah Bryant
Allow me to introduce our “leaders”, Leonard, David, and Gale Asper, inheritants of the late Izzy Asper’s media empire. According to the Manitoba Calling Magazine, this trio is “the second generation to lead the CanWest Global Corp., a company perfectly willing to conquer the media world from it’s Winnipeg headquarters”. Their self-stated mission? “If you can watch it, read it, or download it, we want to be the source.” The photo accompanying the article is equally ambitious; three polished faces, beaming with the light rays that stream out
from behind a globe, which is interestingly nestled between the three of them. “Think big”, is the oversized caption.
The CanWest Global Media giant hasn’t succeeded in taking over the world yet, but they have brutally taken over the British Columbian media. This has been accomplished through blatant censorship, restricting contribution of content to select Asper-approved individuals, and restricting represented ideologies in all their media, with what are commonly referred to by the suppressed as “Aspertorials”. These actions, are purposefully and directly related to a precise political and economic agenda, which puts corporate interests above all else. This
is best illustrated by the involvement of CanWest Global’s corporate elite, the players, in their exclusive circles of capital, politics, and control. This corporate agenda will be best served by a Conservative majority in the House of Commons, with Stephen Harper as the Prime Minister.
CanWest Global, and anyone else who has a background in social psychology know, covert and
intentional manipulation of the masses is possible. Through a series of tactical endeavors on the part of the individual,( in this case, a corporation is an individual as well), one can change the behavior and beliefs of others, even on a mass scale.
Evidence for this tactical manipulation can be found in the media proliferation of polls and their respective interpretations, most of which are of a questionable source. It’s evident in the inaccuracy and lack of representativeness in CanWest Global’s media content. Manipulation is obvious in the one-sided opinions that appear in all papers across British Columbia, and flow out of the lips and off the keyboards of CanWest’s journalists across the country. This ultimately functions to restrict the flow of accurate, representative communication between British Columbia and the rest of Canada. Ethical journalists, seasoned writers, scholarly
professionals, ethnic communities, even entire publications are screaming over here, but no one in the rest of Canada can hear us. We are shut out from participating in our local media. No one can hear our complaints over the din being created by CanWest Global’s proclamations across the nation, the strategic and ubiquitous shouts and whispers of pre-election “evidence” , all pointing to a Conservative victory on January 23, 2006.
The Republic of CanWest: Media Takeover in British Columbia
It wasn’t always like this here in British Columbia - seasoned journalists from the area can remember better times. Some would say the changes began when the Fraser Institute (which has the reputation around here as being a right-wing think tank) was born out of the generosity of MacMillan Bloedell, who seemed to be having trouble with BC’s NDP government, back in 1974. Others feel that 2000 was the fatal year, with whisperings of aCanWest’s purchase blowing around in the summer, and ending in fall of that year with the highly-publicized and equally controversial CanWest Global purchase of Conrad Black’s $3.2 billion dollar newspaper chain, Hollinger’s.
Israel Asper, founder of the media giant, handed the reins of the company over to his son Leonard at this time, and Leonard’s been leading the way ever since. Just a year after Leonard became CEO and president, CanWest Global achieved national recognition as the top TV network for prime time. When questioned about the Hollinger purchase in a television interview, Israel Asper explained, “When we bought... we intended to make our point of view heard. That’s one of the joys of being a publisher-in-chief...” Even back in 1991, when Izzy acquired 20% of TV3 in New Zealand, he made his position clear. A paragraph from James Winter’s article, “Canada’s Media Monopoly” explains:
Izzy Asper gathered 200 employees of the station in the cafeteria and astounded them by asking a journalist, “You. What business do you think you’re in?”The journalist replied that “the business we’re in is to make sure our audience gets the most carefully researched news and information possible.” Asper asked the same question of the drama andentertainment departments, and got similar answers.
“You’re all wrong,” he told them. “You’re in the business of selling soap.
CanWest Global’s holdings in British Columbia are vast, and account for over 90% of the daily
newspaper circulation in this province. The holdings encompass a large number of small weekly and bi-weekly papers that circulate in the Lower Mainland and on the Island, and are delivered to homes all over the province, free of charge. The following is a list of publications, owned and controlled by CanWest Global here in British Columbia: National Post, The Vancouver Sun, Vancouver Province, Victoria Times-Colonist, Alberni Valley Times,
Nanaimo Daily News, Westerly News (Port Alberni), Pennyworth Shopper (Port Alberni), Burnaby Now, New Westminster Record, Surrey Now, Langley Advance, Abbotsford Times, Chilliwack Times, Maple Ridge Times, Coquitlam Now, Richmond News, Delta Optimist , Vancouver Courier Eastside, Vancouver Courier Downtown, Vancouver Courier Westside, North Shore News, Campbell River Courier Island, Comox Valley Echo, Cowichan Valley Citizen.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with BC, and cannot conceptualize the expanse of this corporate media empire, get out a map and see for yourself - the reality is staggering.
