The Telegraph-Journal sincerely apologizes to the Prime Minister…
The story stated that a senior Roman Catholic priest in New Brunswick had demanded that the Prime Minister’s Office explain what happened to the communion wafer which was handed to Prime Minister Harper during the celebration of communion at the funeral mass. The story also said that during the communion celebration, the Prime Minister “slipped the thin wafer that Catholics call ‘the host’ into his jacket pocket”.
There was no credible support for these statements of fact at the time this article was published, nor is the Telegraph-Journal aware of any credible support for these statements now. Our reporters Rob Linke and Adam Huras, who wrote the story reporting on the funeral, did not include these statements in the version of the story that they wrote. In the editing process, these statements were added without the knowledge of the reporters and without any credible support for them.
…20 days after publication. Do reporters even follow the news anymore?
h/t John G.
Update: Stephen Taylor has lots, lots more – “That’s quite an edit!”
Update 2: This is finally trickling into the mainstream this morning. The Calgary Herald notes “Both the names of the newspaper’s editor, Shawna Richer, and the publisher, Jamie Irving, do not appear on the masthead of Tuesday’s edition.”
Prior to Stephen Harper’s election, all our Prime Ministers after Pearson (with the notable exception of Kim Campbell — and what a great run she had) have been Catholic.
We’re all aware of our media’s tendencies wrt the Liberals, but it’s less commonly noted, and perhaps that’s best, that in the last 40 or so years, Catholics (and women) have disproportionately voted Liberal. So maybe it’s just the case that if a Liberal-leaning Catholic woman also happens to be the editor of a newspaper, you might occasionally get…erm, ah, an editing error, and…a difficult topic.
Not to suggest that Liberals and/or Liberal supporters would never, ever use religion as a leverage point to launch an attack on a Conservative PM — why, that would be harmful to the country, divisive, and highly unscrupulous.
Hey, apropos of nothing at all,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/httpoldmaisonblogspotcom/3178677854/sizes/l/
The original article was simply an attempt to plant the seed, the thought An attempt to make canadians think Harper disrespects Catholics. Much like the attempt of Evil Stephen Harper will have the Tanks in our streets. This would become the small talk at coffee-shops across Canada a deeper thought of hatred towards the PM, So ” Plant the Seed”.
Do any of you honestly think this will be the topic of conversation around the water cooler or coffee shops on thursday not likly But the original article will still be come election time, More so in the east.
I would have to also agree with ET, Why wait 2wks! to make an apology, Dont make any sense. Or is it just because this is prime vacation time? people are away and are Tuned Out to politcs so it will go away A non news story No one will hear of the opology, But will remember the Hidden Wafer!. Unfortantly the MSM forget about the power of the Blogs.
“quit making stuff up”
This story is over-the-top. I can’t understand what would possibly drive such unprofessional and unethical behavior. Your good PM is getting “Bush’d” to say the least. Conservatives must go on the offensive against this continued onslaught of bias. Lawsuits are a start. Ongoing “tea parties” and just general demonstrations are the only answer.
This type of journalism has been going on for decades. (Murrow did it to McCarthy as new evidence from previously sealed records show) The problem for them now is that they don’t control the message any more and their lies are being immediately and forcefully challenged. Unfortunately, many in the MSM (CBC, CTV, Globe, TO Star, etc) still think they have the right to determine your opinion. The ‘elites’ in media, politics, and academia, simply don’t care much for the common citizen. They despise individual freedom and citizens are starting to see it.
It’s nice to see more people openly mocking their journalistic ‘integrity’. Does anyone else wonder how many lies we’ve been fed over the years?
The following comments were reported in a blog.
———————————————-
It was strange – Roberty Fife and CTV Newsnet had the Wafergate story on every 5 minutes…. but now that it is been proven to be a made-up story – Fife was on for 1 minute and Dan did not follow up with any questions…. Get this story off the air as soon as possible – it might show something negative against their liberal party…. If it was something that would bring shame to the PM – have it on every 5 minutes – but when it has been proven to be a negative story against the liberal party – hide it!…. What corruption we have in the media!
Was not an Irving company shut out from a ship building contract recently, in the east?
Is that the same Irving holding who had the cozy cottage sleepovers for a gaggle of well known high profile Chretien era Lib cabinet ministers?
MSM in Canada are leftist at the corporate core.
And I will add, corrupt as well.
How else could the Liberals have survived the governing malfeasance in Canada for a decade without the enabling corrupt media?
