My letter to a Canwest paper, canceling my subscripting

[daleo]

Your paper has become much too biased in favour of the Harper Conservative government and its policies that I consider destructive of democracy. Since public funding of political parties is endangered by the Harper government, I am canceling my subscription (effective immediately) to donate the equivalent money to the alternative parties. I will renew my subscription after the Harper government is gone and public financing of political parties is out of danger.
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I have subscribed to my local paper during my entire adult life (and am quite addicted to the New York Times crossword puzzle, which is carries). But the Canwest chain (exemplified by the National Post, but the local dailies aren't much better) has become far too much an ally of the Harper Conservatives. By canceling my subscription, I am doing two things at once:
- defunding the right-wing media machine.
- contributing to the Liberals and NDP with the money saved (about $350 per year).

Perhaps other progressives who still have a subscription to these papers should consider doing the same thing. Unfortunately, money makes the world go round.

I plan to send the same letter to the letters to the editor section, though I doubt it will be published.

Although the Globe and Mail is basically pro-Harper, they do print a reasonably diverse range of opinion, so I will maintain my subscription to them for now.

If there was any way to cancel Global TV and CTV I would do it in a second, but I don't believe my cable company has that option.

[Spazito]

1. Good for you!

I don't subscribe to any Canwest papers or I would follow your lead as they have become even more blatant in their biased coverage for the harper cabal. I do NOT watch Global or CTV, I watch CBC, in hopes that, if there are enough viewers doing that, Canwest's numbers will decline and they, given the almighty buck rules even over political ideology in the media, will re-think their slant.

[daleo]

2. I don't watch much TV

CBC, CBC Newsworld, and some of the specialty channels. It is frustrating that we are stuck paying for cable channels (like CTV's news channel) that we don't want.

As for Canwest, their stock is now at the point that a 5 year old could buy a share with her allowance (about 75 cents last time I looked).

[Spazito]

3. I depend heavily on the net for my news now....

I can check out all the coverage on an issue and then figure out what the REAL facts are and develop my opinion from there. I LOVE the net and the freedom it gives one to ferret out the truth!

[rationalcalgarian]

4. For my own peace of mind...

...I get my news from the CBC, the BBC, Keith Olbermann and Jon Stewart. Oh, and now Rachael Maddow, too. Anything else gets my blood pressure up, not so much the news but the way it's reported.

I live in Calgary so the choice of newspapers is slim to nil. Maybe I should subscribe to one of them just so I can write them a nasty letter canceling my subscription! :D

[daleo]

5. Well, it does make one feel good (cancelling the subscription). n/t