The Newspaper Endorsement Edition

The column in which we question some seemingly outdated or outrageous traditions and conventions of modern day society.

When Canada held its first general election in 1867, the telegraph was the primary method for communication, the horse-car was a marvel in public transit, and a journey from Toronto to Ottawa took just under a week. As a result, Canada’s two partisan-owned national newspapers played an important role in helping confused white men decide how they should cast their vote. The issue could be put to rest by simply reading one of the two papers to find, “Surprise! We endorsed that dude…our owner!” However, news publications have evolved past a point of strict partisan alliances, and yet newspaper endorsements remain a persistent and undemocratic presence.  The absurdity of this can make one wonder: why is this still a thing?

Usually, Canadians merely bat their eyes at newspaper endorsements. This year, however, the practice was brought into the spotlight when The Globe and Mail published the single most illogical piece of editorial journalism in Canadian history. The paper recommended that Canadians should give the Conservative party another majority mandate, although not with Harper as leader. What type of fairyland does The Globe think we live in? The fact that they thought we’d genuinely believe King Steve would suddenly go home to Alberta after being handed another four years of being the most powerful man in the country is an insult to our intelligence.

Postmedia took a different approach through a typical militarized American fashion. They used subliminal messaging to recruit us to their “just cause” of balancing budgets and reporting our neighbours to the Barbaric Practice hotline.

Besides the absurdity and guile of Canadian newspapers during this election campaign, the history of party endorsements and the reflection it has of corporate Canada should set off alarm bells in voter’s minds. As mentioned earlier, this is no new practice in Canadian politics. Canada’s most prominent political leaders have owned newspapers since George Brown in 1867, and they often endorsed themselves in it. When Toronto Star founder James Simpson ran for mayor in 1935, the Star was the only paper to endorse him. Although Simpson was a pretty cool guy and one of the few politicians in North America to object to the Olympic Games being held in Nazi Germany, he lasted less than a year as mayor.

Newspapers have always been stepping up to bat for their guy (and yes, it’s always ‘guy’,) but its even more daunting today. Corporate Canada owns our national newspapers. The Globe and Mail is loosely related to Bell Canada, and the infamous American Investment Group, Goldman Sachs, have their fingers in The National Post. It should not come as a surprise when both endorsed Canada’s “big business” party. The Conservative Party’s lower wealth taxes are certainly appealing to some balding white guys in a boardroom who collect seven figure salaries. A Conservative victory last month would have meant an extra cruise for the wives, and a country club membership for little Jimmy.

One of the pillars of a democratic society is freedom of the press. If we continue to endure this archaic practice, the health of Canada’s democracy will be called into question. We didn’t ask for Corporate Canada’s advice on how to vote, nor do we need it.

Featured image courtesy of BuzzFeed