Change, Positive Change

I am not going to comment today on the Star story about the Bridge Co. forging ahead. There is plenty of time to do that over the next several decades, the time that the border story will take if action to time spent so far is the criteria.

That is not what interests me anyway today. I am preparing a case study for part of a journalism school curriculum that I thought I would submit for consideration by the faculty and thought you might be interested in what I am setting out. I still have to work on it but here are my thoughts so far.

I am calling the case study:

"Change, Positive Change."

"[Windsor Star executive editor Marty] Beneteau credited the news team for helping to bring about positive change through its coverage of the Lori Dupont slaying at Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital.

"I think we can take partial credit into calling an inquest into the nurse's slaying," Beneteau said. "We did things that newspapers can do to bring about change, positive change. I think we got a lot of results this year and this now validates the results we got."

So shall we insert "Ambassador Bridge" in place of "Lori Dupont" to explain the coverage? Is the Star on another mission to change things, like building a public bridge perhaps?"

Yes, you did see this language before… I wrote it in the BLOG a few days on April 19, 2006 “Between A Pepsi And A Lemon Juice.” It just seemed so appropriate again.

Let’s see now what the Star has written recently…

• tunnel propaganda with Henderson to his credit, but not the Star, giving his "mea culpa" for incorrect tunnel cost numbers,
• two sensationalist stories about hazardous goods crossing the Ambassador Bridge,
• no followup story about the alum being like Pepsi or lemon juice and with no sulphuric acid problems,
• the “like Father, like Son” story
• a story telling us that the Bridge owner can wind up in the slammer if he dares defy the new Bill C-3,
• coverage of the Perrin Beatty speech about the border,
• the Twinned Bridge forging ahead,
• the Editor’s “Huron Church chaos" story and
• the upcoming two-part series on the Bridge Co. owner.

It all comes together so well. And the climax--- Eddie’s State of the City speech.

Whew, that is impressive Star news coverage “to bring about change, positive change.”

Now here is what is going to happen over the next few days so that people really will come out to the Cleary to see our saviour:

1. Huge front page story Friday “Eddie and Council (naw, it will be Eddie-only. Why give them any glory) say “No way” to Moroun” with a sub-head….”Sandwich will not be destroyed!”
2. A whole bunch of stories about West Enders and their Councillors being shocked with Councillor Jones repeating his famous Joint Councils meeting quotation
3. No stories from taxpayers saying thanks for this not costing us billions the way a new DRIC bridge would
4. No stories from Delray residents breathing a sigh of relief that no bridge or huge plaza will cut into their neighbourhood
5. No stories from Sandwich residents breathing a sigh of relief that no bridge or huge plaza will cut into their neighbourhood
6. No stories from Wards 1 and 2 residents breathing a sigh of relief that no DRTP will cut into their neighbourhood
7. No stories about the huge investment in Windsor by the "private" Bridge Co. to solve our problems while Governments study" and the number of infrastructure jobs to be created at a time when Windsor's unemployment rate is the highest in Canada.
8. Story that Brian Masse will send another letter to the Feds demanding whatever
9. Press release from Sandra and Dwight stating that now you understand why we had to respect the DRIC process and that the Province will support Eddie with an EA for lands west of Huron Church Road costing millions
10. A Henderson “fuming” column on Saturday attacking Bill Marra again and demanding that he do the “right thing” and support Eddie as every good person in Windsor should do from the evil Bridge Co.
11. Monday Editorial cartoon showing the Bridge and/or Moroun destroying Windsor
12. Major Star Editorial on Monday calling on the Senior Levels to immediately do everything Eddie says to save the community from the Bridge Co.

Of course now, not everything will not happen exactly as I have laid it out because I have said it (Just like with the CODA, CODA, CODA leak) but it will be close enough.

Whew, that is impressive Star news coverage “to bring about change, positive change.”

Here are some interesting things that might suggest that we are all being manipulated just a teeny weeny bit:

• We learned on Thursday that the Star tried to get ahold of the Bridge Co. President but not a word about trying to get ahold of the Mayor for his reaction. Why not----got to save the words for the BIG story for Friday’s headlines.
• The Star calls it Matty Moroun's bridge "Enhancement Project." Note too the quotation marks in the story to draw attention to something. Of course, it has been called “Ambassador Bridge Enhancement Project” since December 15, 2004 if one looks at the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry but why say that.
• The Star is cute in this story. Breathlessly they say “environmental assessment documents obtained Wednesday by The Star.” It makes it appear that they only got the story a few days ago. Yet their reporter was at the Lansing hearings weeks ago when the Twinned Bridge moving ahead was mentioned. Why wasn’t that made a big deal back then?
• Conveniently forgetting that the Bridge Co. tried to partner with the City (remember the series of three Star ads the Bridge Co. bought) but were snubbed. (Who else is on the City snub list...it is growing longer and longer)
• Remember I said that a four hour interview with Moroun and such a small story meant something more was coming. Well I was right and now a long time later, here it is starting Friday
• There was nothing, it appeared, in the Star story involving the East end real estate deals that are in litigation to justify the Star story about it but there it was being dragged up again. The Star reported on that story a long, long time ago in about a one or two line reference but now it made it as a front page story.
• Why wouldn’t the Bridge Co. drop the "ring road" plans. Let Eddie and the Governments figure out how to bring trucks to the bridge since it is their responsibility not that of the Bridge Co. to do so. They at least have the comfort in knowing that their plan was consistent with everything said by WALTS/Windsor/Schwartz/DRIC
• There is the smear re “the bridge company is striving to undermine the government's bid to build a public downriver Sandwich-Delray bridge and pre-empt pending federal legislation in Canada. " Gee I did not know a “public” bridge had been decided upon nor the location. How can they “pre-empt” the law for heaven’s sake! The Star must really have inside info. I wonder if anyone will “fume’ about that location which destroys two communities.
• Did the Star forget to write that DRIC kicked out the Bridge Co. from the study since they viewed the bridge as an "existing crossing" and told them to do whatever they wanted as a "private" party. So they did! Now they are criticized for doing what they were told to do. I guess you are damned if you do and damned if you don't!
• Is the Star demanding that the $300 million BIF funding be applied to fix up the existing roads to the border while the games are played forever on the long-term crossing to eliminate their Editor's Huron Church chaos? If so, I missed the story!
  

Whew, that is impressive Star news coverage “to bring about change, positive change.”

The leakor I mentioned yesterday has been busy hasn't he? It is pretty easy to guess who he/she is. If I can do it, so can his bosses!

Honestly, I cannot stomach the BS any more. The whole thing is a farce. We have a major problem and our politicians are turning this into a joke. We have a failed Mayor and Council who let us down and they are being turned into heroes by a newspaper who is on a mission. It all makes me sick!

Whew, that is impressive Star news coverage “to bring about change, positive change.”