2008 Alberta Press Council Annual Report

Medicine Hat Office - Alberta Press Council
Contact Information:
P.O. Box 2576
Medicine Hat, Alberta
T1A 8G8
Phone:
Fax:
Email:
Website:
(403) 580-4104
(403) 580-4010
[email protected]
www.albertapresscouncil.ca
Alberta Press Council
2008 Annual Report
Table of Contents
Message from the Chair
4
The Alberta Press Council
6
Sponsoring Members
7
Council Members
9
Canadian Press Councils
10
Code of Practice
11
Essay Competition
13
Financial Statements
18
Member Biographies
21
Retiring Members
24
Complaint Procedures
25
Complaint Statistics
27
Personal Information and Privacy Issues
28
Message from the
Chair
I am pleased to provide this message as part of the
Alberta Press Council’s annual report for 2008.
Our office received a variety of requests for information as well as complaints in 2009. These are summarized in this report on page 27. With respect to the
Mr. Ed Kamps
complaint adjudication process, of note this year was
our first adjudication via conference call. Due to our desire to respond to complaints in a timely manner, to
resolve scheduling conflicts in arranging a face-to-face meeting, and to manage our meeting expenses, we
were able to conduct the adjudication by teleconference, in a fair manner while following all the procedural
requirements.
The Alberta Press Council (APC) continues its focus on education and awareness. In 2008 the Council
was part of the Alberta Weekly Newspaper Association (AWNA) Annual Newspaper Symposium January
25-27 in Edmonton. Paul Cashman, press member from the Edmonton Journal, and Colleen Wilson, APC
Executive Secretary-Treasurer, spoke about our complaint/adjudication process. Colleen also spoke about
the role of APC to the board at the AWNA board meeting Friday morning.
The APC Spring Meeting was held in Edmonton in conjunction with the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ). This allowed our members to attend many of the CAJ sessions. The
sessions were very informative, especially for our APC public members. A summary of CAJ conference
sessions was provided for our records and for members who were not able to attend the conference or a particular session. We also had a display table. Overall, it was a great opportunity to interact and promote the
APC with the several hundred CAJ members from across Canada.
For several years the Alberta Press Council has sponsored a public forum. In 2008, the Edmonton Journal and the Sociology Department’s Criminology program at the University of Alberta, partnered with the
Alberta Press Council to provide a public forum titled “Youth, Crime and the Media - Are Readers Getting
the Whole Story?” The session focused on the fact that youth crime is often front-page news and forces
reporters and editors to make tough decisions about what can and should be published. The session also
examined the legal constraints on the media and how news coverage shapes public attitudes on this controversial issue. Just over 200 people attended.
2008 Annual Report
I want to thank our scholarship committee for its diligent work on the 2008 essay competition. The topic
was “Has Newspaper Reporting on Crime Become Too Sensational? and coincided nicely with the topic for
our public forum. Council received 41 entries from grade 12 students across the province. I read the essays,
and was very impressed with the quality and the range of perspectives. The two winning essays are included
in this report.
World Press Freedom Day was May 3rd. To provide visible support for this day and what it represents,
I sent a letter on behalf of APC to our member newspapers. The letter was published very widely. We have
also added a website notation.
The Alberta Press Council is one of a number of other councils across Canada. This past year saw a
greater coordination and collaboration among the councils as APC initiated a process of quarterly conference calls with the other provincial organizations to exchange information and learn from each other. In October Colleen and I attended the bi-annual conference of Canadian Press Councils in Montreal. I was invited
to be part of a panel discussion on the Future of Press Councils in Canada.
We launched the Alberta Press Council newsletter at our fall meeting. The newsletter is another attempt
to raise our visibility, and increase our communication with our stakeholders. The newsletter is also available on the website and we have received very positive comments on its quality.
On the financial side, we continued to manage our affairs quite closely, balancing the desire to do more
with the realities of a small budget. To ensure fairness in the assessment formula used in determining member contributions to the budget of APC, we struck an ad hoc committee to review the fee structure. A full
financial report is included in this annual report.
In 2008 we also added a couple of new members to APC. Steven Wright is the public member from the
Fort McMurray Today readership area and Darrell Winwood is the press member from the Grande Prairie
Daily-Herald Tribune. We are pleased to add these two members to the breadth of talent in our group. Colleen Wilson, former chair of APC, is in her 2nd year as Executive Secretary-Treasurer. Colleen’s knowledge
and experience with the Alberta Press Council, as well as her organizational skills, has been invaluable.
Thank you to our press and public members for their commitment and active involvement in the Council.
Respectfully submitted,
Ed Kamps
Chair
Alberta Press Council
The Alberta Press Council
The Alberta Press Council was established in 1972 and is noted for being Canada’s first press council. It
is an independent, voluntary body that serves to protect the public’s interest in and ensures access to full, fair
and accurate news reporting. The Press Council serves to preserve the freedom of the press while providing
a forum for greater understanding and communication between the press and the public.
The mandate of the Alberta Press Council is:
1) to adjudicate complaints against our print-media members;
2) to defend the established freedoms of the press.
The Council does not monitor its print media members. It is presumed that the member newspapers are
responsible bodies with their own codes of practice. The Council may not tell any newspaper what it may or
may not publish. To do so would be to infringe upon the established freedoms of the press.
The Press Council is not a government body at any level but is a non-profit organization which receives
no government funding or grants for its operations. The Public Council members volunteer time from their
various occupations in order to serve the Council.
The Council is comprised of a public member Chair, an Executive Secretary-Treasurer plus eight public
members and eight press members. Public members are solicited by advertisement from the readership area
of the newspapers where a vacancy occurs. Press members are appointed by their newspapers. Public members are appointed for an initial three year term and may be invited to serve a second term at the discretion
of the Press Council. The Chair is selected by the Council from its members.