It didn’t take long for non-partisan, ethical journalists to feel the heaviness of the Asper hand that inevitably came along with the Hollinger purchase - it was either bend or bail. The grumblings in the journalistic community could be heard shortly after ownership transferred hands, and only heightened with CanWest Global’s takeover and “clean-up” at the National Post shortly thereafter. Chronicles of dissent and suppression from outside the stronghold
CanWest Global of course, has holdings outside of British Columbia. However, because those
publications are located in areas where journalists have access to other newspapers that aren’t owned by CanWest, their voices are audible. The following chronology gives a brief overview of the concerns that were expressed by the audible voices in ethical journalism, outside the province of BC.
- July, 2001 - Lawrence Martin, a relentless critic of Jean Cretien (a long-time friend of Israel Asper), was fired from his national affairs column.
- August 2001 - The board of editorial contributors is disbanded at the Montreal Gazette. On this board sits the chairman of the Muslim Council of Montreal, Salam Elmenyawi. He is told he is welcome to submit several articles a year, but hears no response on his submissions. When interviewed by the Globe in December, he was quoted as saying, “I don’t think I’ll be writing anything for the Gazette anymore. I suspect the Muslim approach and point of view is no longer welcome.”
- September 2001 - Michael Goldbloom jumps ship at the Montreal Gazette, after seven years tenure, saying in no uncertain terms the move is due to the change in ownership, and the direction that CanWest Global is taking.
- November 2001 - Peggy Curran writes a critical column on a CBC documentary about the treatment of journalists in Israeli territories. The column is first held, and then followed by a re-write order.
- December 2001 - CanWest’s decree for “national editorials” is denounced by Montreal Gazette journalists, and is met with a formal letter of disapproval, bearing 77 signatures. CanWest media does not cover the story. Instead, CanWest Global issues a gag order and a warning to Montreal Gazette employees. It then extends the gag order to all print and broadcast newsrooms in Canada.
- January 2002 - Stephen Kimber, a 20-year veteran with the Halifax Daily News, quits after CanWest Global kills his column that criticizes the company policies. Colleague Stephanie Domet, also has her column that supported Kimber spiked. She too, quits. Kimber is quoted as saying the Aspers view their newspapers as “promotional vehicles for their television network” and as “private, personal pulpits from which to express their views”. Kimber’s article was subsequently published in the Globe and Mail, where he wrote, “The Aspers support the federal Liberal party. They’re pro-Israel. They think rich people like themselves deserve tax breaks. They support privatizing health care delivery. And they believe their newspapers...should agree with them.” In this same month, David Asper is quoted in the Toronto Sun, describing journalists as “bleeding hearts” committed to the “ongoing pathetic politics of the Canadian left.”Donald Cuthland, an Aboriginal journalist, has his column in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix spiked due to it’s “historical inaccuracy”. Although he’s been an active columnist of the Phoenix for 10 years, the unofficial verdict on his work is that it was to “anti-Israel”.Vince Carlin, chair of the school of journalism at Ryerson University in Toronto is quoted by the Washington Post. “You can fit everyone who controls significant Canadian media in my office. This is not a healthy situation.”
- March 2002 - The Regina-Leader Post suspends/reprimands 10 journalists for their by-line withdrawal protest of censorship. The International Federation of Journalists accuses CanWest of victimizing young journalists who defendprofessional standards. In a press release, the IFJ states: “If this had happened in Eastern Europe 15 years ago there would have been widespread protests from media owners and journalists’ groups. The issues today are no different - the fight for editorial freedom and protection from censorship.”
- April 2002 - Bill Turpin, editor for 16 years at the Halifax Daily News, resigns. This decision was most influenced by the experiences of his former colleague, Stephen Kimber. Bill Turpin admits to spiking Kimber’s article at editor-in-chief Murdoch Davis’ request. He publicly admits his regret over the decision, and resigns.
- May 2002 - William Marsden participates in a public debate about media concentration in Canada. He is issued an official warning, which cites Montreal Gazette and CanWest Global gag orders.
- June 2002 - Russell Mills is fired from the Ottawa Citizen - he has been publisher there since 1986. David Asper fires him after he runs a series of articles on Jean Cretien, calling for him to resign. Mills files a wrongful dismissal suit, and settles out of court with the Aspers for an undisclosed amount. Russell Mill’s replacement at the Citizen has the job title “General Manager”.British Columbia: The voice of the outcasts
Mazen Chouaib of the Globe and Mail has a piece on CanWest’s vilification of Muslims on adbusters’ CanWest watch website. The webpage www.adbusters.org/metas/corpo/canwestwatch is loaded with strong language, relevant thoughts, and plans for revenge and exposure. The intent is expressed, to buy a full-page ad in
the Globe and Mail, detailing the media monopoly that has occurred here in British Columbia, where adbusters is based. Problem is, the ad will cost $60,000 and collections to date will only cover a fraction of the cost. Due to it’s relatively recent appearance on the magazine scene, and some would even say extremist content, circulation of the bi-monthly publication isn’t that large, an indication that hopes of penetrating the CanWest bubble aren’t going to materialize any time soon. In the meantime, adbusters website suggests “jamming” CanWest’s
newspaper boxes. If you have any better ideas on how to stick it to CanWest, you can e-mail tess@adbusters.org.
