NJN Network

Is the Guardian censor on holidays? We hope

After the fracas of last week and the past two months, we are happy to report the Guardian censor has gone on holiday. We hope it’s permanent for the sake of freedom of expression and freedom of speech. Yesterday, all 4 succinctly written comments went up and received all kinds of reader flack. Today a comment on Campbell Webster’s column went up immediately. We are impressed. As reported last week, the Guardian had been refusing to post our comments, or printed them and pulled them off again. Evil Guardian censor rears its ugly head. Quoting from the article we said, “Free speech is not encumbered by some editors’ vicissitudes. With his views on censorship, MacDougall could get a job in Communist China or Premier Ghiz’s office.”

Guardian editor Gary MacDougall took offense to that and blasted me on Facebook! Can you believe it. He said “Stephen, you continue to practice the worse yellow journalism ever exhibited in this province. And for that you should be very, very ashamed. You continually slander and libel myself and other Guardian staffers. Your ignorance of the basic concept of acceptable comment is stunning.” If you are on Facebook you can find it on my profile or at Gary MacDougall bites back which you might want to read of my response.

Since Gary has not a) sent me the details of his “slander and libel” claim, I assume those were said in haste and withdrawn. As for the “yellow journalism” slam, well we are either flattered or rebut it completely. NJN Network prides itself on printing the whole story and nothing but the story. We are not encumbered with corporate ownership, sponsors, advertisers or ties to political parties and can print pretty well what we see as truth. We assume the Guardian is accepting that all Canadians have the right to freedom of speech or expression and that NJN Network is protected under the same freedom of the press granted to the Guardian. Until they act up again, that is enough said.

To the Guardian, thank you for printing our comments and working together to foster cordial relations, freedom of speech and freedom of the press.