For further information you are invited to visit: www.albertapresscouncil.ca
Request for information:
We are compiling our past history and invite anyone with files or records of the Alberta Press
Council 1972 onwards to contact our office so that we can access former information and records. We
want to document our history and unfortunately past records are sparse. Thank you for assisting us
in this worthwhile project. Please call 1-888-580-4104 or 1-403-580-4104 or [email protected] if you
can assist us. Thanks! Colleen Wilson, Executive Secretary-Treasurer.
2008 Annual Report
Sponsoring Members
CALGARY HERALD
P.O. Box 2400, Station M
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 0W8
EDMONTON JOURNAL
P.O. Box 2421
Edmonton, Alberta
T5J 2S6
FORT MCMURRAY TODAY
P.O. Bag 4008
Fort McMurray, Alberta
T9H 3G1
GRANDE PRAIRIE DAILY-HERALD TRIBUNE
Bag 3000, 10604 – 100 Street
Grande Prairie, Alberta
T8V 2M5
LETHBRIDGE HERALD
P.O. Box 670
Lethbridge, Alberta
T1J 3Z7
MEDICINE HAT NEWS
P.O. Box 10
Medicine Hat, Alberta
T1A 7E6
RED DEER ADVOCATE
P.O. Bag 5200
Red Deer, Alberta
T4N 5G3
Alberta Press Council
ALBERTA WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION
#800, 4445 Calgary Trail
Edmonton, Alberta
T6H 5R7
Airdrie Echo
Athabasca Advocate
Banff Crag and Canyon
Airdrie City View
Barrhead Leader
Bashaw Star
Bassano Times
Beaumont News
Beaverlodge Advertiser
Bonnyville Nouvelle
Bow Island Commentator
Brooks & County Chronicle
Brooks Bulletin
Brooks Weekender
Calgary Fast Forward Weekly
Camrose Canadian
Canmore Leader
Canmore/ Banff Rocky Mountain
Outlook
Cardston Star
Carstairs Courier
Castor Advance
Claresholm Local Press
Coaldale Sunny South News
Cochrane Times
Cold Lake Sun
Consort Enterprise
Coronation Review
Crowsnest Pass Herald
Crowsnest Pass Promoter
Devon Dispatch
Didsbury Review
Drayton Western Valley Review
Drumheller Mail
Drumheller Valley Times
Eckville Echo
Edmonton Examiner
Edmonton SEE Magazine
Edson Leader
Elk Point Review
Fairview Post
Falher Smoky River Express
2008 Annual Report
Ft Chipewyan/Fort Smith Slave
River Journal
Fort Macleod Gazette
Fort Saskatchewan Record
Fort Simpson Deh Cho Drum
Fox Creek Times
Grande Cache Mountaineer
Hanna Herald
Hay River Hub
High Prairie South Peace News
High River Times
Hinton Parklander
Innisfail Province
Inuvik Drum
Irricana Rocky View Weekly
Jasper Booster
Lac La Biche Post
Lacombe Globe
Lamont Farm ‘n’ Friends
Leduc Representative
Lethbridge Sun Times
Lloydminster Meridian Booster
Magrath-Raymond Westwind
Weekly News
Mayerthorpe Freelancer
Millet Pipestone Flyer
Morinville Free Press
Morinville Mirror
Nanton News
Okotoks Western Wheel
Olds Albertan
Oyen Echo
Peace River Record-Gazette
Pincher Creek Echo
Ponoka News
Provost News
Red Deer Express
Redwater Review
Redwater Tribune
Rimbey Review
Rocky Mountain House Mountaineer
Rycroft Central Peace Signal
Sedgewick Community Press
Sherwood Park News
Slave Lake Lakeside Leader
Slave Lake Scope
Smoky Lake Signal
Spruce Grove Examiner
St. Albert Gazette
St. Albert Saint City News
St. Paul Journal
Stettler Independent
Stony Plain Reporter
Strathmore Standard
Sundre Round-Up
Swan Hills Grizzly Gazette
Sylvan Lake News
Taber Times
Three Hills Capital
Tofield Mercury
Two Hills & County Chronicle
Valleyview Valley Views
Vauxhall Advance
Vegreville Observer
Vermilion Standard
Viking Weekly Review
Vulcan Advocate
Wabasca Fever
Wainwright Edge
Wainwright Review
Wainwright Star Chronicle
Westlock News
Wetaskiwin Times Advertiser
Whitecourt Star
Yellowknife Yellowknifer
Council Members
PRESS MEMBERS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Nigel Hannaford
Paul Cashman
Dan MacEachern
Darrell Winwood
Doyle MacKinnon/Dawn Sugimoto
Alan Poirier
Lee Giles
Clare Gauvreau
Calgary Herald
Edmonton Journal
Fort McMurray Today
Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune
Lethbridge Herald
Medicine Hat News
Red Deer Advocate
AWNA Representative
PUBLIC MEMBERS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Tanis Fiss
Muriel Ross Abdurahman
Steven Wright
Dr. Jerry Petryshyn
Dr. Ian MacLachlan
David Forbes
Dr. Joan Scott
Mary Jane Harper
Chair
Executive Secretary-Treasurer
Calgary
Edmonton
Fort McMurray
Grande Prairie
Lethbridge
Medicine Hat
Red Deer
AWNA
Ed Kamps
Colleen Wilson
First Alberta Press Council, Edmonton, Alberta
December 6, 1972
Photographer/Illustrator: Edmonton Journal, Edmonton, Alberta
L-R: Bill Gold, of the Calgary Herald, Alberta; Roy Jamha; D.E. Batchelor;
Len Hanson, of Grande Prairie, Alberta; William Scott, Grande Prairie Herald
Tribune; Honourable C.C. McLaurin, chairman; Parker Kent, executive secretary; Clarence Heringer, of the Medicine Hat News, Medicine Hat, Alberta;
W.D.C. de Balinhard, of Red Deer, Alberta; Mrs. Olive Elliott, Edmonton
Journal.