The corporate directors of CanWest have remained relatively unchanged since 2000, although the media landscape and it’s inherent purpose, flexes and bends beneath their influence. Israel Asper died in October of 2003, leaving the Asper legacy to his three children, and the corporate board he helped assemble. The annual shareholders meeting for CanWest Global was held on January 12 of this year, where the nominees for the board were essentially the same as they were before, with just a few minor changes. The yearly agenda also called for the reappointment of PriceWaterhouse, a long-standing partner, to continue performing the corporation’s audits.
The Players: CanWest Global’s Current Heads of State
Who makes up the rules, establishes policy, and goals for CanWest Global Communications Corp.? Although the Asper trio hold the lion’s share of CanWest Global’s worth, there are other integral members of the corporation, like the corporate officers and board members, who also have a stake in the future growth of the corporation. The mandates, the goals, the purpose of a corporation are all determined by the members of the board and the corporate officers, whether this corporation is a media provider or otherwise. To ensure the agenda of the corporation is met, the board members have direct and influential contact with their “ground troops”, the people that actually run the business, create and distribute the product. In this case, the “ground troops” happen to be newspaper editors, journalists, and pollsters. Let’s take a quick look at who all these essential and influential people are:Leonard J. Asper, President and CEO
Leonard received his Undergraduate degree from the University of Boston, and later his law degree from the University of Toronto. He believes that big cities are not ideal places to live and thrive, and as such makes his home in River Heights, an exclusive neighborhood in Winnipeg. His wife Sue, and daughters Sarah and Olivia, enjoy boating from the family estate to The Forks when they can. When he’s not busy boating or attending to his empire, Leonard supports a variety of community organizations through his own personal foundation, which
apparently assists immigrants, aboriginal people, children, and abused women to name a few.
David A. Asper, Executive Vice President & Chairman, The National Post Company
David earned his law degree in San Diego, and has spent time in New York, Australia, Ireland and England, even living in London for two years. He also resides in the exclusive River Heights community of Winnipeg, with his wife Ruth and their three children. They are apparently active members of the River Heights Community Center.
Gail S. Asper, Corporate Secretary
Gale’s activities are primarily of a charitable nature, as she chairs the United Way campaign in Winnipeg
and co-chairs the Manitoba Theatre Center’s fundraising campaign. She has 2 sons with her husband, Dr. Michael
Patterson, who is a research scientist.
Dr. Lloyd I. Barber, Board Member
Dr. Barber taught commerce at the University of Saskatchewan between 1955 and 1976. In 1964-65, he
was a member of the Saskatchewan Royal Commission on Government Administration. As Indian Land Claims
Commissioner from 1969 to 1977, Lloyd Barber is known in his circles for his commitment to Aboriginals. He
received the nation’s highest civilian honor in 1993, the Companion of the Order of Canada. Along with his board
membership at CanWest Global, Dr. Barber is the current President Emeritus at the University of Regina, he is the
Director of Teck Cominco Ltd., Greystone Capital Management, and sits on the board of trustees at Fording Canadian Coal Trust.
Derek H. Burney, Board Member
At 66, Derek Burney is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of New Brunswick Power Corp. He is also visiting Professor and Senior Distinguished Fellow at Carleton University. He is currently the Lead Director at Shell Canada Ltd. and TransCanada Pipelines, Ltd. He is Chairman of the Confederation College Foundation and a Fellow at the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute. Previous to all his current obligations, Mr. Burney has been CEO of CAE Inc. (1999-2000), Chairman and CEO of Bell Canada International, Inc. (1993-1999), and Canadian Ambassador to the United States (1989-1983). From March 1987 to January 1989, Mr.Burney was
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s CEO, and was directly involved in the negotiation of the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement. He was Mr. Mulroney’s personal representative in the preparations for Houston (1990), London (1991) and Munich (1992) G-7 Economic Summits. His book, a memoire on his government service called “Getting is Done” was published in 2005 by McGill-Queen’s. Ronald J. Daniels, Board Member. A recent appointment to the board, and a recently named 28th Provost at the University of Pennsylvania, Ronald is probably best known for his various publications and active involvement in public policy formation. A Penn News
article from April of 2005 gives us the inside scoop: “At 45, he is an internationally accomplished scholar, who specializes in corporate and securities law, regulation and government reform, and the legal and institutional challenges of economic development.” Ronald is the editor/author of titles like, “Rethinking the Welfare State: The Prospects for Government By Voucher”, and “Corporate Decision-Making in Canada”, among others.
He really put himself on the map “in the wake of 9/11 [when] he spearheaded a major international conference at the University of Toronto focusing on the federal government’s proposed anti-terrorism legislation.” He later published a book on the conference proceedings, published by the University of Toronto, entitled “The Security of Freedom”. It was given to every Member of Parliament.
Frank King, Board Member
As President and CEO of Metropolitan Investment Corporation, and Director of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Frank King is a busy man, and a relatively recent addition to this Players Club. On the Agrium management team since 1996, Frank manages to find time to direct Acclaim Energy Inc., Networc Health Inc., The Westaim Corporation, and Wi-Lan Inc. He is also a Trustee of Rio-Can Real Estate Investment Trust. Agrium happens to be a leading global producer of nitrogen fertilizers, and is a major retail supplier of agricultural
products (seeds, chemicals, fertilizers) and services in both North America and Argentina. Although Agrium’s headquarters are in Calgary, Alberta, it owns and operates 18 retail farm centers in Argentina.
