Good for you and an accurate assessment. All but a tiny fraction of the industry has, covered in grease, signed on to this grubby mugging. It's quite disgraceful. The weird thing is that they seem to think that if they just spike the op-eds opposed to C-18 and either ignore the issue entirely in their reporting or make sure no one approaches Geist et al for interviews, no one will know. But people know. And we've already seen coverage distorted and stories spiked. The money won't be enough to make them whole - just enough to keep them alive and needy and make innovation unnecessary. I hold to the prayer that those of you who value a truly Free Press will eventually triumph.
Jen: You & Matt don't have to worry about losing this subscriber! Most recognize that word of mouth is the best advertising you can get - and I do that regularly for The Line. Jim
The signs of legacy media collapse are in plain view for everyone to see. Big Tech and C18 might make the balance sheets green for a time, but the big issue for readers is the huge swing away from objectivity in reporting. In many cases (hi CBC!), the news outlets are inserting themselves into the narrative instead of reporting to Canadians what is happening on the ground. I don’t want reporters shaping the story with their lived experiences. I want the facts.
One of the best pieces of journalism I have read recently was Terry Glavins beautiful, balanced story in last weeks NP. The topic: How did the media get the “Unmarked Graves” story so wrong last year? The story is a flicker of the past that reminds us that good journalism is a treasure, but it is also a reminder that media outlets are slipping badly in quality control and objectivity to report on all facets of a story. Herd mentality and poor reporting is going to doom the legacy media.
The follow up story is full of good insight at the incredible lack of insight of so many commenters.
Terry Glavin is a good writer and I highly recommend his work although his commentary typically forces you to think - a terrifically painful process for some lazy folk.
Kudos for an absolute classic paragraph. " Meanwhile, the legacy media they have managed is little more than a zombie in nun's drag. It is in a state of terminal decline, and keeping it alive poisons the earth for the generations to come after. "
Jen, I have praised your work and that of Matt so many times but I must do so again. Bravo.
Of course, in this case, it is serendipity that your reasoning mirrors my own - well, kind of. The "kind of" is that I came to my opposition to the legislation with only a few of the facts that you enumerate. Those few facts were absolutely adequate for me to determine that I did not at all approve of the bill. You have provided me with ever so much more ammunition that buttresses my previous opinion.
Now, having said all of that, sometimes I disagree with you but your writing (and Matt's, as well) is sufficiently clear and informative that you (a collective you, to be sure) - sometimes - cause me to change my mind. Sometimes.
In the 2019 election a Liberal candidate had the misfortune to knock on my door. I started giving him shit about the Mark Norman affair. He had never heard about it. Was completely unfamiliar with the story. And this illustrates the problem nicely. So many people have decided to get their "news" from social media because it's "free" and comes in small bites. No thinking required. No cost. That has killed legacy media and is a major impediment to new start ups like the Line. Information is out there and it's fairly easy to access. But you can't force people to be engaged. So yes, C-18 sucks and so does social media. And the current situation. But I don't really see how to fix it.
Wow...When you get on your soapbox, magic happens. This is an utterly brilliant read....maybe emotion is part of what is missing from journalism. I get the need to report facts is critical, but there is so much pure humanity in this. I loved it.
Jun 3, 2022·edited Jun 3, 2022Liked by Line Editor
Are you saying that I don't get to claim The Line or The Hub subscriptions on my taxes for the digital media credit? (sarcasm - there really needs to be a font for that) That's OK. I can't claim my NY Times subscription either, so consider yourself on par with that news publication.
I like this article. It seems real and that’s why I subscribed, even though my views may be different. You’ve aligned yourself with the population that’s looking for honesty, and a population that’s had it’s more than fair share of hardships over the last two years and longer. I need to research ever thing I read now,because my trust in media and leadership of any kind is gone. The line has peaked my interested! I thank you for that.
