Good “tabloid” headline for this blog post — don’t you think? — and it’ good cuz it’s true! Let me explain:
Later this month, I and several of my Sun News Network colleagues will participate in an event called Freedom Weekend that Ezra Levant, host of The Source on Sun News Network, has organized. Here’s the nub of the idea: Most of the on-air talent you see on Sun News Network will hang out at a nice spot in Ontario’s Muskoka cottage country for a weekend and we’ll talk politics or whatever with those who want to join us.
Other news organizations have done stuff like this. The Globe and Mail, for example, did a 10-day luxury trip in 2008 with 500 paying guests. It sold out!
Hosted by Globe and Mail Publisher Phillip Crawley and Editor-in-Chief Edward Greenspon, the cruise features a custom itinerary designed specifically for the interests of Globe and Mail readers including: gourmet classes and demonstrations with Food Network celebrity chefs and The Globe and Mail‘s own Lucy Waverman; wine tastings hosted by Globe wine expert Beppi Crosariol; special shopping excursions led by Globe Life’s Amy Verner; and “behind the news” events with Globe and Mail columnists and editors including Margaret Wente, [Andrew] Willis, [current editorial board chair John Geiger, [current Ottawa bureau chief] John Ibbitson, and [after years reporting from Ottawa and just moving to Halifax] Jane Taber.
“The cruise is the ultimate brand extension,” commented Globe and Mail Publisher Phillip Crawley.
No wonder it sold out. Great food with Lucy, wine with Beppi, shopping with Amy all capped off with politics with John and Jane! (I kid here but in fact that sounded to me like a lot of fun for I quite enjoyed yakking with Beppi about booze when I worked at 444 Front and John and Jane do, in fact, know a lot about politics. Mind you: I couldn’t afford the freight … sigh)
So Ezra organized something similar for our network — great “brand extension.” I’ll be there. I’ll do what I do 7 days a a week no matter who’s listening – talk about politics, not from the perspective of any partisan viewpoint but from the perspective of “an independent.”
But — get this — John Miller, who is a “professor of journalism at Ryerson for 23 years… That followed a 20-year career as an editor and reporter.. at the Toronto Star, where he was foreign editor, founding editor of the Sunday Star, weekend editor, deputy managing editor, and acting managing editor.
He came to Ryerson as chair of the School of Journalism, and served in that position for 10 year..” says in a post at his blog that that I and my colleagues participating in Ezra’s “Freedom Weekend” are terrorists. Now I’ve been called names before but this one takes the friggin’ cake!
“… the last time a group of ideological warriors went north to train in the backwoods and plot to storm Parliament, blow up the CBC, seize the airwaves and spread terror across the land. Oh yeah, the Toronto 18 did that. Didn’t police arrest the lot of them and call them the gravest threat to our democracy?
I think a weekend with Ezra and friends could be something just like that.
The only thing that sets them apart from the Muslim extremists is that Sun Media will be charging you admission.
[read the whole post: Blog: Fun with Ezra]
And remember: The Star itself [in this excellent long-form series by Isabel Teotonio and elsewhere] agreess that it is accurate and appropriate to identify the Toronto 18 that Miller compares us to as “terrorists.”
C’mon professor Miller! Ain’t you jumping the shark a bit with that one?
Can’t any of you post these without spinning it up? If you are going to make up a headline and put words in other people’s mouths I don’t think you get to complain when you don’t like what you end up with.
Of course, it wouldn’t have anything to do with wanting a juicy headline manufactured out of nothing… would it?
Best part of Millers piece is where he points out that room prices at that hotel are about $200 per night. Personally, I would rather be the only woman on a Greek freighter than be trapped in the same hotel as Ezra.
Left wingers always go over the top when referring to anyone over anything perceived to be right of Mao Tse Tung. Komrad Miller being a perfect example. And why haven’t we heard from the TV show analyst Komrad Doyle lately?
Sun News: We can dish it, but we can’t take it.
The left has a completely different definition for ‘journalism’ than regular folk. For them, journalism is the profession of advocating for a larger and more inter-connected society. They begin with the premise that it is their honored duty to achieve a great society with maximum government and minimal individualism. For them, you are almost a terrorist because you are a traitor to the faith of journalism, actively cutting down the ideologically-inspired narratives of the lamestream media. Don’t take it personally. They just think you’re insane for not wanting the state to regulate, organize, and activate the people for drone duty.