Lisa Pankratz (CA/CFA), Board Member
Director and President of Cundill Investment Research Ltd., Lisa is also the CCO for all the operating companies comprising the Cundill Group. Since July 2001, Lisa has been the Director for the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. She has worked as an investment banker with Banker’s Trust and Swiss Bank Corporation, and was a Senior Manager at Ernst and Young in Toronto between 1985-1993.
Backgrounders and Ground Troops: The Enforcement Team in BC
As previously mentioned, a successful corporation has intimate command of their ground troops, and may even have allies in the background, assisting with the corporate agenda. Here’s a few profiles on some of CanWest Global’s ground troops:Frank McKenna, Canadian Ambassador to the United States
Former Chairman of the Board at CanWest Global, Frank had to abandon his corporate friends for an appointment made by Paul Martin in January of 2005, to the position of Canadian Ambassador to the United States. In a farewell speech to the shareholders in Toronto, on January 27, McKenna reassured “the Board and the controlling family” that he would “still be serving the shareholders of th[e] company, but in a totally different way”. Previous to this prestigious appointment, Frank had been on the following boards: United Parcel Services
of Canada Ltd., BMO Financial Group, General Motors of Canada, Marsh Canada Ltd., Noranda, and Zenon Environmental Inc. According to an article published in the Georgia Strait (January 2005) by charlie smith. These companies, including CanWest Global, donated a combined total of $1,203,555.83 to both Paul Martin’s leadership campaign and to the federal liberals as a whole since 1998. McKenna also sat on the Carlyle Canada advisory board with former US Defense Secretary Frank Carlucci and former US Secretary of State, James A. Baker III., previous to his January 2005 appointment. The Carlyle group, based in Washington DC is notorious for it’s dealings in armaments, ammunitions, and products of war.
Daniel Savas, Sr. Vice President of Ipsos-Reid Corporation, Vancouver
Savas has been busy in Vancouver for a long time, working extensively at the Fraser Institute, and with the Angus-Reid Group. Kyle Braid is the mouthpiece of Ipsos-Reid Vancouver, and can be found interpreting polls in the Vancouver Sun more often than some would consider necessary. Both Braid and Savas are frequent faces in the Vancouver/British Columbia big business circle. In March of 2003, Daniel even gave a lecture on corporate responsibility at the Vancouver Board of Trade’s Leadership Summit Series. His lecture, called “Doing Good
Means Doing Well”, detailed the various economic advantages to building trust with one’s customers - the last reason he cited was “the feel good factor” which was related to corporate honesty.. The majority of his speech was devoted to convincing attendees that image maintenance is an important factor in overall economic success. (The entire speech can be viewed at www.boardoftrade.com/vbot_speech.)
Dennis Skulsky, President and Publisher, The Vancouver Sun
Dennis joined the Pacific Newsgroup in 1996, while it was still under the Hollinger umbrella, and occupied various corporate management positions for Southam Inc., a holding of Conrad Black. He is currently the Director for the Business Council of British Columbia and the Vancouver Board of Trade. He sits on various boards, including the Vancouver Fireworks Society, The International Newspaper Marketing Association, and The Canadian Newspaper Association. Rumors have been flying around that he might be leaving his post at Vancouver
Sun to head up Orca Bay Sports, which is owned by Francesco Aquilini and Seattle billionaire John McCaw. Skulsky has ruffled a few feathers at the Tyee, and Donald Gutstein can’t help but point out some of Skulsky’s more questionable alliances, primarily his publication’s alliance with Telus. Partners in the Fireworks Festival Society, and partners in other ways too it seems, Gutstein points out that Telus spends large advertising dollars with Skulsky. Interstingly, Skulsky’s publication conveniently neglected to mention much of anything on
the Telus Worker’s Union and their request for a fair collective bargaining agreement. Statistic on Vancouver Sun circulation, and access to the Vancouver Sun online can be found at www.canada.com, also owned by CanWestGlobal Corp.
Kirk LaPointe, Managing Editor, The Vancouver Sun
Kirk is the former Senior Vice-President of CTV, Vancouver’s only local alternative to CanWest Global’s local stations. Previous to this, he was Associate Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Hamilton Spectator. He also worked as Executive Editor of the National Post after CanWest took it over entirely, helping to launch the daily national paper. Previous to his dedicated work with CanWest Global, LaPointe worked as a journalist and host for
a number of CBC Newsworld programs (1989-1995). While working at the CBC in 1991, Kirk was also Ottawa Bureau Chief and News Editor with The Canadian Press. After his stint with CP and CBC, he moved on to Editor-in-Chief and General Manager of Southam News, under Conrad Black. Today, Kirk can be found lecturing on his successes and his methods at the University of British Columbia’s school of journalism. Interestingly, Kirk’s employer gave the UBC school of journalism a fat installment of cash, following the supportive testimony of Donna Logan, the head of the school, provided to the Senate inquiry. He sits on the Board of the Center for Faith and the Media, and is a member as well.
