Full Steam Ahead

January 7, 2009 @ 08:56

If you've got eyes in your head and you have the opportunity to read the Toronto Star on a regular basis, you know the paper is on a mission.

Over the past month, the Toronto Star has kept a negative tone to their economic reporting and I'm convinced I know why.

It's aimed directly Stephen Harper and his upcoming budget and subsequent vote of confidence.

It's amazing how you can look at the Sun, the Post and even the Globe and there's an air of optimism in what they write. Not all of it, at least they attempt to look for a bright side.

Not in the Star. It's a steady stream of doom and gloom spiced with a good measure of anti-Conservative pleasure.

The Toronto Star doesn't want the economy to get better because they don't want Stephen Harper to remain in office, and by maintaining a tone of negativity in their economic reporting they're hoping it sticks to the Prime Minister even though he's got relatively nothing to do with it.

Today is another blatant example. Yesterday the TSX had its sixth consecutive day of positive growth but there headline is this. "TSX rising, but bear lurking."

Through the month of December the Toronto Star provided a steady stream of bad news that is some cases was literally over the top. All it served to do was freak out people who had no reason to be freaked out.

But that's the Toronto Star for you and you can expect more of it right up until the end of the month because this paper is on a mission.

A mission to remove the Prime Minister.

Category: Politics

19 Responses to "Full Steam Ahead"

dave
January 7, 2009 / 14:32

What I've noticed is that they and their Liberal buddies have offered nothing concrete in what they expect Mr. Flaherty to introduce in the coming budget.

Easier to sit back, wait til it comes out then criticize the hell out of it, regardless of how good it may be. It's the Liberal/NDP way.

Jake
January 7, 2009 / 14:33

The Toronto Star is a Liberal paper and has been for decades. As the Sun is Conservative. The Post under Black was. Now i don't know where the Post anbd Globe sit.
As for negativity. Journalisn 101 says be negative so people will cure their depression over bad news with lots of shopping for products they advertise.

Pauly Walnuts
January 7, 2009 / 14:33

Fred why do you even bother to read that rag? I have refused to even look at that paper since the mid 90s because of their blatantly biased writing.

When they call me to give me a free subscription I tell them to take a hike and I tell them why. The response I get? "Oh ya, well we get that alot".

I don't even access their website, even when you post links. I don't want them to count me in their readership. Even when they hand out free copies at events I don't take it, just so that I don't contribute to their readership. Every time you click on their website, or take a copy of their paper, you're only supporting their product.

I'll read anything but the Toronto Star. I won't even use it to light the fire in my fireplace.

edyfelson
January 7, 2009 / 15:01

Fred, have you looked at the markets today? TSX down 300 points to this point. Doesn't seem like very irresponsible reporting to publish that we might not be out of the woods yet in the equity markets. I sense you are stretching!!!

JM
January 7, 2009 / 15:14

I can't even line the cat's litterbox with the Star anymore; the cat refused to use it.

RickyP
January 7, 2009 / 16:31

Nobody reads the Star for objective reporting. It is just slightly right wing compared to NOW magazine.

This reminds me of a joke I heard a few years ago: One day God declared that the world would end tomorrow.

The Toronto Sun and its penchant for bold headlines proclaimed "GOD: YOU ARE TOAST"

The Globe and Mail, with its more even tone and business angle had the following headline "God proclaims end of the world tomorrow, stock exchange to be closed"

The Toronto Star used a headline more in line with their typical tone "World to end tomorrow. Women and minorities to suffer the most"

Shark
January 7, 2009 / 21:34

I have read the star for years, but since i have heard the news on tv or radio, often just read the sports or lifestyle, homes or entertainment sections....

...but wanting to know more about the whole takeover bid in parliament,,,i tried paying more attention to my star subscription...and quickly grew angry.

I have voted in elections for the PC's, the ndp (yep for rae) and the liberals...i am not that biased one way or the other, going either with the local mp who may affect the area i live in, or whoever will be best in parliament as a whole, regardless of which party, i choose the right person.

...but this liberal crap is embarassing. I admit i do not know which is left and which is right...i hear that phras "oh they lean left..." and i think ...uh...is that conservative???
I always heard the paper leaned one way...but god if i knew which way..and what that meant...but the whole political situation quickly showed me that the toronto star is so biased that trying to get valuable information from that source is impossible. They even in the letters to the editor seem to print mainly supportive letters to their stance...even though the common every day people i work with...were furious in the whole takeover bid...for power...even though some admitted to being loyal liberals...they just did not agree with the actions of those people...so if most common people i know were upset? then why all the TO star coverage claiming the people support it...they only relented when polls could not be ignored and showed thate people would vote in a majority conservative party if they were forced to vote again, right away.

And did they take this US harvard blowhard who parachuted into canada from some teaching facility, a guy not a real cdn...in my mind...did they take the whole secret vote to make him the leader...did they take him or liberals to task? no just fluff stuff supporting this creepy dude.

I do not like the TO star anymore for this reason...only good for sports scores and furniture placement ideas...just fluff.

Stafford
January 7, 2009 / 22:05

I know you don't get it delivered but you might find it on-line.

The National Post's "Post Midtown" mailout. David Suzuki's column this month is all about how good this economic vomit-pool might be for the environment. I don't need to tell you that it's all about: F-you North America! Go China and India!!

You'll find it buried between pages of North Toronto soccer moms recommending Italian bistros where they can discuss the best child-tracker devices to attach to their kid's Premiership jerseys.

Susie
January 8, 2009 / 00:11

canada has been controlled by eggheads for as long as I can remember. French eggheads at that. We should be thankful for a PM who's an egghead but spoeaks poor French.

Horonymous
January 8, 2009 / 09:09

I thought you Conservative (Reform) folks thought all media is liberal? True the star editorial leans that way but most reporting seems balance.

Another myth, "All media is liberal" that if you repeat it enough people start to believe it just like how the TTC is the best transit system in the world.

I liked RikcyP's joke.

Pauly Walnuts
January 8, 2009 / 09:48

Hey Horonymous,

Balanced is defined by having information and opinion on both sides of an issue... just so you know.

S
January 8, 2009 / 10:06

Hey Fred....is this just like The Financial Post's "balanced" reporting of Israel's agression???

The Post is the most blatant biased rag out there.

mike from oakville
January 8, 2009 / 10:46

How is "TSX rising, but bear lurking" biased? the TSX dropped yesterday. Read what the globe says today.

yes, the star is biased, but arguably less so than the post/sun. and the star has a better wheels section than either the post or sun.

Mikey
January 8, 2009 / 11:03

Fred - it would be a lot easier if you just posted some "optimistic" articles the Globe and Post ran, maybe from the past couple weeks lets say. Just skimming the headlines, not a whole lot of optimism.....

Since when is honesty biased? Yes, the TSX gained the past few days, but was down 350 points yesterday and another 50 already this morning. I guess the Bear was lurking. It's important that the press is able to report the truth, even if it reflects poorly on the Supreme Leader. Once he gets his grip on the media as well that will change, but lets enjoy it while we can.

Horonymous
January 8, 2009 / 19:09

Pauly what is your journal of record?

You might want to tell The Sun and The Post and the other "balanced" news sources you absorb.

You gavone!

Pauly Walnuts
January 9, 2009 / 11:49

Horonymous,

Why do you write as if you know me?

Sorry to shater your biased opinion but I dont' read anything in particular. If something catches my interest I read as much as possible from as many sources I can access... My typical starting point would probably be the Globe. The only crap I avoid are ridiculous news sources like the national enquirer, world weekly, world news, the Toronto Star, etc.

And to your point of the Sun or the Post being balanced.. .they're not, no news paper is, but that being said nothing is as out to lunch and so blatantly biased as the Star. Only Pravda used to be in the same league, and since the fall of communisn in easter europe, they've improved.

So take that, Comrade.

Jeff Chalmers
January 9, 2009 / 23:50

The Star is on a mission to remove the PM?

Fred...have you been listening to too many Judas Priest records?

Horonymous
January 10, 2009 / 14:12

Pauly you might want to check out todays editorial in The Star supporting John Tory getting a chance to sit in Queens Park.

You would think the left wing rag would want Tory out of the House for as long as possible.

Not red or dead.

http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/568514

Pauly Walnuts
January 12, 2009 / 10:29

Horonymous,

John Tory or not, its a matter of principle.