I regularly disagree with many of the opinions that The Line produces, But (and this is a big But) The Line produces true and honest discourse. I believe Jen and Matt endeavour to bring their subscribers the straight goods. No BS. No white washed propaganda. That’s really all that every Canadian wants. Unfortunately, most Canadians are apathetic to the information gruel they are fed every evening by MSM.
I am an Albertan Separatist. Alberta and the Albertan way of life cannot survive in a Canada of today, IMO. If the goal is to mirror the cesspools of TO or Van (Edmonton and Calgary are fast doing so) then I want nothing to do with it. In the end, I search for sources of clean, honest information. The Line delivers that. So keep up the good work Jen and Matt and I’ll continue to send you, my credit card number.
The “Albertan way of life”…what, pray tell is that? Living in some fantasy world that equates hard right politics with being Albertan? Check your history. ATB, CKUA, farmer's unions, etc etc
I’m 57, I’ve been in Alberta and northern BC my whole life and same with my dad and oh yea, his dad, I think I have a pretty good feel of the Alberta way of life. I’ve been working a ranch/farm since I could walk. I started working rigs at age 14. Got a technical trade and am at the top of my chosen field and respected by many that I admire. Rodeoed rough stock for years and still chase rodeos showing cutting horses. I have worked 134 days straight with no days off. The most hours I have worked in a two week pay period is 196 hours. Couldn’t possibly count the number of 160 hour pay periods. Most hours worked without any sleep is 41 hours. The Alberta way of life is a life couched in personal responsibility, personal integrity, depth of character, dependability, self reliance, honesty and MOST important…respect. Those qualities are what conservative stands for. I dare say you are sorely lacking in many if not all of those qualities. Because you do not like my politics you feel safe to disrespect me from the safety of the Internet. Try disrespecting me in person, my friend.
I believe my original comment was respectful and without malice. Not deserving of the return comment I received. The ease of which some feel they can name call and generally disrespect others is only made possible by the anonymity of the Internet. That does not mean I have to stand for something I would never allow in person.
Delighted to tell you I have lived here more than 30 years, and also several other provinces in Canada. And, I’m not from ‘back east’, in case you are assuming. The family seat is in northern Alberta, going back to the 1920’s, and none of the copious relatives of mine would waste anytime thinking we have a distinct culture. They are too busy farming, working in oil and gas, and generally getting their hands dirty. I’m Albertan through and through.
Oh, and more on point, Matt and Jen, I enjoy the Line, appreciate good writing and reasoned diverse opinions, even if they sometimes get up my nose…Jen’s column today has given me pause, consuming the legacy media as I do. I believe there still is a place for amalgamated sources of information and news under a brand, especially costly international reporting, as well as trusted well rounded commentators that can’t be relied on to always default to a certain slant. Local news and commentary from informed sources is also very important. What the business model is to continue to provide this product I don’t know, since most people these days refuse to pay for “news” and we know outrage gathers eyeballs.
Cranky, thank you for setting me straight. As for me, my family - all here in Alberta - goes back into the last century - the way we used to mean that term.
I believe that you identified a large part of the difference between much of Alberta and the ROC. Your "classic" [please pardon the expression] Albertan is self-reliant and works hard. Often that person is from a farming background directly or through family and values hard work. [Much like your family, no?] I would note that a large swath of our two major cities (I live in Calgary) have adopted the ethic of get something for not a lot of work that our "worsers" [they absolutely are not my "betters"] in government have been preaching.
Okay, you don't see anything distinctive about Alberta and I will not belabor the point. I would note that, although I am an Albertan, born and bred (as are you), I have had occasion to live temporarily in other parts of Canada and I found the sneering attitude towards "redneck" Albertans highly "informative." [Curiously, none of those folk had any idea of the derivation of the word "redneck" and that it noted a skin condition that occurs to many individuals of honorable occupations that habitually takes them out of doors, say, a farmer, forester, rig worker, etc..]
I agree that various aspects of information from various sources are quite useful but I don't want the government to require my money to be paid to various of those sources - but only those approved by the government, you know.
