Letter to the Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal
Dear Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal,
Your recent full page ad for Tamara Johnson has taken me on a bit of a rollercoaster over the past 24 hours.
I must admit I was very shocked to see this ad for a number of reasons. My first thoughts were to take each statement in the ad and provide the correct factual information. However, I have changed my approach.
This morning I read the following comments from your publisher on the CBC website:
“It’s important that we inform the public what … [the candidates’] opinions are … and when it’s advertising, it’s a business relationship. They write an ad and they let the community know what it is that they believe in.”
I understand and support wanting to provide accurate information of candidate’s opinion on a variety of platforms. I also understand that the advertising component is a business. However, I feel that media organizations have a responsibility in public trust.
The OPC (Ontario Press Council: Defending principles to inspire public trust) does list the Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal as a news organization/member. Earlier today I took a look at the OPC website, as it pertains to advertising. In addition to the OPC viewing media organizations as a businesses, the website notes “As it considers it appropriate for media organizations to exercise wide latitude in expressing their opinions, no matter how controversial or unpopular, it believes it is only fair to extend such latitude to individuals who may wish to exercise it through advertising provided it does not generate hatred against another a person or group.” (http://ontpress.com/)
This is where the ad hits home for me. Many of the statements in the ad do generate hatred toward another group. The statements perpetuate stereotypes that continue to cause divide in Canadian society. The ad clearly gives the general impression that it is based on factual information. The Advertising Standards of Canada does note “Accuracy and Clarity” in their Canadian Code of Advertising Standards but I didn’t notice the Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal as a member.
If we continue to communicate messages that are based on inaccurate facts and motivated by continuing the divide in this country, we will not live in a fair and equitable society. The reality is that many Canadians to do not yet understand the treaty relationship. This is of no fault of their own but rather based on a system that didn’t provide the accurate and factual information. As an educator, I spend a lot of time on topics that are rooted in the treaty relationship. Most of my time is spent talking about the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. This is a difficult discussion for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. However, as the relationship evolves to mutual understanding these students create a collective power.
It is crucial that we collectively explore this relationship. Perhaps I should send a personal invitation to Tamara Johnson to join one of my sessions on the relationship. I could go off on a sarcastic rant at this point…but I choose not to. I choose this ad as an opportunity to open the dialogue more.
We all have a part, a responsibility and a contribution to make to this relationship. What will yours be?
Respectfully,
Citizen of M’Chigeeng First Nation residing in Greater Sudbury