January 08, 2005
Media circle the wagons
Both the Globe and Mail and the National Post have (obliquely) countenanced the Toronto Star's decision to publish a list of Canadians whom the newspaper felt it was "grimly probable" had died in the Asia Tsunami.
In editorials this week all three papers have attacked the government for not releasing the list to the public. Their arguments are straightforward: the government should not hide behind the privacy act every time it gets uncomfortable with the release of information.
I agree. Far too often, governments have used "privacy concerns" to justify withholding information that ought to have been publicly available. The Star also had a right to publish the list - in a democratic country, the media are free to publish anything they see fit. This does not, however, mean the newspaper did the right thing.
Freedom of the Press and the government's abuse of privacy laws are red herrings and don't, in any way justify the publication of the list and Star Editor-in-Chief Giles Gherson's declaration that missing Canadian are dead. (On that note, read this from CNN today: Tsunami survivor found in Sri Lanka.)
Posted by maxthecat at January 8, 2005 09:00 AM
http://www.maxsmewsings.com/mt/archives/2005/01/media_circle_the_wagons.php