Marlyn Graziano, Group Editor for CanWest Mediaworks Publications, Inc.
Marlyn used to be an editor at the Surrey Now in British Columbia, one of the small, local bi-weekly papers. Now she ensures the content of all the little bi-weeklies that CanWest owns here in British Columbia fall in line with the notion of one company, one editorial position.
When in doubt, when the Asper ideology needs some sort of promotion (or when she herself needs some sort of promotion), she appears in the local papers as a “guest editorial” writer. Most recently she appeared in the Surrey Now, in a guest editorial that served to disparage Gilles Duceppe, his ideas, and his presence at the national leadership debate.
From the Mouths of Horses: The Agenda of the CanWest Global Communications Corp. (in their own words)
“Big media are very good , there’s no connection between cross-media ownership and declining journalism, and convergence so far has been profoundly positive” - Kirk LaPointe.
(Originally quoted byGutstein in the Tyee. Response made during questioning by Senator Fraser and her colleagues during a 2005 inquiry into the concentration of declining diversity in Vancouver’s news media).
“The Company is unique among Canadian media companies in looking for growth beyond Canada’s borders and thereby developing an asset base and business structure that leaves the company less exposed to the ups and downs of Canadian economic cycles.”
-The Honorable Frank McKenna P.C., Q.C (closing remarks at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, CanWest Global Communications Corp. Toronto, Ontario. January 27,2003)
Select quotes from Leonard Asper’s speech, “Inventing the Future”, to The Canadian Club, Ottawa,
December 17, 2002“Our detractors come from our competitors, the CBC, the Globe & Mail, and the Toronto Star and their minions and proxies, aided by disgruntled current and former employees and by the exhortations of anti-business academics. They just can’t come to terms with the notion that the media is a business and that owners of those businesses must treat them as such in order to attract capital...”
“And a few, disgruntled and opportunistic journalists who have been the subject of editing for many years long before CanWest came along, will no doubt continue to abuse the word ‘censorship” and thereby gain their 15 minutes of fame. It has been so successful for Stephen Kimber that now last week two journalists at the New York Times are claiming that the editing of their articles is ‘censorship’. I guess we no longer need editors, because they’re all just censors.”
“Professors at some of our journalism schools are repeating their 30 year refrain about the evils of media concentration.”
“Channel brand awareness will be increasingly important...Newspapers will continue to make the switch to a pay for use model for Internet-delivered content. The free ride is ending. Some content will remain free, but enhanced or premium content will be available only for a fee.”
“Peer to peer file sharing for video data is the greatest threat to the industry of all, because it could ‘Napsterize” traditional media... the wireless devices can all perform the simple task of transferring unauthorized material, much like one forwards an e-mail today.”
“Advertisers in general are demanding better targeting, and they also want to know how the recipient of that ad responded. Newspapers do this already too, in a crude way, by delivering different sets of flyers and inserts to different postal codes.”
“We are like the general contractor working with the designer and the architect, not the painter or the carpenter, hoping to get hired after all the material decisions have been made... We do this all in the face of daunting regulatory hurdles. While I am pleased to discuss the state of our industry it cannot be done in isolationof the regulatory infrastructure.”
“We are trying to gain the right to advertise prescription pharmaceuticals. CBS and CNN and NBC beam these commercials to Canadian homes... but Canadian broadcasters and newspapers cannot do so. This prohibits an estimated $300 million of revenue from reaching Canadian media companies.”
“We are in support of consumer choice as long as the opportunities and obligations are the same for all parties.”
“By introducing a national newscast reaching almost 900,000 people nightly, more that either of CBC’s national newscasts... CanWest has made an overwhelming contribution and added a refreshing and clearly popular new voice to the Canadian media landscape.”
“We are busy preparing for the future, and doing it the best way we know how - by inventing it”.
(You can view the entirety of this speech online at the Canadian Club of Ottawa website
Select Quotes from David Asper’s Speech, given at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, October 14, 2004
“The Hollinger Canadian newspapers acquisition[s] changed our company significantly...They gave us the scale and the clout to maintain out distinct Western identity and purpose in a media market dominated by Eastern-based ownership.”“The Calgary Herald not only has a much longer history in the community, but it’s reach into the psyche of Calgary operates at a much different level than television... the very nature of newspapers [is] that they evoke much more intense and emotional relationships with our consumers.”
“Under Sifton, the Canadian government at last got serious about populating the west. While that story is very sad and full of painful periods of overt discrimination, it is also one of brilliant marketing. Some of it would never pass current federal and provincial regulatory standards!... Sifton saw western Canada as a commodity...so he embarked on an image campaign... He banned the publication of Manitoba temperatures abroad. He even purged all references to snow and cold in some official publications. And he took his message to
the world.”
“The premiere has decided that the media and the rest of Canada are out to get him, you and yourresource wealth... This is the same premiere [Ralph Klein] who, with all the positive innovation in health care that has occurred in Alberta, pulled the rug out from Stephen Harper in the federal campaign by giving credit to phony Liberal claims that Conservatives have a secret agenda on healthcare... Ask yourself whether Ralph Klein helped or hurt Stephen Harper in the federal election, and I think you know the answer.”