Sorry about your nose; I also find some of the columns to be less than felicitous; but they are necessary to make me think about things.
As for people refusing to pay for news, well, I certainly pay for it; I always have and always will. As for those low intelligence folk who refuse to do so, otherwise known as the average voter, I absolutely abhor the idea that I should pay for them when they are either too stupid or too lazy to do so. Where that leaves me and society at large, I don't know but I do know that I object to my money being taken to fund, say, the Toronto Star.
Oh, you say, it's not my money. I ask you, will Google et al really pay money to Canadian media without finding a way to recover it from the public? If you think that, then I really do have some swamp land to sell you.
Rob, I agree right down The Line (sorry, I had to use it). Your self description absolutely mirrors my own, so it is good to see another fellow traveler - to use a phrase very much out of context from the 1950s.
I love newpapers but I am endlessly disappointed in what they've become. There is little of the reporting that you note requires funding. While they cry that their business model is broken, they don't bother to change their operations. The advent of Craig's List & Kijiji should have given them a wake-up call but they continued to do the same old thing while decreasing their expenses (i.e. reporters & reporting). While claiming that they have accurate, fact-checked content (and I believe they do), they have reduced that content so significantly that fewer and fewer people bother with them. They dug their own grave.
I'm happy that both Canadaland and The Line are so aligned on this issue. Despite not hearing about it often in the Globe or CBC, it's excellent to get the analysis from my two favorite indepwndent sources.
A magnificent rant today, and well worth the price of my subscription.
Articles like this are why I subscribe. While I don't agree with all your stuff, this I do. The so called legacy media seems less and less about news.
You are in great form today Jen. Keep up the good work!
Good for you and an accurate assessment. All but a tiny fraction of the industry has, covered in grease, signed on to this grubby mugging. It's quite disgraceful. The weird thing is that they seem to think that if they just spike the op-eds opposed to C-18 and either ignore the issue entirely in their reporting or make sure no one approaches Geist et al for interviews, no one will know. But people know. And we've already seen coverage distorted and stories spiked. The money won't be enough to make them whole - just enough to keep them alive and needy and make innovation unnecessary. I hold to the prayer that those of you who value a truly Free Press will eventually triumph.
Jen: You & Matt don't have to worry about losing this subscriber! Most recognize that word of mouth is the best advertising you can get - and I do that regularly for The Line. Jim
The signs of legacy media collapse are in plain view for everyone to see. Big Tech and C18 might make the balance sheets green for a time, but the big issue for readers is the huge swing away from objectivity in reporting. In many cases (hi CBC!), the news outlets are inserting themselves into the narrative instead of reporting to Canadians what is happening on the ground. I don’t want reporters shaping the story with their lived experiences. I want the facts.
One of the best pieces of journalism I have read recently was Terry Glavins beautiful, balanced story in last weeks NP. The topic: How did the media get the “Unmarked Graves” story so wrong last year? The story is a flicker of the past that reminds us that good journalism is a treasure, but it is also a reminder that media outlets are slipping badly in quality control and objectivity to report on all facets of a story. Herd mentality and poor reporting is going to doom the legacy media.
Do you have a link to that story?
Notwithstanding James' snarky response, see https://nationalpost.com/opinion/the-year-of-the-graves-how-the-worlds-media-got-it-wrong-on-residential-school-graves
I highly recommend that story and a follow up this week at https://nationalpost.com/opinion/terry-glavin-when-narrative-replaces-facts
The follow up story is full of good insight at the incredible lack of insight of so many commenters.
Terry Glavin is a good writer and I highly recommend his work although his commentary typically forces you to think - a terrifically painful process for some lazy folk.
Thanks lol yea that guy's an ass. Appreciate the reply, partner!
Kudos for an absolute classic paragraph. " Meanwhile, the legacy media they have managed is little more than a zombie in nun's drag. It is in a state of terminal decline, and keeping it alive poisons the earth for the generations to come after. "
Jen, I have praised your work and that of Matt so many times but I must do so again. Bravo.