As far as Katsmeat goes I don’t think an apology will be forthcoming anytime soon. Rather, he is currently linking to BCL who is theorizing that the retraction by the Irving owned T-J is in response to political pressure applied by the Harper Conservatives regarding future ship building contracts.
Apparently Harper pocketed the host and is scandalously using the lever of future government contracts to hide his blasphemous behaviour.
So according to Katsmeat and BCL it would seem that the Catholic church and the Irving’s are being pushed around by mean Steve.
Only this pair could make Rosie and Whoopie look intelligent.
Syncro
syncro – that’s the most convoluted storyline I’ve heard in a long time. Wheh.
Trying to shift the blame for defamation of Harper to…Harper.
So, their storyline, and it IS a storyline, is that the wafer-story is true (despite no evidence) and its irrelevance, and Harper has blackmailed the newspaper..because the newspaper is linked to Irving.. and to shipyards.
My perspective is that the story is untrue, is a Liberal dirt-throw by the reporters and editors, (guns in our streets);and Harper threatened them with a defamation of character lawsuit. Following the simplicity of Ockham’s Razor, I think this explanation has more validity than the blackmail one.
ET -When you read Stephen Taylor it seems that it was one of the journalists who was talking about law suits not PMSH. Apparently reporters worry about their reputations. Who knew?
“Forget it, Harper. It’s New Brunswick…”
Great job on Adler, Kate.
That was a very good point that the this story would have come up again and again in attack ads and such if the truth hadn’t come out.
Funny how the Big Media is attacking any and all who raise legitimate concerns about Obama’s steadfast refusal to let anyone see his real birth certificate, which remains heavily guarded under lock and key. The Big Media, submissive to Obama, will slur and call liars all who raise this perfectly legitimate issue.
Yet the Big Media will do such things as obsess over false rumors being brought up by Leftists against the likes of Harper and Palin…
And what about all those bogus ethics complaints against Palin, most or all of which have been dismissed? Why is it ok for the Left to attack Palin like this, backed up by the Big Media, and attack Harper over an optical illusion and false rumor as they have… but they’ll slur as “conspiracy theorists” those who ask to see Obama’s real, original birth certificate, which he never ordered released? What is Obama hiding with the help of the hypocritical Big Media?
Double standard and hypocrisy all over the place, all the time, coming from the Left and the Big Media.
The Big Media hasn’t learned much, has it? Hasn’t changed much, either?
Watch them continue to lose their customers.
ET
I agree. I also find it interesting how elements of the liberal war room appear to use a degree of separation so as to remain on the sidelines.
I’ll also be checking the CHQR archives in an hour or so to hear what Kate had to say. In and out of the house today and of course I missed the good stuff!
Syncro
From Stephen Taylor’s analysis:
“Some observers will remember that “Wafergate” led CBC’s flagship newscast The National rather than the story about the Prime Minister’s participation in the G8 conference.”
Oh, where do I begin? Let me just say that this is no surprise. Every big meeting of the Western nations is covered by CBC by focusing exclusively on the rent-a-rioters on the other side of the barricades and their sponsors like Maude Barlow and Taliban Jack. Why should this be any different? Substantive reporting on meaty issues to facilitate an informed the public? What’s that? Is that what our public broadcaster should be doing? Privatize the CBC. NOW!!
And so philboy fades into the sunset, having no actual examples of Mrs Palin being a habitual liar.
Mendacious? Leave off on the use of big words (and the small ones) you can’t hope to understand.
The Irving family owns all the daily and weekly newspapers in the province of New Brunswick.
Posted by: DrD at July 28, 2009 2:00 PM
Exactly.
When the Halifax class frigates were being built, I was working at the Saint John Ship Yard as part of a program that incorporated members of the ship’s company helping to build their ship.
At the time, Eric Malling, W5 and CTV did a hit piece on the ships. Basically making crap up that was not even remotely true or accurate. The shipyard was going bonkers over the story. Went so far as to ban CTV from even coming into the parking lot of the yard.
The owners of the yard? Why the Irvings of course.
Ain’t irony delicious?
Finally the mainstream media is exposed for what they are, an arm of the LPC. To run with a fabricated story on National news broadcasts, obviously not doing any research, accepting it because they thought they HAD a big one on PM Harper, which is their agenda. Never mind they had no problem the fact it created a side show to the funeral of a former GG.
Don’t look for equal billing for the expose of the lies, they’re hoping a few will still believe the lies.
Bluetech@ 1:45
Re: I told you so … If you’re waiting for an apology,LOL. We know what Kate meant, in both senses, and so does she; there’s no buttons on this gal’s shoes.