“Mr.Klein himself acknowledges that it’s not an issue, and nothing like it is even remotely on anyone’s agenda this side of Jack Layton.” (On the effects of the NEP)
“The federal liberals did a pretty good job in the last election of scaring voters to stay away from the Conservative Party. The Liberals version of ‘they are out to get us’ was that electing Conservatives would expel Canadians from their culture of entitlement into a cold dark world... To this end, the National Post fights its way every day to win over readers and bring them closer to [our] views... I am convinced that the National Post hasplayed an important role in re-defining the national debate, and I am very proud to be a part of it.”
“We openly debate the private delivery of health care while others condemn even the discussion of it. We discuss junk science and environmental issues while others cling relentlessly to trendy tree-hugging thinking. In case the premiere forgets, The Herald, Global Sunday, and the Post led the debate in this country on the question of whether Kyoto makes any sense while others turned it into the trend du jour... We debate the need for democratic reform including the need for a triple E senate."
“The same is true in the Herald. We have endorsed the Premiere all the way. Yet, he even attacks the local media in another delusional belief that his programs and policies do not get coverage... I won’t bore you reciting all the facts, but I can assure you that our media in Alberta have given the Premier expansive coverage. I mean the facts simply speak for themselves.”
Of deep relevance is the fact that Clifford Sifton was directly related with the construction of the Canadian coast-to-coast railway, and the rather ethnocentric but strategic treatment of immigrants at that time. The racist ideologies that prevailed then were effective for business profits, but restrictive and inhumane for those who were discriminated against. Most Canadians today would find such regulations and practices highly un-Canadian.
Fraser Institute, Reports and Press Releases.
“Climate change activists are exaggerating the certainty in the linkage between human action and climate change and advocating policies that offer no environmental gain, but a lot of economic pain. These prescriptions are likely to deprive society of the economic productivity it needs to protect environmental quality”
(Press release, July 21, 2003)
“A worst-case scenario report, long buried in the bowels of the Pentagon, has been dusted off by global warming enthusiasts in a last ditch effort to persuade the United States to repent and sign the costly Kyoto Treaty... The Schwartz-Randall climate report, indeed, is a purely speculative exercise in readiness planning for extreme climate changes of the sort seen in reconstructions of ancient temperatures. Many scientists saw the hyping of the Pentagon report as an eleventh-hour gesture by die-hard environmentalists to salvage the sinking
Kyoto Treaty on climate change, which has already been rejected by the United States and Australia, and is about to suffer the same fate in Russia.”
(Climate Alarmist Misrepresent Pentagon Report, March 10, 2004).
It is interesting to note, the Fraser Institute has received $120,000 from Exxon Mobil since 1998, and has been the subject of much public criticism and scrutiny for it’s privately- funded “studies”. It has also consistently called for tax relief for corporations, so that Canadian taxes could be more in line with those found in the United States, Canada’s largest trading partner. Most recently, it called for the decriminalization of marijuana, the argument being that the illegal industry only served to fund organized crime.
Derek H. Burney on Canada-US Relations:
The following quotations were taken from two speeches given by Mr. Burney. The first, given on September 20, 2005 at the Canadian Institute of International Affairs Toronto Branch Reception, is entitled “Canada-US Relations: Weeds in the Garden”. On November 17, 2005 he gave a very similar speech, entitled “Canada - US Relations: Are we getting it right?” to the Ranchmen’s Club in Calgary, drawing on excerpts from his newly published book. Both of these speeches can be viewed in their entirety at:www.carleton.ca/ctpl/publications/speeches.html.
“We should take our head out of the sand and reconsider our position on missile defense and endeavor, more generally, to become more than a spectator in the defense of our own continent...We cannot afford a free ride on our own defense. Where’s the sovereignty in that?”
“We need to stop ‘huffing and puffing’ over softwood lumber... Tough talk is no substitute for action... and the pretense of diversions to China are, as I said, just that... The Americans were ‘puzzled’ (diplomat speak for ‘mad as hell’) at our decision on missile defense. We in turn were ‘puzzled’ by their repudiation of a NAFTA ruling on softwood lumber.”
“The highlight for me personally and, I suspect the cornerstone of Mr.Mulroney’s legacy was the negotiation of the Free Trade Agreement in 1987... Mulroney worked very hard on his Washington network and on Canada-US relations... his persistence and conviction brought real dividends at the time, albeit without much domestic popularity.”
“Washington is a city of ‘retail politics’, where networking is the name of the game with the
Administration, with Congress, the media, the lobbyists and all others involved in the ‘’Power Game".
“Canadians celebrate our ‘differences’ almost as a litmus test or measure of our ‘distinctiveness’ from Americans, where as Americans tend, when they think about us at all, to see our similarities. Americans are proud of what they are: Americans. Canadians are proud of what they are not: Americans. Americans believe anything worth doing must be worth overdoing. Canadians believe anything worth doing must be worth a government
grant.”
“In networking - what life in Washington is really all about - my wife and I each had regular and extremely close personal contacts at the highest levels and with all branches of government.”