Of course, in this case, it is serendipity that your reasoning mirrors my own - well, kind of. The "kind of" is that I came to my opposition to the legislation with only a few of the facts that you enumerate. Those few facts were absolutely adequate for me to determine that I did not at all approve of the bill. You have provided me with ever so much more ammunition that buttresses my previous opinion.
Now, having said all of that, sometimes I disagree with you but your writing (and Matt's, as well) is sufficiently clear and informative that you (a collective you, to be sure) - sometimes - cause me to change my mind. Sometimes.
Again, good work.
In the 2019 election a Liberal candidate had the misfortune to knock on my door. I started giving him shit about the Mark Norman affair. He had never heard about it. Was completely unfamiliar with the story. And this illustrates the problem nicely. So many people have decided to get their "news" from social media because it's "free" and comes in small bites. No thinking required. No cost. That has killed legacy media and is a major impediment to new start ups like the Line. Information is out there and it's fairly easy to access. But you can't force people to be engaged. So yes, C-18 sucks and so does social media. And the current situation. But I don't really see how to fix it.
Wow...When you get on your soapbox, magic happens. This is an utterly brilliant read....maybe emotion is part of what is missing from journalism. I get the need to report facts is critical, but there is so much pure humanity in this. I loved it.
Are you saying that I don't get to claim The Line or The Hub subscriptions on my taxes for the digital media credit? (sarcasm - there really needs to be a font for that) That's OK. I can't claim my NY Times subscription either, so consider yourself on par with that news publication.
I like this article. It seems real and that’s why I subscribed, even though my views may be different. You’ve aligned yourself with the population that’s looking for honesty, and a population that’s had it’s more than fair share of hardships over the last two years and longer. I need to research ever thing I read now,because my trust in media and leadership of any kind is gone. The line has peaked my interested! I thank you for that.
I wish you the best of luck with The Line. Anybody willing to spend time and brain cells on reporting news to other Canadians sings with the angels.
I regularly disagree with many of the opinions that The Line produces, But (and this is a big But) The Line produces true and honest discourse. I believe Jen and Matt endeavour to bring their subscribers the straight goods. No BS. No white washed propaganda. That’s really all that every Canadian wants. Unfortunately, most Canadians are apathetic to the information gruel they are fed every evening by MSM.
I am an Albertan Separatist. Alberta and the Albertan way of life cannot survive in a Canada of today, IMO. If the goal is to mirror the cesspools of TO or Van (Edmonton and Calgary are fast doing so) then I want nothing to do with it. In the end, I search for sources of clean, honest information. The Line delivers that. So keep up the good work Jen and Matt and I’ll continue to send you, my credit card number.
The “Albertan way of life”…what, pray tell is that? Living in some fantasy world that equates hard right politics with being Albertan? Check your history. ATB, CKUA, farmer's unions, etc etc
I’m 57, I’ve been in Alberta and northern BC my whole life and same with my dad and oh yea, his dad, I think I have a pretty good feel of the Alberta way of life. I’ve been working a ranch/farm since I could walk. I started working rigs at age 14. Got a technical trade and am at the top of my chosen field and respected by many that I admire. Rodeoed rough stock for years and still chase rodeos showing cutting horses. I have worked 134 days straight with no days off. The most hours I have worked in a two week pay period is 196 hours. Couldn’t possibly count the number of 160 hour pay periods. Most hours worked without any sleep is 41 hours. The Alberta way of life is a life couched in personal responsibility, personal integrity, depth of character, dependability, self reliance, honesty and MOST important…respect. Those qualities are what conservative stands for. I dare say you are sorely lacking in many if not all of those qualities. Because you do not like my politics you feel safe to disrespect me from the safety of the Internet. Try disrespecting me in person, my friend.
Oh god knock this shit off.