Jamha, Batchelor, Hanson and de Balinhard were citizen representatives.
Alberta Press Council
Canadian Press Councils
British Columbia Press Council
Chair: Jack Whittaker
Executive Director: Rollie Rose
201 Selby Street
Nanaimo, British Columbia V9R 2R2
Phone (250) 245-1051 Fax (250) 245-1060
E-mail: [email protected]
Atlantic Press Council
Chair: George Mitchell
Executive Secretary: Ken Sims
P.O. Box 1300
Antigonsih, Nova Scotia, B2G 2L7
Phone (902) 735-3014 Fax (902) 862-1943
E-mail: [email protected]
Alberta Press Council
Chair: Ed Kamps
Executive Secretary-Treasurer: Colleen Wilson
P.O. Box 2576
Medicine Hat, Alberta T1A 8G8
Phone (403) 580-4104 Fax (403) 580-4010
In Alberta – 1-888-580-4104
E-mail: [email protected]
Conseil de presse du Quebec
President: Raymond Corriveau
Secretaire General: Guy Amyot
1000 rue Fullum, 2e etage, Bureau C 208
Montreal, Quebec H2K 3L7
Phone (514) 529-2818 Fax (514) 873-4434
E-mail: [email protected]
Manitoba Press Council
Chair: John Cochrane
Executive Secretary Treasurer: Diane Cullen
Unit 4, 2015 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3J 0K3
Phone (204) 889-0021 Fax (204) 889-0021
E-mail: [email protected]
Ontario Press Council
Chair: Bob Elgie
Executive Secretary: Mel Sufrin
2 Carton Street, Suite 1706
Toronto, Ontario M5B 1J3
Phone (416) 340-1981 Fax (416) 340-8724
E-mail: [email protected]
2008 Annual Report
*****************************************
*We also acknowledge the Press Complaints Commission, United Kingdom and in particular
William Gore, Public Relations Director who has
become a friend and source of information
to the Alberta Press Council. His presence at the
meeting in Montreal in October of Canadian Press
Councils in Canada and on the panel with our chair
Ed Kamps on the Future of Press Councils was
a bonus to all in attendance. This relationship
started when our Executive Secretary-Treasurer
visited the Press Complaints Commission in London
England two years ago while on a personal vacation.
******************************************
10
Code of Practice
Newspapers, periodicals and journalists have a duty to defend the freedom of the Press in the interest of
the public, and to resist censorship. Unethical conduct jeopardizes this objective.
ACCURACY
1. It is the duty of the newspapers to avoid publishing inaccurate or misleading statements and further, it is
the duty of newspapers to correct promptly, and with due prominence, significant inaccuracies or such
misleading statements.
OPPORTUNITY TO REPLY
2.It is the duty of newspapers to allow a fair opportunity for reply when reasonably called for. Individuals
and organizations should be given a fair and reasonable opportunity to reply to a personal attack or criticism.
PRIVACY
3. Publishing material or making inquiries about the private lives of individuals without their consent is not acceptable unless these are in the public interest overriding the right of privacy.
BALANCE
4. A newspaper has an obligation to make all reasonable efforts to pursue comment from any person or
organization about whom it publishes, or plans to publish, damaging statements in a news story.
JOURNALISM OF OPINION
5. Newspapers are free to exercise the widest possible latitude in expressing opinions, no matter how controversial or unpopular the opinions may be. Columnists, editorial cartoonists and others should have the
same latitude in expressing opinion, but when they present what purports to be a statement of fact, they
should strive to ensure it is accurate. Journalists should clearly distinguish between comment and fact,
and conjecture should not be expressed as a statement of fact. Opinions should be distinguishable from
news stories.
Newspapers should provide a forum for the exchange of comment and criticism, especially when such
comment is opposed to its editorial position.
SUBTERFUGE
6. Newspapers and journalists serving them should use straightforward means to obtain information or pictures. Their use of subterfuge can be justified only to obtain material which ought to be published in the
public interest and could not be obtained by any other means.
PAYMENT FOR ARTICLES
7. Payments or offers of payment for stories, pictures or information should not be made to witnesses or
potential witnesses in current criminal proceedings, or to people engaged in crime or their associates, except where the material concerned ought to be published in the public interest and the payment is necessary to enable this to be done.
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Alberta Press Council
INTRUSION INTO GRIEF
8. Newspapers and journalists serving them should in general avoid intruding into personal grief. Inquiries
should be carried out with sympathy and discretion.
INNOCENT RELATIVES
9. Newspapers should exercise care and discretion before identifying relatives of persons convicted or accused of crimes where the reference to them is not directly relevant to the matter reported.
INTERVIEWING CHILDREN
10.Journalists should exercise discretion when interviewing a child under the age of 18 or a dependent
adult, in the absence of, or without the consent of, a parent or guardian.
CHILDREN IN SEX CASES
11.Save in exceptional circumstances, newspapers should not, even where the law permits it, identify
children under the age of 18 as victims, witnesses or defendants involved in cases concerning sexual offences.
SEXUAL OFFENCES
12.Newspapers should not identify victims of sexual offences, or publish material likely to contribute to
such identification.
PICTURES
13.The APC recognizes the importance of newspapers having the widest possible latitude to publish images. Newspapers should consider the impact on their readers of publishing pictures which are prurient,
gratuitously violent or which needlessly cause distress.
DISCRIMINATION
14.Newspapers should not publish material likely to encourage discrimination, in particular, discrimination based on the race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, mental or
physical disability, and should avoid reference to such matters in prejudicial or pejorative contexts unless
they are directly relevant to the story.
FINANCIAL JOURNALISM
15.Journalists should not use for their own profit financial information they receive in advance of its general
publication.
HOSPITALS
16.Journalists making inquiries at hospitals or similar institutions should identify themselves to a responsible official before entering, except in very rare cases where information which ought to be disclosed
could not otherwise be obtained.