CBC deals with the story and with another shameful media event on the same page.
http://tinyurl.com/mzuwsj
This has to have all the old media shaking in their boots.
The original story had 1108 words. Remove Stephen Taylor’s red (no credible support) and orange (ensuing nonsense) text and there’s 78 words left over that are factual.
93% BS, 7% fact – sounds about right for the “profession”.
Frankly this to me is just a lot big boring BS.
So I’ve mostly ingnored it.
The Irving mega-manopoly is a creeping fungus that is wearing New Brunswick down.
So its great news it to see the Irvings, the big Maritime gods, eating humble pie.
I can’t imagine anyone being surprised. The wreckage of the last 40 years of Liberal policy is scattered everywhere in plain sight for all to see, and yet they remain a viable political force in Canada. Welfare, gun control, revolving door jail, metric, bilingualism, the destruction of the military, the theft of half of the income of the entire country, it goes on and on, and nothing stops it even though everyone can see it.
This is how they do it. They lie. Everything they say is a lie. Almost everything in the MSM is a lie. And we PAY for it. We pay money to be lied to.
This particular lie seems to have been forced into the light by one reporter with either a conscience or a healthy fear of the libel laws.
Dante put the liars and traitors at the very bottom of Hell for a reason. Cancel your newspapers, turn off your TV, put an Ipod in the car instead of the radio. Kill their funding, put them out of business.
Its the least we can do, after all they’ve done to us.
That’s a big story, Louise: they’re FIRED.
“The publisher and editor of the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal are no longer with the paper after it was forced to apologize to Stephen Harper and two of its own reporters over a story about whether the prime minister took communion at the state funeral of former governor general Roméo LeBlanc.
“CBC News has confirmed that editor Shawna Richer has been fired and that Jamie Irving is no longer the publisher of the paper. Earlier, their names had been removed from the paper’s list of senior staff.”
The publisher and editor fell on their swords because the scribblers in cheap suits wouldn’t wear it? Pull the other one.
Let us try on something else. Given that the proper procedure with the host is so important, wouldn’t a priest be super watchful that everything goes correctly when THE PRIME MINISTER is involved? I’m sure the priest has had lots of nervous participants in his career and a quiet word of what to do next would hardly be something outside his normal routine.
The fact that this was pulled using the church service as the setting reeks. Something you would expect from secular humanists: “Even the dead must serve the revolution”.
Editor and publisher fired? God, they must really be worried. Too bad a few Liberal hacks and apologists couldn’t be meted out the same fate for flying with a big fabrication.
Liz, re 7:21: Interestingly, the Big Three of egregious, in-your-face bias at CBC — Paul Hunter, Keith Boag and Susan Bonner — were all recently dispatched to new…uh, horizons and officially removed from the OPG beat. That, and the firing of Richer and Irving shows something.
It’s not that as if Lib-proxy news organizations are concerned about credible journalism in and of itself. But perhaps it’s the case that informed and, erm, pissed-off news consumers are becoming a threat to the very existence of certain traditionally lying/shilling media outlets.
EBD, I live in hope.
But, but, there’s still something missing from this story.
The reporters who wrote it.
We have the editor and publisher fired. But why didn’t the reporters who wrote the story, complain that very same day of publication, that this story was not written by them; that it had no factual basis!
Read rabbit’s outline above – why didn’t the reporters immediately go to the editor – and the public media – and publicly declare that the story as published under their names, was fraudulent.
Again I ask – what about the role of the reporters? Why were they silent this whole time?
sasquatch gets it. the 20 day gap is loads of time for lots of people to have grown accustom to the notion the wafer story was fact.
the retraction may as well be 20 years later as 20 days. they’re not stupid, just corrupt.
“the truth will out”. W Shakespeare ca. 1600
Where are the reporters ET?
Dunno but I would guess after the treatment of one student journalist being fired they were probably protesting behind the scenes. Although the apology was aimed at PM Harper is also mentions the reporters. You don’t usually apologize to someone who is on your side.
Bet they turn up at the Star or CBC………….
Larry… I was with Kate thru that whole previous post and discussion. I was pointing out that Kate was doing her usual good job in focusing on tha lazy media. The commenters on that post were sidetracked.
Which reporter asked the stupid question about the communion host at a news conference at the G8?
Was it Keith Boag of CBC?
“Why didn’t the reporters who wrote the story complain that very same day of publication that this story was not written by them?”
