The Written Word: Rafe Mair Jan 23rd
By Rafe Mair
Tuesday, January 23, 2007 03:45 AM
I have just read the pious crud from the CanWest press about however reluctantly, in the traditions of good journalism, they will fully report the Picton Trial which may go on for years. They don’t want to publish – nosiree, it’s just that they must, don’t you see? Well, they may have to write it but I sure as Hell don’t have to read it.
Let’s be clear on this point – subject to rulings to the contrary from the judge, the papers and TV can print and broadcast away to their heart’s content. That everyone knows that they will publish because it will sell papers and soap is irrelevant to their right to publish.
What is being overlooked is the difference between right and duty. Is there a duty to publish each and every ghastly fact as it gets into evidence? If there is such a duty doesn’t it extend to, let us say, describing in every gory detail how Canadian soldiers are killed? Why do they simply report the death without all the grisly details? Aren’t we entitled to the whole truth however much it may offend some people?
Make no mistake about it, friends – this decision to report grisly fact after grisly fact has nothing to do with duty and everything to do with making money. I’m not suggesting that the trial not be reported - I only want to go behind the pious claptrap about “duty” and declare the only motive behind the decision – greed.
I, for one, won’t be reading about the trial unless some interesting legal points arise. I’ve read all I need to know about the alleged actions of Robert Picton.
I’m reminded of the late Izzy Asper, founder of CanWest, who, after he had bought up most of New Zealand’s main media outlets called a meeting of all news directors and reporters and asked them each to define journalism. After everyone had spouted high blown rhetoric about the sacred tenets of the Journalists code, Asper put them right.
“You’re all wrong”, he said, “your duty is to sell soap”.
Picton is all about selling soap big time over a long time.
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Posted by: diplomat on January 23 2007 7:54 AM
We have choices....
your choice is not to read the articles and to turn the TV channel...
Mine will be prety much the same...