CONFIDENTIAL SOURCES
17.Journalists have an obligation to protect confidential sources of information. New sources should be
disclosed to readers in a news story unless there is a compelling reason not to do so.
2008 Annual Report
12
Essay Competition
The Alberta Press Council, in 2008 awarded a $1,500 scholarship to assist a Grade 12 student to pursue
post secondary studies. A second place prize for $500 was also awarded. The selection for the award is
based on an essay contest with essays judged by members of the Alberta Press Council Scholarship Committee.
Ed Kamps, chair of the Alberta Press Council is pleased to announce that the scholarship of $1500. was
presented to Caitlin Marie Fortier, a grade twelve student at Sturgeon Composite High School, Namao, AB.
Ms. Fortier lives in Gibbons, AB. and attended the University of Alberta this fall.
Caitlin’s essay titled:
“Treasure in the Trash: Why Society Needs Sensationalism”
was judged to be the winning essay over 41 submissions received on the topic:
“Has Newspaper Reporting On Crime Become Too Sensational?”
The 2008 scholarship of $500 was presented to Ms. Lynsey Grosfield, a grade twelve student at Bev
Facey Community High School, Sherwood Park, AB. Ms. Grosfield attended McGill University in Montreal, Quebec this year.
Lynsey’s essay titled:
“Sordid Stories of Scandals, Sex and Slayings”
was judged to be the second place essay over 41 submissions received on the topic:
“Has Newspaper Reporting on Crime Become Too Sensational?”
Dr. Ian MacLachlan, chair of the Scholarship Committee states: the scholarship committee comprised of
Tanis Fiss, public member, Calgary Herald readership area; Clare Gauvreau, press member, AWNA and David Forbes, public member, Medicine Hat News readership area “has now completed its work and read and
graded 41 essays that were received from across the province from grade twelve students”. “The scholarship
committee spent considerable time reviewing and scoring each paper based on creativity, style and content.
The winning essays were selected from among a large and competitive field with many fine qualities and
interesting arguments about crime reporting in newspapers. The difficult adjudication process was made all
the more challenging by the high quality of essays received”. Each student submitting an essay “brought
their intellect to bear on a problem of social relevance and this was done very well indeed.”
The text of Ms. Fortier’s and Ms. Grosfield’s essays follow.
13
Alberta Press Council
Treasure in the Trash: Why Society Needs Sensationalism
by Caitlin Marie Fortier
Whether they want to admit it or not, everyone loves to look at car crashes, tut-tut over a
neighbor’s private scandal or speculate wildly as to what the neighborhood youths might be doing
when their parents aren’t looking. In gawking at someone’s misfortune or in creating juicy stories
out of an insignificant incident we reaffirm our own sense of security and intrinsic goodness (generally by reflecting on someone else’s lack thereof) while doing so can be an important source of
entertainment. Therefore, does it not make sense that reporters, as faithful servants to the public
good, should assist in this? If a “hack reporter” can make at least one person feel intellectually or
morally superior, isn’t he doing just as much good as a strict disciple of objective facts? By picking
up on even the most mundane of petty thefts, drug busts or by endlessly repeating the same facts
with slightly different theories or tragic accidents or murders, various news agencies are fulfilling
two very important human needs at once: the need to be entertained and a certain thirst for knowledge. Lastly, spinning a human tragedy into a vast epic of good versus evil also enables us to
create a modern mythology of villains, victims and heroes, although these stories tend to contain
much more of the first two. With this information in mind, it becomes apparent that the question “is
crime reporting too sensational?” can only be answered by a resounding cry of “why isn’t it sensational enough?”
One easy way to make anyone feel better is to point out how unlucky, immoral or just plain
stupid someone else is. Case in point: “Kentucky Prisoner Punches out Court-Appointed Council” (February 7, Edmonton Sun). Nothing makes even the more egregious everyday breaches
of common sense seem almost intelligent quite like reading about someone “punching out” the
person responsible for your defense while you’re actually in the courtroom. True, this is a small
incident happening far away that would probably not affect the average Edmontonian, but its irrelevance is more than offset by the fact that even someone reading this article in a jail cell can feel
reassured by the contrast between the accused man in Kentucky and him or herself. In bringing to
light these obscure instances of exceedingly poor judgment and low personal moral standards, the
writer helps to reinforce the reader’s own personal feeling of self-worth, which can most definitely
have a positive affect or communities or society as a whole. After all, low self-esteem has been
associated with a host of problems—alcohol and drug abuse, gambling addiction, eating disorders
and suicide being only the tip of the iceberg—so by bringing to light and ridiculing such acts, much
good can be done.
Often it is suggested that people today are less well-informed about their world than they
should be. While it is important to be aware of the events taking place in our communities and
around the world, sometimes it may be tiresome for some to wade through long print articles with
dull headlines in order to gain this necessary information. Thus, snappy headlines such as “‘Dr.
Horror’ Arrested in Nepal”1 (The Hamilton Spectator, Feb 7/2008), attract the readers attention
and lead them to read the story more easily than “Brampton MD Found in Nepal” (The Toronto
Star, Feb 7/2008). Although both articles both involve the same instance of a doctor accused of
heading an illegal organ-smuggling ring which “forcibly removed” the organs in question from
impoverished victims, the Hamilton version of the story is more sensationally presented, and thus
more appealing to the reader’s desire to be entertained while still imparting approximately the
same information. As attention spans decrease in children, this presentation will become even
more important in the future when these easily-distracted youngsters become old enough to pay
attention to the news, and require at least some entertainment value mixed with the information
just to stay somewhat focused.
2008 Annual Report
14
One important facet of any culture is folklore, which expresses and reinforces cultural values and
lessons2. Like the ancient village storyteller, a sensationalist reporter can use a basis of fact in order
to create a sort of modern folklore that captivates the viewer or reader, while revealing important socio
ethical rules of the culture it is a part of. Take, for instance, the famous murder of Laci Peterson by her
husband. Although one way of looking at this case is from the perspective that this is just a tragedy
and crime, the way that this story was perceived and reported reflected the values of the culture. For
instance, take this example from a story that ran in the National Enquirer:
“In a bombshell death row confession, Scott Peterson has at last revealed how he mercilessly
strangled his pregnant wife Laci as she happily watched a Martha Stewart TV show. Then the coldblooded monster calmly read “Playboy” in his fishing boat before dumping her body overboard” (Dec
12, 2007)
Not only does this come from an issue published more than five years after the crime3 (indicating
that there is a definite public interest) but the writer has stated quite bluntly that Scott Peterson is a
“coldblooded monster” and suggests that he is some sort of pervert by mentioning his choice of reading material. By contrast, Laci was presented in The Enquirer as a “pretty mom-to-be, filled with hope
and dreams for the future”, solidly portraying her as a pure innocent. Although simplifying something
as complicated as a murder case into “good vs. evil” will always sacrifice some of the objectivity and
subtlety, by presenting the murder in a black-and-white manner, the story is easier to understand.
When viewed in this way, the endless coverage and volumes of editorials devoted to this case and
various theories as to what happened (no matter how sensational) are not the exploitation of a crime
by the press, but simply a natural response to the case based on the cultural need for villains and
victims to reaffirm our own beliefs.
Given the previous arguments, it becomes apparent that the sensational reports of crimes are
desirable and beneficial. Turning a single event from just another murder into a tale of good and evil
reaffirms cultural values, and by making the news more accessible greater viewership and/or readership can be achieved. By bringing out the most salacious aspects of a case, it can also reinforce
the self-worth of the reader. It is simply human nature to enjoy a sensational story, and if there is one
thing that tabloid news stories have to teach us, it is that no good can come with defying the natural
order.
**************************************
Sordid Stories of Scandals, Sex, and Slayings
By Lynsey Grosfield
Newspapers have always treated crime as fodder for a good story rather than a bane on society. Stories of murder, rape, theft, tax evasion, extortion, insider trading and other transgressions are
often more thrilling than a drugstore novel to the public that reads them. The phenomenon is similar
to that of the media obsession with celebrities; the stories are about a real person and therefore they
become all the more intriguing. To a certain degree the public tend to only read the stories that are
about crime or negativity: to gain readership the papers sensationalize the stories of crime. The public
is comprised of voyeurs; ‘persistent observer[s] of misery [and] scandal …fascinated [by] distressing,
sordid, or scandalous events’1. This, however, is not a new development; it has been going on since
papers have been published. Newspaper reporting on crime has not become too sensational; it is the
voyeur in us that seeks the sensationalism in what we read.
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Alberta Press Council
Three recent high profile cases in Canada have effectively demonstrated that sensationalized portraits of crime sell papers. In the first case the accused has been given a moniker reminiscent of a James Bond Villain; in the second the convicted is described as a sick and deranged
serial killer that targets women in the sex industry; and in the last the accused is oft quoted in his
most insolent moments, making him appear as though he is utterly without a conscience. The stories read like the inside jacket of a novel, and they comprise the daily news.
Amit Kumar, or “Dr. Horror”, is the purported doctor behind a series of illegal
1. Encarta Dictionary North America
kidney “donations” and transplants. The idea of an illegal organ market is so unlike anything that
Canada experiences that the public interest and curiosity has been understandably piqued. He
and his family resided in Toronto in a suburban area; no doubt the other neighborhood residents
were tickled by the idea that such a villain could be their neighbor. His story grabbed front pages
in all over the world as he trotted through India and Canada and was arrested in Nepal.
The Toronto Star Reports that: “Kumar apparently asked for a copy of the English daily,
which carried a front-page story of the global manhunt for him, then minutes later, returned it to
the front desk with the article cut out.”2 The public read stories of an international manhunt while
murder and crime were going on in their own backyards: this story was much more glamorous
because of all of the parties involved.
The faces of twenty-six murdered sex workers were plastered all over front pages when
Robert Pickton was arrested. He used a meat grinder to dispose of the bodies. In some cases the
largest fragment of a human body that could be found was a finger. It is morbid and disgusting;
and it was widely read. Canadians clung to every story of forensic evidence being released as if
Horatio Kane of CSI Miami were the investigator. Readers are able to remove themselves from
the story because they simply cannot sympathize with a sex worker or a street person. The very
fact that a person reads this gruesome tale in the newspaper creates distance; the story has not
caused mourning, it has caused a series of media theories related to local problems such as the
cases of over a dozen
2. The Toronto Star online article: “‘Dr. Horror’ nabbed” by Dale Brazao and Noor Javed
murdered women in the Edmonton area.
The papers have jumped on board with this story and are now marketing the Edmonton
slayings as “Another Pickton?” The Globe and Mail headlines state: “Mounties finally admit serial
killer is prowling Edmonton.”3 The language used, such as the use of the word ‘prowling’, creates
an emotional response in the reader. It is structured to deliver a message of fear and intrigue.
Conrad Black skimmed millions off the top; gave up his Canadian citizenship, and has been
sentenced to seventy-eight months in prison in the United States. The story in and of itself is sensational; one can picture a feature film starring Robert De Niro as the surly plaintiff. A Canadian
history magazine, “The Beaver”, recently rated Conrad Black as the tenth worst Canadian in an
online poll4. Ironically he made his fortune as a newspaper mogul; at one point he owned fiftyfive percent of the daily newspapers in Canada5. The National Post, which he founded, now runs
articles about his downfall. The newspapers, including those he formerly owned, simply exploited
the trend of bashing him.
Mr. Black is an exceedingly quotable villain; papers sensationalized his villainy by using his
own quotes out of context. Headlines from CBC news online were attention grabbing, such as:
“Unrepentant Conrad Black awaits his sentence”; “Prison would be a ‘bore,’ Conrad Black says”;
“‘I still expect to win,’ Black says”; and “Conrad Black vows he’ll be back”6. Once the papers had
created a particular portrait of Mr. Black they
2008 Annual Report
16
3. Globe and Mail online article by Katherine Harding
4. Canada’s National History Society website; The Beaver Magazine article is based on a
survey of 15 000 online voters to determine the “Worst Canadians”
5. The Toronto Star online article: “A Conrad Black Timeline” compiled by David Olive
6. Headlines from http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/black_conrad
developed his character as any playwright or novelist would. The papers drew on his worst qualities to write stories that would voyeuristically involve the reader in Black’s complex and crime
riddled world. Most can only dream of having millions of dollars to steal; Conrad Black had it all,
and everyone was there to enjoy his fall from grace.
Although the events of these stories have caused pain for the parties involved; they are
still spread across the pages of the Edmonton Journal, The Calgary Herald, and The National
Post (much to the pleasure and interest of the readers). Some call the societal fascination with
crime “sick”, others call in “natural”: both sides are still buying the papers and reading the stories
because newspapers give readers exactly what they want. These news stories offer a real life
version of C.S.I., Law and Order, and Cold Case rolled into one. Sensationalism is part of what
defines a news story; society demands that the stories are fast-paced and full of sordid details in
order to satisfy its fascination with scandal, sex, and slayings.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Encarta Dictionary North America
CBC News online: www.cbc.ca
The Toronto Star online: www.thestar.com
The Globe and Mail online: www.globeandmail.com
Canada’s History Society online: www.historysociety.ca
Mr. Ed Kamps presenting the 2008 Essay Competition first
place prize to Caitlin Marie Fortier.
Mr. Ed Kamps presenting the 2008 Essay Competition second
place prize to Leslie Grosfield
17
Alberta Press Council
2008 Annual Report
18
19
Alberta Press Council
2008 Annual Report
20
Member Biographies
PAUL CASHMAN was appointed to the Alberta Press Council in 2002 as the Press Member representing
the Edmonton Journal. Paul is an Edmonton native and University of Alberta graduate who has spent 30
years as a reporter and editor with the Edmonton Journal. He currently is editor of the business section of
the Edmonton Journal.
MURIEL ROSS ABDURAHMAN was elected to the Alberta Press Council in 2003 as the Public Member
for the Edmonton Journal readership area. She is a former Registered Fevers Nurse, educated in Scotland.
She emigrated to Alberta, Canada with her husband Dr. Abdul Abdurahman and four children in 1968.
Muriel has been involved in the community as former councilor and mayor of Fort Saskatchewan and then
subsequently as MLA for the constituency of Clover Bar-Fort Saskatchewan. She also served on numerous
health and municipal related boards and committees including the Premiers Advisory Council on Health
and the Strathcona Youth Justice Committee. Presently she serves as chair of the Strathcona County Library
Board, is a member of the Alberta Hospital Privileges Appeal Board and the public member of the Alberta
Research Ethics Community Consensus Initiative (ARECCI).
NIGEL HANNAFORD was appointed to the Alberta Press Council in 2003 as the Press Member representing the Calgary Herald. Nigel is currently on the editorial board of the Calgary Herald.
Born in Plymouth, he took his post-secondary education at Southampton University in Great Britain in the
field of Political Science and International Studies. He also completed a Management Development Course
similar to an MBA.
After immigrating to Canada in 1974, his early years in Canada led him to the North. He was a reporter and
editor of the Alaska Highway News for Sterling Newspapers Ltd. from 1975-1985.
From 1985-2000 Nigel was publisher of the Alberni Valley Times in Port Alberni, B.C. for Sterling Newspapers Ltd/Hollinger Limited Partnership. Concurrently, he was regional manager for northern Vancouver
Island. He was a member of the B.C. Press Council from 1995-2000.
TANIS FISS was elected to the Alberta Press Council in 2007 as Public Member for the Calgary Herald
readership area. Tanis resides in Calgary and provides external communications and government relations
for Keyera Energy. Prior to joining Keyera, Tanis worked for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation as a national spokesperson. Tanis earned a commerce degree from Royal Roads University in Victoria, BC.
DAN MACEACHERN was appointed to the Alberta Press Council in 2006 as the Press Member representing the Fort McMurray Today where he is currently the Managing Editor. A graduate of the University of
King’s College in Halifax, Dan worked at newspapers in Lloydminster and Moose Jaw before settling in Fort
McMurray where he lives with his wife and three year old daughter.
STEVEN WRIGHT was elected to the Alberta Press Council in April 2008 as the Public Member for the
Fort McMurray Today readership area. He is a Business Development Manager for Unified Systems Group.
Steven Wright has lived in Fort McMurray for the past seven years and as part of the Leadership Wood Buffalo Alumni, he strongly believes in the importance of being an active member of the community.
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Alberta Press Council
DARRELL WINWOOD was appointed to the Alberta Press Council in 2007 as the Press Member representing the Grande Prairie Daily-Herald Tribune. He is currently the special features and website editor for
the Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune. He is responsible for the planning and creation of special supplements in the newspaper and oversees the editorial content of the newspaper’s website.
Prior to this position he was the newspaper’s assignment editor for a short period and was the business
reporter and columnist for two years. Prior to moving to Grande Prairie, Darrell spent five years working as
the editor and before that, the main news reporter, at the weekly newspaper Saint City News in St. Albert.
He started his career as the sports reporter at the weekly newspaper the Fort Record in Fort Saskatchewan,
Alberta.
He is a graduate of the journalism program at Grant MacEwan College and was born and raised in Edmonton.
Darrell has been fortunate to travel for his work and has reported from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Washington,
D.C., London England and Ottawa on special assignment. His work has also appeared in several regional,
provincial and trade magazines.
DR. JERRY PETRYSHYN was elected to the Alberta Press Council in 2005 as the Public Member for
the Grande Prairie Daily-Herald Tribune readership area. He is the author of a number of books including
Peasants in the Promised Land: Canada and the Ukrainians, 1891 – 1914 and ‘Made Up To A Standard’:
Thomas Alexander Russell and the Russell Motor Car Company. As president of the Alberta 2005 Centennial History Society, most recently, he piloted to successful completion the official two volume centennial
history of the province entitled Alberta Formed and Alberta Transformed. Currently, he is Dean, School of
Health, Wellness & Career Studies at Grande Prairie Regional College.
DAWN SUGIMOTO was appointed to the Alberta Press Council in 2008 as the Press Member representing
the Lethbridge Herald where she is the managing editor. A graduate of the Lethbridge College journalism
program, she has spent the past 20 years at the Lethbridge Herald in a variety of reporting and editing roles.
In 2005 she was a finalist for a National Newspaper Award for editorial writing.
DR. IAN MACLACHLAN was elected to the Alberta Press Council in 2007 as the Public Member for the
Lethbridge Herald readership area. He is a Professor of Geography at the University of Lethbridge. An economic geographer with wide interests, he is currently concentrating his research on livestock and beef issues
ranging from the impact of BSE and contemporary cattle production in Alberta to nineteenth century slaughterhouse reform in the cities of the United Kingdom. With a background in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto,
he has been a Lethbridge booster since 1989. His book, Kill and Chill: Restructuring Canada’s Beef Commodity Chain (2001) analyzes locational change in the geography of the Canadian meat packing industry.
His adjudication experience includes grade appeals, honorary degree recommendations, undergraduate and
graduate scholarship applications, research grant assessment and jury committee membership, Awards Committee Chair for the Canadian Association of Geographers.
ALAN POIRER was appointed to the Alberta Press Council in 2001 as the Press Member representing the
Medicine Hat News. Alan has worked for the News since 1978 starting as a reporter and moving into an
associate editor’s position within three years. Alan is currently Managing Editor and Director of Readership
Development. In recent years, he has taken on the additional responsibilities of Vice President of Information Technology for Western Canada which he will retain in his new position. Alan has continually upgraded his skill through industry related courses and technical institutes.
2008 Annual Report
22
DAVID FORBES was elected to the Alberta Press Council in 2005 as the Public Member for the Medicine
Hat News readership area. David is the executive assistant for CORE Association where he has also worked
with adults and youth with special needs. David has served in various communities as a volunteer probation
officer, hospital board trustee and Caledonian Society president. He has a yellow belt in taekwondo and
enjoys photography, genealogy and horseback riding.
LEE GILES was appointed to the Alberta Press Council in 2004 as the Press Member representing the Red
Deer Advocate where he is the Copy Editor.
DR. JOAN SCOTT was elected to the Alberta Press Council in 2007 as the Public Member for the Red
Deer Advocate readership area. Joan worked in British Columbia for a number of years before moving to
Alberta in 1983. She has almost 40 years of experience in high school and college settings as teacher, counselor and administrator. A chartered psychologist, she returned to university to focus on policy development
and completed her PhD in 1998. Currently, she teaches in the Bachelor of Education program at Red Deer
College. A long-time community volunteer, Joan is actively involved in the health, sport, and education
spheres in Red Deer.
CLARE GAUVREAU was appointed to the Alberta Press Council in 2006 as the Press member representing the Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association. Clare is the group publisher for the St. Paul Journal,
Bonnyville Nouvelle and Elk Point Review.
MARY JANE HARPER was elected to the Alberta Press Council in 2007 as the public member for the
Alberta Weekly Newspaper Association readership area. A Licensed Realtor with Royal LePage Wildrose
Real Estate in Olds, Alberta and a councilor, Town of Olds, she has had extensive experience on boards and
committees.
ED KAMPS was elected to the Alberta Press Council in 2002 as the Public Member for the Fort McMurray
Today readership area. In 2008 after serving two three-year terms, Ed was elected chair of the press council.
Born and raised in Lacombe, Alberta, Ed took his post-secondary education at Red Deer College, the University of Alberta and the University of Toronto. He has a M. Ed in Adult Education.
He is employed at Suncor Energy Oil Sands as Manager of Human Resources. Ed has been active in a
variety non profit organizations, including Director of the Human Resources Institute of Alberta, chair, Fort
McMurray Library Board, and co-chair of the Canadian Community Leadership Network.
COLLEEN WILSON was elected to the Alberta Press Council in 2000 as the Public Member for the Medicine Hat News readership area. In 2005, at the end of her second term on the council, she was elected to the
position of chair. In 2007 she became the Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Believing strongly in community
service she has, over the years, been involved on many boards and organizations in her city, the province
and in Canada. She has served her community politically as an elected hospital board member and a City of
Medicine Hat alderman. Her life’s work was both in the business and the non profit sector.
23
Alberta Press Council
Retiring Member
DOYLE MACKINNON was appointed to the Alberta Press Council in 2002 as the Press Member representing the Lethbridge Herald. He has spent 23 years in journalism covering everything from VE day anniversaries in Europe to the American Hockey League. He has worked coast-to-coast, having held top editorial positions with the Nanaimo Daily News on Vancouver Island and The Evening News and Cape Breton
Post in Nova Scotia before joining the Herald in June, 2002.
The Alberta Press Council wishes to thank Doyle for his untiring commitment to the press council and especially for his leadership with the first Alberta Press Council Fall Forum, held in Lethbridge, Alberta in 2006.
Doyle is wished every success in all future endeavours.
2008 Annual Report
24
Complaint Procedures
PART I
Pre-adjudication
1. When the APC office is first advised of a concern by letter, phone, email or by fax, the Executive Secretary-Treasurer shall log the concern and request that the person try to resolve the concern by communicating with the newspaper directly. A copy of the Code of Practice document, the Complaint Procedure
Policy and any additional helpful material will be provided to the person expressing the concern. The
person will be encouraged to identify the specific Code(s) of Practice that he/she believes have not been
met by the newspaper
2. A copy of any written communications shall be provided to the APC.
3. The newspaper shall have 15 days from the receipt of the concern to respond and a copy of such response shall be provided to the APC.
