By Bernie Slepkov
Understanding, interacting with, and affecting the world around us and the communities in which we live call for both telescopic and microscopic visions. Ever since its local owners sold the St. Catharines Standard we have been gradually losing our microscopic visions.
Niagara citizen activist Bernie Slepkov
Meanwhile, without alternate local dailies, skewed telescopic visions foster ill-informed readers and limited worldviews.
Realizing back in 1996 that certain critical aspects of our societies were on the verge of significant needed change, I began to research and track societal trends. For this I read or scanned every newspaper on which I could get my hands. Frankly, I wanted to—and ultimately have—played a role in influencing the kinds of societal changes I thought would eventually benefit St. Catharines, and indeed, Niagara at large.
In trying to get points of contention out and on the table for discussion I never expected our local press to be Niagara’s biggest barrier. I expected it to be a comprehensive source of local and regional news and views. Alas, to our greatest disadvantage, it is no longer.
I firmly believe that communal and regional revitalizations usually emerge out of the confluences of circumstances and people. Local media tend to shape such confluences.
Our opportunities for establishing a global leadership through the early adoption of the anticipated changes expected to alter everyone’s future lives, hinged largely on garnering widespread support, influence and participation from an inspired and informed public. From those perspectives however, the greatest potentiality for renewing our communal and regional wealth over the past decade, has been inadvertently undermined.
Ours is a unique city. Ours is a unique region. Daily local news coverage, background stories, investigative reporting, insider commentaries, letters-to-the-editor and op-ed pieces should broadly reflect that—for those are the items that spark debate, arouse public engagement and incite local action.
Op-eds are column-length opinions written by anyone not affiliated with the newspaper. Normally these are not accepted by the Standard. Making matters worse, there is an abysmal lack of the wider daily local news coverages and commentaries from within and around Niagara. This gradual decline over the years of our local perspectives on events and affairs of interest is very disturbing. At times it even seems intentional.
If I’m but one resident who can attest to news items that never saw the light of day and the numerous articles that lacked meaningful or informative depth, who else can?
Did you know that at my request [link: http://for-legacies-sake.ca/issues/sustainability/bottled-water.php ] St. Catharines City Council was most likely the very first anywhere to officially take steps to eliminate non-essential bottled water? Or that two years later Niagara Falls Council was the first community to take the bottled water controversy to whole new levels? Those are just two of several news worthy tidbits either downplayed or locally unreported.
Outside influences seem to be cutting back, stifling or taking over otherwise “local” coverage, editorial and commentary spaces. Communities wherein this is happening are being cheated out of the invaluable insights needed for putting issues affecting lives and futures into more local contexts. They are, therefore, consequentially losing their identities, defining moments, historical records, and—what might have otherwise been—influential and inspiring personalities more often revealed only within their obituaries. Under such conditions, for example, come election time it’s almost impossible for us to make informed decisions. Potentially explosive events such as the 2008 credit crisis, blow up in our faces. The worlds around us seem to change suddenly, then we are left wondering why we never saw it coming and how others affected their changes.
Over the past few years, local editorials presenting microscopic views on what should concern Niagarans have declined considerably. At least until more recently letters-to-the-editor provided residents an outlet by which to share reactions and thoughts surrounding events and affairs—covered or not. As a ‘past’ regular contributor I surmise that the sudden decline in published letters is due, not to a lack of submissions but misplaced priorities.
Knowing that most Niagarans are not being offered regular telescopic views on the forces changing our world is extremely frustrating.
Inadequate microscopic views on the opportunities these challenges represent is diminishing our capacity for communal and regional revitalizations. Knowing that is disheartening. For whatever the reasons, my influences in helping to shape Niagara’s history [link:
http://for-legacies-sake/about.php ] is being ignored. That I find demeaning.
Bernie Slepkov is a Niagara resident and a citizen activist who has championed the fight for smarter growth, more sustainable communities and a host of other issues. We welcome his contribution of this post to Niagara At Large.
(Niagara At Large encourages you to share your views on this post below. Please remember that we only post views by people who share their names.)
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Huge media monopolies are impacting our democracy very negatively. I don’t read a certain Welland newspaper anymore because of the editorial disinformation that is regularly propogated thanks to its corporate master.
An uninformed or misinformed public is easier to control and manipulate.
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In an earlier missive, I mentioned that the new ME at the Standard, in a phone conversation to me, said there were just as many letters to the editor received as ever. As Bernie points out, where are they then? The Commentary page is filled with Quebecor/QMI/Sun Media flacks.
As for local coverage, just about enough said….. dying, dying, …. gone. There is a new Arts reporter hired some months ago, and that gives me some hope. The only glimmer, really…
unless she too has now departed….
