A notable problem also comes in the form of a large-circulation newspaper corporation revising the old adage that journalism should ‘comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable’.

Upon discovering that during Canada’s 2015 federal election, Postmedia (under then-CEO Paul Godfrey) ordered its metro-daily newspapers to editorially endorse and run paid ads on newspaper covers (a.k.a. jackets) by the incumbent Stephen Harper Conservatives, my disappointment said ‘Say it isn’t so.’

Two years later, upon reading excerpts from Rafe Mair’s 2017 book Politically Incorrect, I was left feeling angry. Within, Mair (the late popular and well-respected B.C. lawyer, politician, journalist and radio host) notes some astonishing quotes by some of Canada’s news-media decision makers.

During one of its presentations, it was stated: “Postmedia and CAPP [Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers] will bring energy to the forefront of our national conversation. Together, we will engage executives, the business community and the Canadian public to underscore the ways in which the energy sector powers Canada.”

According to then-publisher of Postmedia’s National Post, Douglas Kelly, “From its inception, the National Post has been one of the country’s leading voices on the importance of energy to Canada’s business competitiveness internationally and our economic well-being in general. We will work with CAPP [Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers] to amplify our energy mandate and to be a part of the solution to keep Canada competitive in the global marketplace. The National Post will undertake to leverage all means editorially, technically and creatively to further this critical conversation.”

To this, Mair himself exclaims, “This is the formula guiding Postmedia as they hold the oil industry’s feet to the fire!”

Of course, by this Mair implied that the newspaper giant will likely go easy on the oil industry, which is known for causing major environmental damage and leaving most of the billions of dollars in toxic-mess clean-up costs behind for taxpayers to foot. (Oil companies are supposed to, but don’t, place aside sufficient funds to cover cleanup costs after their operations shut down.)

In this case, journalism’s traditional function may have been quietly revised. Although it’s supposed to ‘comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable,’ it seems there has been a revision, at least when it comes to Big Oil.

More recently, though, Postmedia acquired a lobbying firm with close ties to Alberta Premier Jason Kenney in order to participate in the latter’s government’s new $30 million PR “war room” in promoting the interests of Canada’s fossil fuel industry. But the newspaper giant’s apparent bedding with the powerful industry is not news (albeit it’s little known amongst the general population).

I believe that the promotion of massive fossil fuel extraction, even Canada’s very own, should be the last partisan position for a newspaper giant to take.

(Frank Sterle Jr.)