ET, perhaps they simply wanted to keep their jobs. A lot of people, for obvious reasons, would be disinclined to go public with complaints about their bosses. And here’s two points to bear in mind: first, reporters, particularly in smaller newspapers, don’t necessarily write the final copy so much as they go wherever they’re sent, to gather information, and then return with fodder for the editor/publisher — the final form of the story at issue here quite nicely illustrates that point. Second, there’s no reason to believe or suspect that the reporters would be — could possible be — aware at the outset (i.e. at the time the story was published) that the “extra” information put into the story by the editor and/or publisher would be dubious/false; it would be reasonable for the reporters to believe, at the time, that the editor/publisher simply inserted information gathered from other outside sources. It maybe the case as well that the subsequent statements from other witnesses, and from the PM, etc., were what exposed the falsity of the editor’s “additions,” and that this process of discovery/understanding took a while — for the reporters as well.
In short, there’s no reason to believe that the reporters were aware at the outset of the dubious nature of the extra information that had been added to their own reporting. I know you’re not blaming the reporters for the extra, fake information that someone else tossed into their stories, but I don’t think anyone should necessarily blame them for not speaking out earlier. I speculate that the reporters, not wanting to have their names attached to a specious lie, did speak up behind the scenes. Whether that’s true or not, though, I blame the editor/publisher — whoever added the false information — and not the reporters.
EBD:
To which I would add…
The Irvings own publishing in NB. If you get fired by them, you’ve got to move out of the province to get another job in newspapers.
Katsmeat has an exquisite five point justification and elucidation of this conflagration.
Go figure.
Syncro
How can Kinsella justify lying? The newspaper report was a lie.
The video shows the PM for one second and then cuts to others. Who knows what he did with it? The video only shows that one second and shows him accepting the wafer in his hand. That’s as far as the video goes, for it cuts to the next person immediately. Kinsella and others have no business to speculate because..they don’t know.
As a non-catholic, he can hardly accept communion as a reality. As a key mourner at a funeral of a member of state, he can hardly reject the symbolic acceptance (symbolic not actual) of the religion of the deceased. Just as Christian mourners in a Jewish funeral, wear the skull cap in the synagogue as a symbol of their acknowledgment of the individual’s religion, this does not mean that they have become actual members of the Jewish faith.
And furthermore, so what? How does such an act reflect on his stewardship of this country?
Kinsella then brings up two ‘events’: a shipbuilding announcement and the newspaper apology. There is no proof of either correlation or causality between the two.
Because Kinsella lives in Toronto does not mean that he is the cause of the garbage strike.
EBD – I get your point about the reporters, but with the frothing fury of the Liberal MSM, even an anonymous email would have helped.
MSM/CBC Hypocrisy.
MSM’s Muslim/Islam denial here*.
MSM avoids using the words Muslim/Islam*:
*”Minister: society can’t accept honour killings
By Elizabeth Thompson,”
urlm.in/cukz (sunmedia)
…-
>>> MSM/CBC also avoids using the words Muslim/Islam here**:
“Harper — an evangelical Protestant”.
“Christian”.
**urlm.in/cuky (cbc)
ET I agree with your comments concerning the reporters. However, while I am no expert, I am certain that the Catholic Church does not allow communion to non Catholics. So, this priest has a lot of explaining to do for giving communion in the first place. Non Catholics can attend Mass and participate in just about everything except communion. Basically there are some very strict rules concerning who is allowed communion.
As a non-catholic, he can hardly accept communion as a reality.
Actually ET many Protestants, myself included, believe that when we partake in Communion that we eat the Body of Christ and drink the Blood of Christ. I can’t speak for PM Harper who is also Evangelical Christian but I do take him at his word when he says that he believes that Communion is a solemn occasion and that he, since becoming a Christian, has never refused Communion when it is offered to him. As I said before PM Harper may well do what I do when I receive the Body and that is to hold it for a moment or two as I meditate on the Supreme Sacrifice given for all mankind. Every Church has its own ritual and even in the Roman Catholic tradition there is great variance when administering the Elements.
Kinsella has to try salvage his operation, now that it has been found out.
Too funny. Keep digging and you will find the connection to the Liberal Party. So the Liberal PArty and its operatives used a funeral for one of its luminaries to pull a “gotcha” on the PM.
Yup, the Liberals have changed from the last time they were in power.
So Romeo LeBlanc either knows this was done or should now be outraged, Michael Ignatieff (the athiest) is either aware that a religous ceremony was used or should be outraged. Even the mafia sees the church as a sanctuary.