“...security and prosperity should be the over-riding priorities for our government and relations with the United States are critical to both... Some Canadians believe that creating differences with the United States underlies our ‘independence’. In fact, it does the opposite. ‘Independence’ is, in fact, a peculiar objective in an increasingly interdependent world. After all, North Korea is ‘independent’.”
“It is never easy, even in good times, to deal with the United States. After all, Americans are #1 and they know it...Drift, complacency, and a penchant for differences do not equate with good diplomacy, but regrettably, good diplomacy is not always good politics.”
“In order to manage our affairs effectively we do not need to endorse any individual leader or all the views of any Administration. After all, there are sharp differences of view inside America itself... while personalities come and go, interests are long-standing.”
“We should not rely exclusively on the goodwill of individual leaders anymore than we should allow our attitudes and our interests to be distracted by negative views about individual leaders at any given time... We could use more creative thinking and more consistent political leadership - a real sense of purpose from the top and actions reflecting conviction, not wariness.”
“I recognize that the current political climate is not propitious for any kind of serious engagement -especially with a minority government heading into election... If that is indeed what we want, we need torecognize above all that effective management requires leadership, conviction, and coherence.”
“Institutions properly structured with better rules and disciplines, can not only help deflect political heat from issues of the moment - such as a security glitch at the border - but also temper the huge power imbalance that otherwise bedevils this relationship. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense.”
“...stakeholders, particularly those of you in the business community should shake off your customary timidity and speak out. Business support - and that of key Premieres like Peter Lougheed - was vital to success in earlier trade negotiations, and could help restore a much-needed jolt of common sense in the management of our most vital relationship today. If you do not, you may be sure that others with a very different agenda will happily fill the vacuum.”
These quotes, as well as the previous ones, clearly indicate the sort of agenda that CanWest Global Communications Corp. board members have on their mind. Comments that were made by Leonard and David Asper to key shareholders demonstrate their ability and willingness to manipulate the content of their papers in order to advance a given agenda or a particular individual, provided it benefits the shareholders. Leonard Asper has explicitly stated that the corporation is about business, first and foremost. Freedom of the press and freedom of
expression do not apply to his business, as far as he is concerned. It’s obvious by these comments that shareholders at CanWest Global Communications Corp., and Stephen Harper and the Conservatives share the same agenda.
The ultimate goal of “anyone this side of Jack Layton” is the economic success of the corporation and it’s partners and affiliates. Not only is government involvement in CanWest Global Communications Corp. merely obvious, it is an integral part of the company’s agenda. So how do they do it? What makes them so sure that the polls are correct, that Stephen Harper is on the brink of bringing a Conservative majority into the House of Commons? A little crash course in social psychology answers all those questions.
Social Psychology 101: A Crash Course in Behavior and Belief Manipulation
Social psychologists are concerned with the social side of life, that is, how people interact with and think about others. (Remember, in North American society, the corporation is treated as an individual, and it’s image is managed as such). Scientists in this field work to understand “the nature and causes of individual behavior and thought in social situations.”. This definition was provided by a university-level textbook on social psychology, written by Robert A. Baron and Donn Byrne (2000).There are a few major asserions that are generally accepted and recognized by all psychologists. One of these well known concepts is called the availability heuristic. A heuristic, in this case, is a mental shortcut that enables us to make decisions in a short amount of time, regarding things of a rather complex nature. The availability heuristic is “a mental shortcut that suggests that the easier it is to bring something to mind, the more frequent or important it is. Proliferation of like stories, polls, and pictures in the media which, all focus on a
particular phenomenon or individual, are likely to induce the availability heuristic.
Numerous studies have all come to the same conclusion: when making judgments about others (politicians and news providers, for example), we will tend to focus more on emotions and feelings, and as such will rely on the-ease-with-which-it-comes-to-mind-rule.
Certain circumstances can increase the likelihood of an individual making a particular choice. Priming is the result of increased / repeated exposure to specific stimuli or events, (graphic images, polls, photographs, etc.). Priming can be defined as “the increased availability of information in memory or consciousness resulting from exposure to specific stimuli or events. What this means is that the more we are exposed to the same information, the more likely we are to believe and use that information when making choices directly related to it. Priming
may occur even when individuals are unaware of the priming stimuli - an effect known as automatic priming.
Just because a person doesn’t buy the paper out of the machine every day, by no means indicates that they are unaffected by it. Interestingly, because of the surprise nature of inconsistent information, we pay much more attention to it. Because it’s unexpected, inconsistent information makes us work harder to understand it. Because of our increased
levels of attention on the inconsistent information, it has a better chance of entering our memory and subsequently influencing our later judgments. Who in British Columbia can forget the day when Stephen Harper appeared on the cover of the National with “Ricky” of the Trailer Park Boys, under a proclamation of familial ties!
Discrimination can also affect people’s perceptions and beliefs. It has been argued in the past that the language and terminology used to describe and communicate stories on ethnic groups within Canada are discriminatory, and that current word usages need to change. Old-fashioned, overt discrimination has beenreplaced with modern racism, which can be characterized by three distinct features. Modern racism is marked by a denial that there is continuing discrimination against minorities, an attribution of antagonism to the demands of
minorities, and resentment about special favours for minority groups. Numerous comments have been made, by various members of the CanWest Global Board, that fit neatly into this definition. The prejudices can beattenuated by gestures of tokenism, “the performance of trivial or small-scale positive actions for people who are targets of prejudice. Prejudiced groups often use tokenistic behaviors as an excuse for refusing more meaningful
beneficial actions. The charitable activities of the Asper family and other Board members might be considered by some to be examples of tokenism.
