Tuesday, August 28, 2001
Fade to Black - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER -- When a media outlet -- in this case a newspaper -- makes news, it’s curious to see how it covers itself. Conrad Black, the powerful newspaper baron, announced late last week that he had sold his 50% stake in Canada’s National Post. For Black, who once controlled nearly every newspaper in the land, last Friday was his exit from the stage of Canadian political influence and commerce.
Here in Vancouver, both major newspapers -- the broadsheet Sun and the tabloid Province -- were once owned by Black. Whether it was Calgary or Winnipeg; Vancouver or Saskatoon, Conrad Black was the force in Canadian publishing. Last summer he sold off all of his newspaper holdings, except for one half of his creation, the National Post. Launched in 1998 to counter The Globe and Mail, the Post tried much to create a true national newspaper. The Globe and Mail was/is largely seen as Toronto’s national newspaper. The National Post, since it’s October 1998 launch has yet to turn a profit.
On Friday, the day news of his liquidation hit the papers, he walked into the National Post’s headquarters to say goodbye. His baby, another medium to see Canada by, was changing hands. CanWest Global’s Leonard Asper stood by him as he had the old look over once more. Asper, himself was probably having his own look over the empire he now controls.
The National Post has largely been seen as a more right-wing leaning paper than that of the centrist Globe and Mail. Black and his wife, columnist Barbara Amiel, are backers of the Conservatives and the Post was a staunch critic of Jean Chrétien’s Liberal government. It got personal too, as Chrétien blocked Black’s possible peerage to Britain’s House of Lords. The front page headline on Saturday’s Globe and Mail was: ‘Blaming Chrétien, Black opts out of Canada.”
The Globe and Mail is largely seen as pro-Liberal and supportive of the Jean Chrétien regime. The Post however kept Chrétien’s feet to the fire, thus the unease felt by Black towards Canada. He’s since renounced his Canadian citizenship, and with these latest developments has now severed his last connection to the country he once so influenced.
It’s generally understood that the printed press is a dying breed. With the proliferation of the Internet and other electronic media, the newspaper in Canada is still a fighting force. That’s why Toronto is such a hotbed of competition amongst the Globe and the Post, as well as the local Toronto Star (the leader at the moment) and the Toronto Sun. ‘War’ has been the catchword batted about and Black was one of its most combative of combatants. Whilst the Globe’s Ken Thomson keeps a relative low profile, Black was known to permeate his holdings with his own political beliefs. Conrad Black’s exodus is an amazing chapter of Canadian media slowly -- pardon the pun -- fading to Black.
So what holds for the new National Post, post-Black? Christie Blatchford, one of the Post’s top stylists had a touching and honest look at Black and the paper she works for in last Saturday’s edition. The usually biting Blatchford was glowing, if not close to fawning. A Post editorial lauds its former proprietor for creating a paper that “sets the national agenda and leads debate on the issues of the day.” It goes on to say that without the Post, newspapers in Canada “would still be somnolent.” The editorial ends: “Mr. Black’s Post recognised Canada’s interest and began discussion of all these subjects; CanWest’s Post will continue along the same bold path.”
In the Globe and Mail’s “comprehensive” coverage, they go on and on about Black’s neo-conservative beliefs and how the newspaper ‘war’ of Greater Toronto is finally over. There’s speculation that a lot of the conservatives loyal to Black will be ushered out now that CanWest runs the show. There’s also a shot of Christie Blatchford talking to reporters looking, as the headline states ‘worried’ and ‘displeased’ with the adjustment of ownership.
Maude Barlow, the Chair of the Council of Canadians and staunch leftist foe of Conrad Black -- she once tried to launch legal proceedings against Black to halt his takeover of the Southam newspaper chain -- may breath easier now that the Canadian media is Black free. However we should remember that the National Post is now wholly controlled by CanWest Global and the Asper clan. Asper family patriarch, Izzy, was once leader of the Manitoba Liberals, and is sympathetic to the Chrétienites in Ottawa. Will Barlow and the Council of Canadians be as vigilante in defending the public’s trust against the Liberal Asper’s as they were with the neo-con Black? Let’s hope so.
The fallout from this whole mess is best exemplified in the way the story was covered. The Post emphasised that there was a pledge from Asper that the ‘Post formula’ would not be tinkered with. Wheras at the competition, the Globe focuses on the Asper pledge that profit will be in the Post’s future. Whatever the case you believe or coverage you invest in, the adage of ‘buyer beware’ is highly advisable.
Since he’s renounced his citizenship and no longer controls any papers in Canada, Conrad Black’s exit gives us pause. He needn’t invest to make Canada better, he is a businessman. His presence challenged many of us and I think made Canada better for it. This marks the begining of an interregnum, and for us of a conservative minded nature, hopefully a respite before a triumphant return. He will be missed.
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An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .