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Sep 7, 2022·edited Sep 7, 2022

Appreciated reading Wendy's incredible insight and story. But "patriarchy", really? I just replaced that word in her piece with "the system" and it reads so much better and way less victimhood-y. Aren't we all part of said system, responsible for it and also at its mercy?

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As usual from Wendy Mesley, a balanced, big picture, thought-filled and experienced analysis.

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Not sure how Ms Mesley got through that piece without mentioning Christie Blatchford but she did.

A couple of journalists I hold in high regard (high regard, Matt, high) think the world of Wendy Mesley and were angrily kicking wastebaskets around after she received the Girardian scapegoat treatment from the CBC central committee. Given that, her piece should receive nothing less than laudatory notices, and I join the rush.

I notice that the proprietor of Canadaland saw fit to cohost a show with a young-ish journalist who described LaFlamme as someone who had "guided us through tragedies," and was "warmly welcomed into the living rooms of this country," and she said so with a discernably straight face. Where to begin?

I'm still waiting to hear what PR firm was hired to organize the letter published in The Globe and Mail. As well, I'm waiting to see someone write something about how a coterie of multi-millionaires (and one billionaire) came to the aid of another millionaire and no one noticed just how much class and status factored into the "outrage." I mean, no one said a word when Jamil Jivani was summarliy fired earlier this year (he announced he's suing Bell late last week); then there are the 200 other journalists Bell Media put on the dole over the last few years. It's September, so we can honestly say "crickets."

Anyway, thanks for letting your voice be heard Wendy Mesley. I'm enjoying the new podcast as well.

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I'm completely disgusted that we are even discussing this. Maybe LaFlamme was treated unfairly. Who care? So a wealthy famous person lost her job unfairly. Boo hoo.

This country is full of people who lost their jobs due to grossly unfair lockdowns and vaccine mandates. Elite media (and even semi-outsiders like The Line) couldn't care less about them - only fellow journalists matter. The more you people navel gaze (and waste the money you get from subscribers like me) by focusing on state sponsored "journalists", the more you dig your own (metaphorical) grave.

Please do better.

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“I am down with blaming the patriarchy for pretty much everything.”

That’s where I stopped reading. Imagine if a man said that about a woman?

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I think this is the key; "I suspect the fact that she fought for good — and expensive — journalism in the face of increasingly tight-fisted corporate interests". Media is cutting costs everywhere, so we're no longer getting the quality of information that we used to. In this propaganda filled world, there is nothing good that can come from that.

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This is a nice read. Ms. Mesley does readers a service by reminding us that not too long ago women in media were not seen or heard. The media landscape has changed for the better, but new biases have surfaced. The Parliamentary Bureau at CBC has switched from an all male cast to mostly women. (Ms. Mesley admits as much in the story.) Why is that? Are there no men being mentored for work in Ottawa?

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I realize that this opinion piece is centered around the Lisa LaFlamme controversy and the way that the impact of this reflects on women in media.

A good follow up would be a straight from the hip blast at CBC woke dogma that has a seasoned and respected journalist fired for using the “N” word in proper context in a producers meeting, of all things. The thought police have been given an inch and have moved the yardsticks two miles. I would like to learn more about that from Ms. Mesley.

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founding

I also thought that the female reporters being harassed on air should have told the asshats making those comments to fuck right off! The appropriate response to that kind of juvenile behaviour is anger not tears.

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Strongly recommend CanadaLand's take on this one. Jesse drilled right down past the sexism, too, after noting that, for sure, it was there. But he also contended this is about LaFlamme pushing for more money to cover Ukraine, and about "encouragez les autres" ... because TV is the top job in journalism, ahead of both print, net and radio for money and audience; and CTV is the top newscast, LaFlamme the top job there: she was at the absolute top of the pyramid in Canadian journalism jobs.

So if they can fire *HER*, without saying why, on little notice - nobody's job is safe from the Suits and you'd damn well better shut up after they first say "no" to more resources.

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Totally agree about Lisa. With her great numbers she would not be fired for any sexism reasons. But she took a fight with the new guy with a mandate from the big bosses and no one wins those. They acted even if they no doubt knew about the fallout.

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I'm so happy to hear you speak openly. I agree the MSM is facing challenges from many sides. Where it will end up, they and Joe Public won't know until it happens. It would help if they went back to reporting REAL and BALANCED news instead of so much fluff and WOKEISM/victimhood that dominates their news reporting. IMO CTV's decision to let LaFlamme go was beyond the colour of her hair.

I was totally pissed when you left the CBC as it was very unfair. I'm looking forward to listening to you and Maureen on your new podcast. I just read Marie Henein's autobiography and am thrilled you had her on your program.

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I agree that there's likely a real story that we may or may not hear, likely dependent on Lisa LaFlame herself.

I feel for Omar Sachedina ... he's been dumped into a ticklish situation which is likely to impact his career His statement the other night was pretty cringeworthy 😳 ... I couldn't help thinking of the Bell commercial .... "It's not you "Omar" it's your network" 🤪

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From a gay man's perspective this navel-gazing LaFlamme story captures everything wrong with so-called progress in human rights. Straight people finger pointing at other straight people about inequity. As an outsider, with no horse in this race, I see both straight men and straight women as entitled whiners. Combined they hold pretty much all of the power and wealth in our society. Now they're finding new ways to game the system to take even more. Mesley does a good job at writing around this central issue. The world is the world. The world changes. Using identity politics to create victimhood narratives just deprives truly marginalized communities of much-needed opportunities and resources. I'll know straight women have achieved equality when they start owning their part in marginalizing others.

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Wendy. One way or another, an employer can terminate any employee. The LaFlamme firing wasn't about the cause, it was about the ineptitude of the process.

There is no support for any "cause" except "business reasons"...which, while unsatisfactory to those looking for hidden motives, is all that's necessary (publically at least).

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Excellent op-ed. But TBH, I was sort of expecting more of a 2nd half with a bit more on the "news is not news, its a profit seeking business" angle with insights on how thats the dominant force in media now (e.g. we can replace expensive Lisa LaFlamme with Dall-E LaFlamme) Is there a part II coming ?

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