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Having fought for reasonable access to adequate hospital services in south Niagara since 2006, I can testify that the three Sun Media newspapers in Niagara, the Tribune, Standard and Review , all censor and control “outside opinions” regarding the Niagara Health System.
They do this by contolling the number and length of letters to the editor and also by just refusing to publish your submission.
Example: In 2008 the Tribune ran a large front page article on the NHS CEO’s annual salary and why it was less than many other hospital CEOs in Ontario, and that it was necessary to acquire the best and the brightest. I did a fair amount of research and sent off a letter explaining how CEOs with higher salaries worked in areas where the median income and cost of living was higher. The Tribune refused to run it with the general excuse that there had already been enough letters complaining about CEO Sevenpifer’s salary. Since then, the NHS found someone better and brighter and replaced Sevenpifer.
My quarrel was not with Sevenpifer personally, but with what I consider an outrageous salary for a public servant. This argument still holds true. Surely, if the Premier can run the entire province for a little over $200,000, a CEO of one hospital system should not require more money…..and particularly when the area is depressed with severe unemployment and a low median income. If we ever expect our unions to reduce their demands, the higher elite must set an example. Let’s make this a 2012 resolution.
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Boy, have you got that right, Bernie! I used to be able to get letters to the editor published. I have given up. I read them every day. Now they often aren’t there. I’m not that interested in the editorials they are carrying by the main stream media writers. Luckily, I have found a good group of folks on FB. I get info there before it is on the news or in the paper, if it ever shows up there. I found these local people through FB and then met them in person. And call me paranoid, but I don’t think it is unintentional.
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I have found that the general feel and tone of the editorial content has become very combative and generally negative since Sun Media acquired The St. Catharines Standard. There is very little local news content anymore and local opinions and letters to the editor stay pretty much Conservative in nature. There is no doubt in my mind that Sun Media is working very hard to shape and form our political opinions here in Niagara and the Conservative Party in general and Rick Dykstra in particular are definitely the beneficiaries of this effort. We are not being well served by our local print media as they should at least try to balance their editorial content.
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While I m aware that Kelly Edgar is a Liberal, his points are well taken. Sun Media is absolutley beholden to QMI and Qubecor, the most right-wing of newspapers in Canada. Everything they do is scewed; all of it. Believe me, why should any of us belive that as the new ME states to me, they receive just as many letters-to-the- editor, as always, yet don’t print them, why should we believe her? I pointed out to Ms. Metcalfe that one letter recently printed was over 400 words, and 3 1/2 column inches (Leo Bonomi’s, on a recent December Wednesday). She said had not noticed, the ME. Well, bless us all, say I.
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Do people not realize that newspapers everywhere attempt to influence the public to support the owners views? Do you really believe that only the Standard and local newspapers carry on this practice? Newspaper opinions are slanted toward the owners preference which is the same as a home owner putting a sign on his/her lawn.
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I could fill a book with the letters that never saw the light of day. These so-called newspapers ask for letters and when they get them they file them in file 13. I don’t even bother with some papers any more, as their editorials are biased and toe somebody’s political agenda.. The U.S constitution supports the idea of a free press. I feel that idea died a long time ago, none of them are independently owned anymore, the abuse’s by Rupert Murdock that have now come to light, prove they should all be broken up, as they are now a monopoly of one point of view.
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Our current media monopolies move us closer and closer to a state of inverted totalitarianism.
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FYI. My current missive was pieced together from two letters to the editor, starting with September 17, 2009 when I noticed a decline in the number of Kalvin Reid’s editorals. That was the first of my letters not to be published. (There were earlier ones, but I’ll admit to my failings as a writer.) The second version followed Ms. Bullis’ introductory column, “Our commitment to you never changes” on October 2, 2009. [See http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1779484&archive=true ] Then I altered my previous letter to address what Ms. Bullis wrote. Second letter gone unpublished. Both letters included the request “SunMedia/Quebecor, please give us this day our daily paper!”
I exchanged a few emails with Ms. Krulick who, thru Mr. Reid, refuted my claims and asked that I call her. I don’t recall what was said, but after our conversation, I went straight to the library, pulled every paper off the shelf and made a table that reflected a weekly comparison starting Oct. 5th thru July 4th, of editorials and columns by regional and non-regional authors pertaining. I also tried to identify the number of news items (not sports, as I recall) by issues/perspectives whether local, regional, provincial, national and international.
I brought the results to Ms. Krulick who had to admit I was right on one claim. Then we compared an old paper from the Burgoyne era and the previous day’s paper. Damn if she didn’t pick a paper wherein, I thought, was an unusual amount of regional coverage, however, my claims held up.
Still didn’t publish my letter.