I believe my original comment was respectful and without malice. Not deserving of the return comment I received. The ease of which some feel they can name call and generally disrespect others is only made possible by the anonymity of the Internet. That does not mean I have to stand for something I would never allow in person.
I’m not going to debate this.
Fair enough.
Cranky, it is obvious that you are not an Albertan. It is also obvious that you wouldn't understand us whatsoever.
Have a good rest of your life, hopefully in ROC.
Delighted to tell you I have lived here more than 30 years, and also several other provinces in Canada. And, I’m not from ‘back east’, in case you are assuming. The family seat is in northern Alberta, going back to the 1920’s, and none of the copious relatives of mine would waste anytime thinking we have a distinct culture. They are too busy farming, working in oil and gas, and generally getting their hands dirty. I’m Albertan through and through.
Oh, and more on point, Matt and Jen, I enjoy the Line, appreciate good writing and reasoned diverse opinions, even if they sometimes get up my nose…Jen’s column today has given me pause, consuming the legacy media as I do. I believe there still is a place for amalgamated sources of information and news under a brand, especially costly international reporting, as well as trusted well rounded commentators that can’t be relied on to always default to a certain slant. Local news and commentary from informed sources is also very important. What the business model is to continue to provide this product I don’t know, since most people these days refuse to pay for “news” and we know outrage gathers eyeballs.
Cranky, thank you for setting me straight. As for me, my family - all here in Alberta - goes back into the last century - the way we used to mean that term.
I believe that you identified a large part of the difference between much of Alberta and the ROC. Your "classic" [please pardon the expression] Albertan is self-reliant and works hard. Often that person is from a farming background directly or through family and values hard work. [Much like your family, no?] I would note that a large swath of our two major cities (I live in Calgary) have adopted the ethic of get something for not a lot of work that our "worsers" [they absolutely are not my "betters"] in government have been preaching.
Okay, you don't see anything distinctive about Alberta and I will not belabor the point. I would note that, although I am an Albertan, born and bred (as are you), I have had occasion to live temporarily in other parts of Canada and I found the sneering attitude towards "redneck" Albertans highly "informative." [Curiously, none of those folk had any idea of the derivation of the word "redneck" and that it noted a skin condition that occurs to many individuals of honorable occupations that habitually takes them out of doors, say, a farmer, forester, rig worker, etc..]
I agree that various aspects of information from various sources are quite useful but I don't want the government to require my money to be paid to various of those sources - but only those approved by the government, you know.
Sorry about your nose; I also find some of the columns to be less than felicitous; but they are necessary to make me think about things.
As for people refusing to pay for news, well, I certainly pay for it; I always have and always will. As for those low intelligence folk who refuse to do so, otherwise known as the average voter, I absolutely abhor the idea that I should pay for them when they are either too stupid or too lazy to do so. Where that leaves me and society at large, I don't know but I do know that I object to my money being taken to fund, say, the Toronto Star.
Oh, you say, it's not my money. I ask you, will Google et al really pay money to Canadian media without finding a way to recover it from the public? If you think that, then I really do have some swamp land to sell you.
😂 Whatever. Disappointment to you father, more likely.
Rob, I agree right down The Line (sorry, I had to use it). Your self description absolutely mirrors my own, so it is good to see another fellow traveler - to use a phrase very much out of context from the 1950s.
I love newpapers but I am endlessly disappointed in what they've become. There is little of the reporting that you note requires funding. While they cry that their business model is broken, they don't bother to change their operations. The advent of Craig's List & Kijiji should have given them a wake-up call but they continued to do the same old thing while decreasing their expenses (i.e. reporters & reporting). While claiming that they have accurate, fact-checked content (and I believe they do), they have reduced that content so significantly that fewer and fewer people bother with them. They dug their own grave.
I'm happy that both Canadaland and The Line are so aligned on this issue. Despite not hearing about it often in the Globe or CBC, it's excellent to get the analysis from my two favorite indepwndent sources.