What is social influence? It’s “the efforts of one or more individuals to change the attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, or behaviors of one or more others”. Individuals that change their attitudes or behavior in order to adhere to existing ideas are conforming. Conformity breeds cohesiveness, defined as “the degree of attraction felt by an individual toward an influencing group”. When cohesiveness is high, the pressures towards conformity are high. What this means is, as poll numbers in the papers reflect the dominance of the Conservatives, people feel
more pressure to conform to the majority, even if it is just a number on the page.
Why do people feel so inclined toconform? Because of social norms - nobody wants to be abnormal. Polls in the paper are essentially injuctive norms, defined as “norms specifying what ought to be done - what is approved or disapproved behavior in a given social situation. Various studies have proven that social norms, injunctive social norms in particular, exert strong effects on expressed behavior. In the case of political polls, they can exert a strong influence on people’s voting behavior.
Who are the compliance professionals according to social psychologists? People who’s success lies in their ability to get others to say yes. Robert Caldini studied these types, (politicians included), and came to the conclusion that compliance rests on six basic principles:
- friendship/liking,
- commitment/consistency,
- scarcity,
- reciprocity,
- social validation, and
- authority.
CanWest Global (and their associates) have mentioned more than once. Here are a few of the tactics used by masters of impression management when they want to get others to say yes:
- Ingratiation - a technique for gaining compliance in which requesters first induce target persons to like them (flattery or small favors for the target person), then attempt to change their behavior in some desired way.
- “that’s-not-all” technique - the requester offers target persons additional benefits before they have decided whether to comply, or reject specific requests.
- deadline technique - the target persons are told they have only limited time to take advantage of some offer or obtain some item.
- playing hard to get - a suggestion that a person, object, or outcome is scarce and hard to obtain.
journalistic staff here in British Columbia, as they seem to have no problem carrying out the highly damaging agenda of the Asper family empire. Destructive obedience can stem from a number of factors, and can be exacerbated if there is “a gradual escalation of the scope of the commands given”, and if the situation proceeds in a rapid fashion.
In order to reduce the occurrence of this sort of destructive obedience, Baron and Byrne suggest “reminding individuals that they share in the responsibility of any harm produced, calling into question the motives of authority figures, and informing people of the findings of social psychological research on the topic of social influence.”
Conclusions: The Proof is in the Pudding
Although this review of evidence has been rather lengthy, careful consideration of the facts can yield no conclusion than the following:There is the definite and undeniably detrimental presence of a media monopoly in British Columbia. Hard evidence of censorship can be found in the testimonials of various reputable journalists, and is further supported in the attached documentation. The views presented by all of CanWest Global Communications staff are guided by the ideologies and beliefs of the owning shareholders, and views that are contrary to this very narrow perspective are either ignored, or usurped and altered to reflect the Asper ideology. CanWestGlobal believes that their “news’ should not be free, and should only be available to those who are able to pay
for it. This monopoly and related censorship can be directly tied to the concise economic and political agenda that prevails at CanWest Global Communications Corp. This agenda, which includes increased involvement with the United States and their military pursuits, sees economic prosperity and national security and top concerns for any national government. This agenda most closely matches with that of Stephen Harper and theConservatives. Both David and Leonard Asper referred directly to this fact in their speeches. It is clear that Liberal loyalties are no longer paramount, and it is clear that in the eyes of CanWest’s shareholders, PaulMartin is not capable of maintaining adequate relations with the United States. The corporation has specifically put itself and it’s political interests on “this side of Jack Layton”, as well, leaving only one alternative.
Manipulation of the masses is possible, as was detailed in the section on social psychology. Various tacticsand image-management strategies are being used by CanWest Global Corp. to steer the direction of the coming election. The most obvious of these tactics is evident in the proliferation of polls from “trusted” sources, like Ipsos-Reid. Brand names and the emotional responses that are tied to them are of paramount concern for corporations. Honesty has never been a part of the agenda, so much as trust.
Compliance and consensus among voters is being obtained through ubiquitous use of polls, photographs, and stories, all which are strategically designed to encourage mass support for Harper. Shareholders admit to giving primary importance to strategical design of content in publications and media coverage. The domination and control of our province by this corporation must stop. British Columbia must have it’s Charter Rights restored. There must be a return to freedom of the press and freedom of expression. We want a return to national participation in national issues, outside of the bubble CanWest Global has encapsulated us in.
We have opinions and sentiments that have gone unreported. There have been huge biases and instances of gross misrepresenation, in stories related to visible minorities, single parents, child poverty, and the widening income disparities between the rich and the poor, just to name a few. It is not acceptable either provincially or nationally, for a private media empire to have so much influenceand sway in the outcome of a federal election. It is unacceptable for a corporation to control the mindset (imposed or otherwise) of an entire province. It is even more appaling that this has been allowed to occur, and it should have been stopped a long time ago.