@OG
Does pointing it out mean that one “can’t take it”? I think David is having some fun with this and highlighting just how intolerant the left is. No wonder most journalists are socialists when they have this guy teaching them!
I support you guys at Sun TV. Keep up the good work.
Those statements are from inside the bubble and common sense Canadians can see through them.
A professor mind you – supposedly schooling young minds in critical thinking etc. Jeesh!
Remember, this man teaches our children.
Insanity is alive and well in the fantasy world of acedemia.
Pathetic really.
Akin and friends have the thinnest skins of any group journalists across Canada.
Very well said David. This is what the Conservative government and Sun media is up against. The status quo is the only acceptable course for Canada because it was defined by Liberals who want the nanny state so that the folks can become dependent on them. Trouble is they have a PM and government who is not prepared to accept the status quo and is prepared to consider the welfare of the country. Are they perfect? Absolutely not. However, they are far better than the alternative of a socialist like Bob Rae leading the Liberal party.
Sun news is a terror news network only to the most warped, angry left wing bed wetter.
HAHAHA! Brillaint Dave! Way to call him out!
Professor Miller bills himself as “a qualified expert witness” in cases of defamation or libel.
IMO, that blog post disqualifies him as a “qualified” anything … except the expletive recently used by Pat Martin.
Wasn’t it Maggie Thatcher who said something like, When they start attacking you personally they don’t have any argument left.
The Star performs the same role for Toronto as Pravda does for Moscow and Mr. Miller is one of their poster boys. It’s a disquiting thought that Toronto academia has no problems allowing this intolerant man with a life long record of pushing the stale socialist agenda should be allowed to “teach/influence” young people who wish to become reporters or work in the field of journalism.
This guy has been teaching journalism for 25 years at Ryerson? No wonder Canadian media slants so far to the left.
Hey, David, I was engaging in satire. S-A-T-I-R-E. I wasn’t calling you a terrorist. I merely pointed out that the last people who acted like that were arrested as terrorists. I was having a little fun with you, in other words. The only difference between what I write and what often appears on your network is that you guys want to be taken seriously. I’d lighten up a wee bit and see what happens. You’d have more fun on your weekend in Muskoka if you do…..
Miller,
As you well know, the Toronto 18 were planning to blow up Parliament and behead the Prime Minister. To suggest that they have anything remotely in common with David or Ezra or Sun News generally is frankly just stupid, not to mention insulting to family of victims of REAL terrorists. To pretend you were just joking or writing “satire” is equally insulting… this is not a subject for jokes, and what you wrote just wasn’t funny. Not for the first time you should be ashamed of yourself.
-Chris
Well Mr. Miller, I read what you wrote with the concept of satire in mind and it got pretty close till the last paragraphs. Especially this line….
“Wow, that sounds like a cattle call for any white, barrel sucking immigrant hater who’s too stupid to find out the regular room rate at the Muskoka Marriott is only $199.”
Satire Fail! That sounds like you don’t understand who the people are that are watching Sun News.
http://www.virtualsalt.com/satire.htm
“… A reasonable definition of satire, then, is “a literary manner which blends a critical attitude with humor and wit to the end that human institutions or humanity may be improved. …”
The Miller version of satire displayed neither wit nor humour.
John Miller says “I was engaging in satire”.
Nice try.
Let’s look at your words, shall we?
-“train in the backwoods” – 1st lie.
-“plot to storm parliament” – 2nd lie
-“blow up the CBC” – 3d lie, in this context, the metaphor of “blowing up an institution” does not apply, not when you compare people to terrrorists.
-spread terror across the land – 4th lie
And the kicker, in case your brain dead readers didnt get the point:
“The only thing that sets them apart from the Muslim extremists is that Sun Media will be charging you admission.”
So that’s the only thing? Hmm, that’s not satire at all. That’s actually trying to equate Sun News staff as terrorists.
you tried a little metaphor and it sucked so you stretched all the way to being libelous and defamatory because you’re a terrible talentless hack.
How i enjoyed ezra’s show last night when he showed the student reviews that you received. You should check it out.