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Frank Sterle Jr.'s avatar

Much, if not most, of the mainstream/corporate news-media here in Canada are in bed with Big Business, notably fossil fuel industry interests. … Postmedia — which, among many other publications, owns both of Canada's two national newspapers, The National Post and The Globe and Mail — is on record allying itself with not only the planet’s second most polluting forms of carbon-based “energy” but also THE MOST polluting/dirtiest crude oil, bitumen.

During a presentation, it was stated: “Postmedia and [Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers] will bring energy to the forefront of our national conversation. Together, we will engage executives, the business community and the Canadian public to underscore the ways in which the energy sector powers Canada.”

Also, Postmedia acquired a lobbying firm in 2019 with close ties to Alberta Premier Jason Kenney in order to participate in his government’s $30 million PR “war room” in promoting the industry's interests. And in May of 2021, the newspaper giant refused to run paid ads by Leadnow, a social and environmental justice organization, that exposed the Royal Bank of Canada as the largest financer of the nation's fossil fuel extraction.

Still, other concerned people would’ve worded it more intensely than I: “I would argue that what little ethical and moral foundation the country has is deeply threatened by the crumbling discipline of a fossil-fuel-based economy and the politics it spawns. Nothing requires government supervision in so many areas (and nothing has anything like the influence on government) as this industry.

"It follows that no other industry remotely requires the amount and kind of honest, wary media surveillance this one does,” Rafe Mair aptly wrote in his book Politically Incorrect: How Canada Lost Its Way and the Simple Path Home [published in October 2017, the same month he died]. Mr. Mair also had been an elected representative, journalist and talk-show host.

His book largely forensically dissects democracy’s decline in Canada and suggests how it may be helped. “What has the media, especially but hardly exclusively the print media, done in response to this immense challenge? It’s joined fortunes with the petroleum industry. And a very large part of it has done so in print and in public.

"The facts are that the rest of the media have not raised a peep of protest at this unholiest of alliances and that governments contentedly and smugly pretend all that favourable coverage they get proves their efficiency — not that the fix is in and they’re part of that fix. Let me just comment that the difference from 1972 to 2017 in the media’s dealing with governments and politics takes the breath away!”

Source: https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2017/11/14/mair-media-unholiest-alliances

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Sharon's avatar

You are such an important voice of reason in these insane times. We need to all fight the good fight together and not give into these fascists.

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Qasim Rashid, Esq.'s avatar

Thank you, Sharon. Grateful for your trust and support ❤️✊🏽

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Qasim Rashid, Esq.'s avatar

Yes just posted about it. Absurd.

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Sharon's avatar

These greedy capitalists are such cowards. It's those who are part of DEI and of every minority and diverse views who are continuing to make Bezos as rich as he is by buying his products on Amazon and Whole Foods. He should, therefore, respect diversity of views and ideas.

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Anna Miller's avatar

Shame on msnbc😡😤

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Ellen Khalifa's avatar

Be careful not to do what Trump wants unintentionally. His aim is to destroy the network. Substack won't be exempted as it becomes powerful. Watch people you like on platforms they perform. Don't boycott unnecessarily and hurt those who aren't at fault. Media can be person and topic specific. Try to not be it's all about you.

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Qasim Rashid, Esq.'s avatar

This doesn’t seem to make much sense Ellen. How is taking our time and money elsewhere helping Trump? It doesn’t. It strengthens the voices calling out Trump’s fascism.

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Ellen Khalifa's avatar

It's what he wants.

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Ellen Khalifa's avatar

I mean boycotting the network is what Trump wants.

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Citizen of the World's avatar

I'm just a tad more critical of anyone still in the mainstream media. This is and article I wrote about Zeteo's rise and MSNBC's fall.

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lower case's avatar

When they fired Mehdi Hassan, I figured Zeteo was a far more worthwhile subscription than Peacock. It keeps getting better, too.

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Leon Brown, Jr.'s avatar

The gloves, and the masks, are coming off, as ameriKKKa shows its TRUE colors…

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Raven Meyer's avatar

These commentators were the only ones I would watch other than Lawrence O’Donnel and Chris Hayes. This is certainly demoralizing. I try to support independent journalists such as yourself. There are many hard hitting news organizations that need donations to continue informing people who are interested in the truth. They put their lives on the line. At some point, the way this country is going, I suspect all televised news will become propaganda for this Nazi regime. Reading and learning is the light that moves us forward and keeps us evolving. I just read an article that Trump fits the profile of a patrimonialist. It’s called patrimonialism.From there we descend into a full blown dictatorship.

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Ahmad Hazem's avatar

That’s exactly right.

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WebsterzEdu's avatar

I spend easily 2x more supporting Substack authors and other sites than I did with NYT and WaPost. Our cable subscription is the next to go. As oldsters we aren’t adept at the streaming platforms but I’m about to master that skill. The best journalism is done by the people who aren’t afraid to ask the hard questions.

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Qasim Rashid, Esq.'s avatar

Thank you for your trust and investment!

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Marianne Willms-Marks's avatar

Disgraceful. Joy, Alex, Mehdi and Ayman were the best they had!

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Kathy's avatar

I stopped watching MSNBC in November once trump won. Would pop in to a few shows for approx 10 min per show.Unlike the first goround. They start showing more of the town idiot. Couldn't understand why, now I know. Once RM is finished her 100 days if.Nicole Wallace, and Stephanie Rule go I am completely finished. For now shame on.you MSNBC

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Paula B.'s avatar

I don't watch TV news, but I have discovered some wonderful journalists--and others--at Substack, many of whom I didn't know about. I love hearing diverse voices. I love talking to all different kinds of people and learning from them. Variety makes life interesting and worthwhile. How anyone can fail to see that is beyond me.

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Qasim Rashid, Esq.'s avatar

Thank you Paula and well said.

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Jazzme's avatar

Who TF listens to main stream media. Not I

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WTH Is Going On?! Chris Berrie's avatar

If Corporate media was doing their job right, or if they just had some spines, they would realize that there’s no need to bend the knee to Trump. It’s evident his whole house of cards is gonna collapse.

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CrumpledForeskin's avatar

Corporate media has never told the truth. If you’re a corporation, the truth doesn’t matter.

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WTH Is Going On?! Chris Berrie's avatar

In a bygone era, Edward Murrow, Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather, Dan Bradley, Howard K Smith, Peter Jennings, Tom Brokaw, Jim Acosta and others told some truth on the corporate media’s dime.

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CrumpledForeskin's avatar

Some truth for sure. There is some truth still spoken, as long is it fits the agenda. The actions of MSNBC show they are a government propaganda rag, and they’ve changed to represent the current administration. Those anchors you speak of did not always tell the truth, but much of the time they likely lied unknowingly.

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Kathi Ruel's avatar

🎯🎯🎯 re: MSNBC and Rebecca Kutler’s horrendous judgement.

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Linda Rudman's avatar

I erroneously thought that MSNBC would never succumb to the likes of that POS, convicted felon. All the competent, brilliant journalists they have demoted, or fired, will lead to the downfall of the network. I will now stay with my news sources of Qasim Rashid, Meidas Touch, David Pakman and Brian Tyler Cohen. We must find a way to save our country from the loss of democracy and freedom.

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CrumpledForeskin's avatar

Democracy Now has their own website and their hour long daily news feed is free. They are entirely independent. Amy Goodman is a truth teller and a real journalist. I donate to them, because they aren’t a corporate entity. MSNBC has always lied, whether you want to believe it or not. Watch them and see the difference in info you receive. They don’t whitewash genocide. They don’t hold back info from us. I promise you, your world will open up! To top it off, they lean to the left, so you should fit right in.

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CrumpledForeskin's avatar

They all lie. Some lie for the liberal agenda and some lie for the conservative agenda. They are doing their part to peddle the government propaganda. They keep the division in this country strong, so the duopoly goes unchallenged in every election.

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Linda Rudman's avatar

Well I do not agree with you. The right has been in the majority of lying for about the last 10 years, with the introduction of trump.

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CrumpledForeskin's avatar

There is no such thing as a left in these two parties. Here is an interview with someone who tells the truth about these parties. This is Chris Hedges on AlJazeera. He is not a MAGAt, but he tells the truth about both parties. Like I said, they tell the lies you want to hear.

https://youtu.be/5EDKRGkgLsI?si=x5_5mFBF9Wps74Jd

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Linda Rudman's avatar

He is an anarchist. You believe what you want to believe. When I hear the same facts from independent media, that matches MSM, I am good to go.

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CrumpledForeskin's avatar

What? You want independent media to propagate lies, before you believe them? What a ridiculous, indoctrinated take on reality!

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Linda Rudman's avatar

Are you a trump fan? You sure sound like one. You make no sense.

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CrumpledForeskin's avatar

They peddle lies the other group wants to hear.

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Linda Rudman's avatar

You are referring to FOX lies. correct?

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CrumpledForeskin's avatar

Never was. They just peddled the lies you wanted to hear

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Linda Rudman's avatar

Yes, that is what FOX did, and is still doing.

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CrumpledForeskin's avatar

MSNBC has always been shit. All MSM is bullshit.

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Linda Rudman's avatar

You are so wrong. FOX is bullshit, but it is not news media. MSNBC was a great media source, but now that it is trump beholden, it has changed,

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