by arthur Weinreb
Monday, September 18, 2006
The media that is so good at doing in depth analysis of governments and other industries can never seem to examine the role of the media in today's society. a good illustration of the media ignoring the role of the media can be found in the editorial that appeared in the Toronto Sun last Thursday, the day after the shootings at Dawson College in Montreal.
Entitled "a day for prayer, not rhetoric," the Sun criticized those who were spouting rhetoric about the Montreal shootings so soon after they occurred and before all of the facts were in. according to the editorial, this was not the time to debate such issues as Canada's long gun registry or such topics as violent video games; rather it was a time for prayer. The debating of issues so soon after the events at Dawson College was "what happened when ideology trumps humanity".
The Sun's position of prayers over rhetoric was the typical elite lecture of do what I say, not what I do.
Can a tree that falls in a forest make a sound if no one is around to hear it? Can there really be "rhetoric" if the media isn't there to disseminate it?
While the rhetoric around such issues as gun control, Goth culture, violent video games and the Internet hasn't built to the level that it undoubtedly will in the coming weeks, the media in the hours after the shootings were hardly confined to reflection and prayer. In the same issue of the Toronto Sun that was editorially stating that his was not the time for rhetoric, an article by Kathleen Harris was quoting Wendy Cukier, the head of the Coaltion for Gun Control. Before the bodies were even removed from the college, Cukier, a Ryerson University professor was quoted as saying that in light of the shootings, the federal government should rethink its plans to scrap the long gun registry. This statement was made and published before it was confirmed that the shooter, 25-year-old Kamveer Gill, was a member of a gun club and that the three weapons he took into Dawson College last Wednesday were all legal and registered. The long gun registry was in place, the guns were legal, and the effect that the gun registry had on preventing the shootings was zero.
Now, Ms. Cukier would be the last person in Canada that we would expect to hold a gun to the head of journalists and editors to get her "rhetoric" out there. We can only assume that the media that was arguing that there should be no rhetoric sought her out for comment.
The Toronto Sun was, of course not the only offender in the dissemination of rhetoric that came out almost instantaneously with the Montreal shootings. all major news networks, including CNN, Fox and MSNBC in the U.S. were providing continuous coverage as the drama was unfolding. While the talking heads were waiting for more information from the Montreal authorities there was constant speculation about the shooter and what his motivation was. Given the way that news is presented in the 21st century, the flow of speculative rhetoric was to be expected and there is nothing particularly wrong with this. But the hypocrisy of the Toronto Sun in condescendingly telling us that this was not the time for rhetoric when they are part of the industry is responsible for it was breathtaking. The editorial writer completely ignored what the role of the media was in the events that transpired in Montreal last week.
The lecture in the editorial to reflect and pray rather than spout rhetoric at least provided a bit of humour in an otherwise tragic situation.
Pursuant to Title 17 U.S.C. 107, other copyrighted work is provided for educational purposes, research, critical comment, or debate without profit or payment. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for your own purposes beyond the 'fair use' exception, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Views are those of authors and not necessarily those of Canada Free Press. Content is Copyright 1997-2024 the individual authors. Site Copyright 1997-2024 Canada Free Press.Com Privacy Statement