ALBERTA'S CORPORATE MEDIA HAS A RECORD OF UNDERSTATING BIGOTRY IN UCP
Progress Alberta's Bashir Mohamed notes that the corporate media in Alberta do little investigative reporting and that almost all of the revelations about racist comments (and one should add homophobic and misogynist comments) that have been reported were uncovered by Press Progress or by individuals on social media.
And then the corporate media use language in both headlines and articles that understate the blatant character of the bigotry. Comments that are clearly racist are simply labelled as "controversial."
No wonder that Jason Kenney is promising to go after Press Progress, the journal of the Broadbent Institute. He claims that they are a partisan force targeting his party. But he refuses to engage with their actual, well-researched materials much as he refuses to engage with generally well-researched materials by environmental organizations. Like his mentor Stephen Harper he favours censorship of his opponents over debate. And there is a great deal to debate. The UCP is replete with bigots, some of whom are now Cabinet ministers while others grace the government caucus. The impact of that on the government's decision-making ought to be a public issue. But the corporate media, flush with ads from the UCP during the election, are largely silent on the issue.