Next, Ms. Metcalfe came to town and in her first introductory column, she publicly stated “We’re keeping the Standards for our readers.” (I can’t find that one in the archives … or anywhere on the net.) So, I wrote to the new ME detailing my previous concerns, albeit more expounded (also included in the missive above) and asked for an informal chat over coffee. Coffee invitation ignored, and a “I will certainly review your concerns, but would like to point out we are fully committed to our Letters to the Editor section, and more than welcome submissions”, after which I noticed even more days of the week failed to publish any letters.
So much for public promises.
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I promise not to post again on this one, but …. I have a well known and respected friend in Niagara, who sends letters to The Standard regularly, and is often sought out by the Standard to comment on historical issues. Recently, when the paper completely botched one I had sent, we talked, and I told him to be careful what he says in a letter, as it can be so badly hacked up. His response, was ‘too late, I just sent one.’ And later when we talked again, he said it was as short one and non-confrontational. That would be several weeks ago, and it has to be printed. Go figure….
and on this last note, has anyone noticed that certain charities/volunteer community groups get loads of column space for fundraisers and the like, and others none whatsoever? Trust me on this one….
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Trust ME on this one. I have belonged to a community service group for 40 years and have worked in conjunction with many other service groups. No matter who owned or edited our local paper and as long as we informed the paper in advance we were never denied a picture or an interview. To the best of my knowledge all service groups in our town are treated equally.
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At one point, the Standard printed letters to the editor everyday and on Fridays, they printed several more. Now, we are lucky to see letters to the editor published two or three times a week. I’ve managed to get a couple of mine published, although I haven’t been sending as many as I did in the past primarily due to being busy all the time. However, it just seems that if one wants to read the Standard, they can catch up while reading the Toronto Sun, as much of the same material is published in both publications each day. This, in fact, is going to reduce their readership, not increase it. I wish there were more of a focus on local news.
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We have the best real news outlet right here with “Niagara At Large.” Doug Draper is one of the most forward looking editors I know. He is often first with the stories that matter most to our community and provides an excellent forum for those who care enough to express their views. His editorials are first rate, informative, sometimes provocative, always thoughtful. All regional government leaders would do well to subscribe — and actually read “Niagara At Large.”
I believe Doug Draper is the best editor in the Niagara Region. How he gets so much done I don’t know. But, he does us all a great service and we owe him a large debt for doing so.
Thanks Doug!!
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You are right on Gary! Doug carries all the news that he can in the scarce time he must have-and does it very well. Niagara This Week has become the go-to place for local news, events and causes!!!
Gracia Janes
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Since Gracia has, maybe by mistake, mentioned Niagara This Week, I feel I need to clarify that my missive is not directed at Niagara This Week. For one it is a “Weekly”. In its current form, it’s reach seems limited. FYI-I can no longer find copies in downtown St. Catharines. Also, while Mike Zettel covered council, Niagara This Week reported on stuff that the Standard didn’t. Alas, my last address still has yet to see the light of day, and I’m completely guilty for not submitting any letters. Having said that, I think things would be very different if Torstar got its hands on the Standard or made a real concerted effort to go head-to-head against it.
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Most of the people in this area have given up on the Tribune delivering impartial news thus they basically have given up on “Letters to the Editor”
scenario. People use to refer me as a that guy who writes and tells it as it is but for some time my efforts to be printed are in vain so I gave up… and it makes many wonder why the truth is so out of date in this City in this Region. Writers to this piece are right the QMI controls the writers they publish and most are so right wing they wear ‘red under wear.
That’s why I do not read the garbage in the Tribune, Standard and Review and yes even Niagara this week is following their script.
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Doug Draper is a lot like the last of the Mohicans a reminder of what a good newspaper reporter, should be , dig, dig and then dig to get the unvanished truth out there, a real facitator of information, environmental issues being his forte.we are in real danger from our Great Lakes water , a lake in Africa turned toxic and the gases killed thousands of people and cattle who lived around the brim of this lake.Lake Nyos which was normally crystal blue had turned red,birds, insects and animals died., the people who died had no flies on them as they had died as well.Our lakes are at risk, Doug has been sounding the alarm for over 30 years,.stop putting poisons into our Rivers and lakes.
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George Jardine is insinuating that the tragedy in Africa had something to do with dumping chemicals.
Lake Nykos did not poison people, birds, insects or animals because people were putting poisons in the water. The catastrophe occured because the lake is one of only three in the world that are NATURALLY over infused with carbon dioxide and the escaping gas combined with the water produced carbolic acid that caused the poisoning.
It is fair to criticize man when he causes these occurences but it is equally fair to criticize man when he twists facts to promote his own agenda.
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