4. A published Letter to the Editor, an apology, or an explanation from the publisher or senior editor may
resolve the concern.
PART II
APC Evidence Gathering
1. If the concern is not satisfactorily resolved, the person must formally request that the APC adjudicate the
complaint. All such requests shall be made within 90 days from the date of the publication of the item
that has caused the concern.
2. The APC considers any complaint submitted to it as being lodged against the newspaper concerned and
not against individual journalists.
3. The formal written complaint shall include:
a.The name, address, phone number and email address, if available, of the complainant.
b. The identification of the complaint, issue or concern, a concise summary of the issues and a reference to the specific Code of Practice infraction being claimed.
c. An original copy of the offending newspaper article, cartoon, picture, editorial or advertisement.
d. Copies of any additional material the complainant wishes to make.
4. The Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the APC shall review the material submitted and if the complaint
does not meet the criterion for adjudication, the complainant shall be so advised along with reasons.
5. All other complaints shall be forwarded to the Executive Committee/Complaint Review Committee. If
the complaint is accepted for review, the APC shall send copies of all material received in conjunction
with the formal complaint to the newspaper involved. The newspaper will be invited to provide, within
15 days from the receipt of the APC letter, a written response or rebuttal to the complaint made.
6. Following the newspaper’s reply, the Executive Secretary-Treasurer shall forward copies of all material
to each member of the APC.
7. The Chair of the APC shall set a date for the adjudication and all parties will be informed of it. The
Chair shall attempt to schedule the adjudication hearing for either the Spring or Fall meetings of the
APC.
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Alberta Press Council
PART III
The Adjudication
1. Except for the APC member appointed by the newspaper that is involved in the complaint, all APC
members present will participate in the adjudication hearing.
2. The subject matter of the adjudication must not be in the process of being litigated through the Courts at
the time of the hearing.
3. The hearing is informal; no one is sworn in; and no one may be represented by legal Counsel. There is
no cross-examination and no direct exchange allowed between the parties.
4. Both parties may make a short (up to ten minutes) oral presentation to the APC. Members of the APC
may ask questions in order to obtain additional information or clarification.
5. The APC will then adjourn to deliberate and decide the issue in-camera.
6. A Press Release containing the decision, background, and reasons shall be prepared and released to the
Canadian Newswire within seven working days. Copies shall be sent to the newspaper involved, to the
complainant, and to all member newspapers of the APC.
7. The newspaper involved shall publish the full Press Release of the APC within 2 weeks.
8. All adjudications by the APC are final and not subject to appeal.
9. A report of all complaints received will be published in the Annual Report of the APC for that year.
Part IV
Criterion for Complaints
1. All complaints must specify which Code of Practice statement(s) have been violated by the newspaper.
2. Complaints must be specific. General complaints about the media or those concerning matters outside
the Alberta Press Councils mandate cannot be dealt with.
a. The APC does not accept, as official complaints, any which are submitted in the form of copies of
letters to, or from third parties. In the case of a complaint submitted by someone else on behalf of
a person who is directly involved, the APC must receive permission of the directly involved party
before considering the complaint.
b. All complainants must be residents of Alberta. Complaints from outside the Province may be considered at the discretion of the Executive Committee of the APC.
c. The APC does not accept complaints concerning a newspaper’s refusal to publish a letter to the editor.
d. The APC does not accept complaints concerning a newspaper’s prerogative to edit a letter to the editor.
e. The APC does not accept complaints against newspapers, if said complaint is filed longer 180 days
after publication of the article over which the complaint has been filed.
3. On-line readers of member newspapers are required to submit a copy of the item in question as it appeared in the print edition of the newspaper.
2008 Annual Report
26
Complaints Report
Twenty three complaints were received in 2008 and 1 was carried forward from 2007.
Reports of the Council’s decisions appear below
2008
1972-2007
Total
COMPLAINT STATISTICS
Carried forward from last year
Complaints received
1
23
2
322
3
345
ABOUT
News Stories
Opinion/Editorial comment
Headlines
Pictures
Other 3
8
2
2
8
AGAINST
Dailies Community papers (members)
Community papers (non members)
Other
3
11
2
7
231
80
234
91
13 20
DISPOSED OF
By formal adjudication
As inappropriate
Not followed up by complainant
Newspaper satisfied complaint Referred elsewhere Other Carried forward Rejected (No code breach) 1
3
5
2
3
3
1
5
Because of the personal information and privacy issues, the Alberta Press Council discontinued publishing
details of non-adjudicated complaints in 2003.
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Alberta Press Council
Personal Information
and Privacy Issues
Beginning in 2001, Canada began its implementation of legislation known as the Personal Information
and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) requiring Canadian organizations to protect the privacy rights of
individual Canadians. Alberta now has similar legislation, The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA)
which came into effect on January 1, 2004.
The Executive Secretary-Treasurer has been designated as the individual responsible for the custody and
control of personal information received by the Alberta Press Council and is the individual responsible for
compliance with PIPA.
PIPA requires that consent of the individual in question is required before collection of information and
this includes collection from a source other than the individual in question. Consent is also required prior to
use or disclosure of the information. Consent is deemed to exist where information is voluntarily provided
for the purpose in question and it is reasonable that a person would voluntarily provide that information.
At or before collection of information, the Press Council must inform the individual of the purposes for the
collection. Initially, this purpose will be for the logging of the complaint and forwarding the particulars of
the complaint to the newspaper involved and to the Directors of the Press Council on a confidential basis.
Should the complaint proceed to adjudication, written consent will be obtained allowing the Press Council
to issue a Press Release and for the release to be used on our website, in our Annual Report and by those
members of the media choosing to use it? Complaints that do not proceed to adjudication will be categorized for statistical purposes and only these statistics will be preleased publicly.
2008 Annual Report
28