And the media….well, some were apparently complicit the rest just fell into line on the whole sordid affair.
Keep digging.
Yes, Joe, I see your point. And since you hold the wafer for a minute or two rather than immediately putting it in your mouth – that is one way, and a valid way, of receiving communion.
My point was that the video only showed Mr. Harper accepting the wafer, as did everyone else, in his hand – then, the video cut to the next person. What he did with the wafer is not shown and it is unacceptable to speculate.
And yet again, as are so many, I am astonished at the mean-spirits, the shallowness, the vindictiveness of our MSM and our leftist citizens, that they focus on this event and totally, utterly, ignore the PM at the G8 and elsewhere. Harper has rapidly become one of the most respected leaders of the West – and our MSM ignores this – to snipe.
Harper’s interviews on FOX, on CNN, show him as a serious, thoughtful, articulate and extremely knowledgeable leader. Our Canadian MSM and the Canadian left completely ignore these interviews.
Just compare one interview of Harper, who doesn’t need a teleprompter in them, with any of Obama’s..who becomes inarticulate, confused and clearly shows his superficiality and ignorance.
Among the Irving family’s Liberal ties are former Liberal MP Paul Zed, who was married to Judith Irving (KC Irving’s grandaughter). AFAIK, he still lives next door to one of KC’s sons.
Of course, the Telegraph Journal is a very leftwing newspaper (excuse the redundancy). Their op-ed page has a token conservative one day a week. The rest of the time, it’s Maureen Dowd, Tom Friedman, and all global warming all the time.
ET, while I so admire your resolute devotion to rationality, let us not ever forget that the lust for power is not rational… rather for those so afflicted, reason becomes a slave to motivation.
There is a thick layer of slime covering Canada, and has been for many, many years. It has a secure foothold purchased by the malfeasance of the media in our little Banana Republic.
Since I’ve returned to Canada from abroad, it seems every rock overturned has revealed more Librano corruption. A decade away lends one a fair perspective.
What is most notably unpalatable is that the Librano/MSM compact has the temerity to try to spin our ‘culture’ onto some kind of moral pedestal. This story makes me physically ill, and our little Beaches-bound coffee-boy simply wants to make sure the correct gravy ladle is ensconced in the halls of power in Ottawa, so it can be Important Person Party Time and Secure Retirsement for the ‘good’ little girls and boys on the team.
For all their fussing over “social justice”, Libranos sure do like to get rich. And what could be easier than hoodwinking and robbing the public when you control both the apparatus and the view of the apparatus?
With respect to Beaches coffee-boy, pray tell, what does he contribute to our society that is worth the compensation required to live in The Beach? He contributes diddly-squat of value to society, in my opinion, and is well paid for it. Such is his morality, that he is OK living with that. And that is the difference between a Librano, and the rest of us.
I think this is just going to be the start of outright lies that will be published, broadcast and shown on the news programs. PMSH is getting too much good press these days and one thing the Liebrals and their lickspittle lackeys fear is a majority Conservative Government.
Cry Havoc and let slip the dogs of ….gun registry spending, Shawinigate, AdScam and let your mind wander from there. The number of people and organizations that would be caught up in such a sweep must have the Liebrals & Co. shaking in their boots. Of course the Puffin will fly back to the Ivy League and what’s it to him.
ET
As much as I appreciate your well thought out riffs you are missing the point here, the idiosyncrasy’s of any given faith are not the issue.
What is at issue here is the guttural, grotesque, and greasy manipulations of an operative of the NGP.
This prick is a one or two trick pony at best and he seemingly counts on a fractured response.
Follow the slime…
Syncro
The following by the Phantom deserves to be reposted as it’s about as clear a picture of the Liberals as I’ve read.
” The wreckage of the last 40 years of Liberal policy is scattered everywhere in plain sight for all to see, and yet they remain a viable political force in Canada. Welfare, gun control, revolving door jail, metric, bilingualism, the destruction of the military, the theft of half of the income of the entire country, it goes on and on, and nothing stops it even though everyone can see it.
This is how they do it. They lie. Everything they say is a lie. Almost everything in the MSM is a lie. And we PAY for it. We pay money to be lied to.”
I wish I could sky write it!!
This worked out exactly as planned by the Liberals,first of all they have planted the seed that PM Harper dislikes Catholics and chose to dishonor one of their most sacred rituals.Second they are aware that this retraction will be downplayed by their adoring pals in the MSM.Thirdly and most importantly they managed to negate and overshadow any favorable press our PM was recieving at the G8 from foriegn journalists whom they can t control.