7 ms·

Canadian here. This publication is one of the radical and sensational ones from my experience. Not somewhere I would get my news from.

by a1371 5y ago

divbzero 5y ago
Thanks for the context. I wish there were an easy way for outsiders to know this. I have an intuition for reliable vs. sensational sources in specific places and subjects, but am mostly in the dark beyond that.
- honkdaddy 5y ago
  The GP makes a gross mischaracterization. It's a centre to centre-right publication and is among the most popular in our country. I'm not sure what axe they have to grind with NP, but it's resoundingly clear they're not replying in good faith.
jollybean 5y ago
Canadian here, and this is just false. There's nothing remotely 'radical' about the NP. The National Post is has an editorial bias, but the only source that the publication could be considered 'radical' would be the editorial letters from Conrad Black, which are not 'news'. Otherwise, it's a welcome bit of information from the insufferably poor lack of perspective offered by the CBC, the national broadcaster. I wouldn't trust the 'National Post' as a 'single source' of news, it's not broad enough, however, it's an important part of the fairly limited diaspora of news in Canada. The evidence for this is right in the story: however ultimately benign this issue is, it's an incredibly important bit of information for Canadians to have, and the CBC is not giving us this information. Moreover, the article itself is clear, well written, well sourced and I can't fathom how someone would really characterize it as clickbait other than if they misread the headline. So you can have a possibly sensational headline (arguably) from a privately owned news paper that has to earn a profit, or, no news at all because the national broadcaster, The CBC, apparently doesn't think you need to know that the government uses this data. I'm thankful for the NP, and there's a dearth of good journalism in Canada. The Globe and Mail is equally behind a paywall, the Toronto Star and Sun are rubbish, the Montreal papers are very Quebec focused - and so it's slim pickings otherwise.
- Pxtl 5y ago
  National Post is the loudest voice for climate change denial in Canada. That alone should be enough to consider it disreputable.
- arcticbull 5y ago
  > The CBC apparently doesn't think you need to know that the government uses this data. Canadian here. I agree completely with the CBC. This is one of the least interesting non-stories I have seen in years. "Public health agency does job - uses aggregated, anonymous statistics to see how people move and interact in hopes of improving public health." Oh no. Anyways. > I'm thankful for the NP, and there's a dearth of good journalism in Canada. Well, there is the CBC :)
  - jollybean 5y ago
    This is 100% a legitimate news story. In an era of increased government surveillance and arbitrary encroaching powers, this is exactly what news is. That the government is apparently using the data anonymized for COVID research etc. is obviously important. Honestly it's a bit odd to think there are people who would just 'look the other way' and trust that the system without information. Thankfully, we have a news diaspora and other journalist can monitor the program and follow the story with 'access to personal information requests' from them, Telus etc..
    - arcticbull 5y ago
      > In an era of increased government surveillance and arbitrary encroaching powers, this is exactly what news is. The government did not create any new powers here, this dataset was available for a long time, and the public health agency is now using it in service of its goal - furthering the public health of Canadians. > That the government is apparently using the data anonymized for COVID research etc. is obviously important. Why is anonymous data important to you? I don't mean this in a provocative way, I'm genuinely curious. I'd honestly submit de-anonymized data to PHAC if asked. Seems like a worthwhile mission. I have no idea how PHAC could harm me or anyone else by knowing I went down to the Loblaws on MacArthur in Vanier this morning. > Honestly it's a bit odd to think there are people who would just 'look the other way' and trust that the system without information. I think it's fair - important even - to ask the questions, but if you find the answer is a non-story, then don't publish it or at least publish it without a negative, suspicious framing. Once they found the data was anonymous and being used under existing authority exactly for the thing it was supposed to be, it's sort of a move along, nothing to see here moment. I know that doesn't sell papers for the grandparent company in New Jersey.
emehex 5y ago
Canadian here, as well. This comment is a bit radical and sensational. While the National Post may lean slightly centre/right [1], it is still a respected publication. [1] https://ground.news/interest/national-post https://ground.news/interest/national-post
unbad505 5y ago
Radical? Not really, though it is definitely more sensational, and I would stay as far away as I could from their opinion pieces.
tagoregrtst 5y ago
The National Post radical.??? It is more tasteless and characterless than the sawdust served at an IKEA cafeteria. Nothing about it is radical. They raison d’être is to defend the English Canadian way to do government (therefore literally the opposite of radical). “Radical” NP opposes Quebec’s nationalist laws including the anti-muslim laws, laws forcing immigrant to learn French in six months after arriving (under pain of being kicked out??). Their founder Lord Conrad Black -the only columnist with an ounce of flamboyance - spent some time in an US jail before SCOTUS declared most of the accusations as unconstitutional. In jail he taught his fellow inmates to read and got them to get their GEDs. Lord Black has been a tireless advocate of US prison reform, years before it became trendy. Their religious columnist, a Catholic priest, is Goan and a staunch defender of Pope Francis (those who are Catholic will understand that). Words that come to mind with NP are: “mayonnaise”, “boring”, “establishment”, “Multiculturalism promoters”, “Pro-immigration”, “Post-religious Anglican” That being said, they are critical of Trudeau - a man who wore blackface twice, brown-face (ie Indian) in his first term, fires women who criticize him publicly, etc. The NP are the antipode of radical.

Canadian here. This publication is one of the radical and sensational ones from my experience. Not somewhere I would get my news from.

by a1371 5y ago

Canadian here. This publication is one of the radical and sensational ones from my experience. Not somewhere I would get my news from.

divbzero 5y ago

Thanks for the context. I wish there were an easy way for outsiders to know this. I have an intuition for reliable vs. sensational sources in specific places and subjects, but am mostly in the dark beyond that.

honkdaddy 5y ago
The GP makes a gross mischaracterization. It's a centre to centre-right publication and is among the most popular in our country. I'm not sure what axe they have to grind with NP, but it's resoundingly clear they're not replying in good faith.

jollybean 5y ago

Canadian here, and this is just false. There's nothing remotely 'radical' about the NP. The National Post is has an editorial bias, but the only source that the publication could be considered 'radical' would be the editorial letters from Conrad Black, which are not 'news'. Otherwise, it's a welcome bit of information from the insufferably poor lack of perspective offered by the CBC, the national broadcaster. I wouldn't trust the 'National Post' as a 'single source' of news, it's not broad enough, however, it's an important part of the fairly limited diaspora of news in Canada. The evidence for this is right in the story: however ultimately benign this issue is, it's an incredibly important bit of information for Canadians to have, and the CBC is not giving us this information. Moreover, the article itself is clear, well written, well sourced and I can't fathom how someone would really characterize it as clickbait other than if they misread the headline. So you can have a possibly sensational headline (arguably) from a privately owned news paper that has to earn a profit, or, no news at all because the national broadcaster, The CBC, apparently doesn't think you need to know that the government uses this data. I'm thankful for the NP, and there's a dearth of good journalism in Canada. The Globe and Mail is equally behind a paywall, the Toronto Star and Sun are rubbish, the Montreal papers are very Quebec focused - and so it's slim pickings otherwise.

Pxtl 5y ago
National Post is the loudest voice for climate change denial in Canada. That alone should be enough to consider it disreputable.
arcticbull 5y ago
> The CBC apparently doesn't think you need to know that the government uses this data. Canadian here. I agree completely with the CBC. This is one of the least interesting non-stories I have seen in years. "Public health agency does job - uses aggregated, anonymous statistics to see how people move and interact in hopes of improving public health." Oh no. Anyways. > I'm thankful for the NP, and there's a dearth of good journalism in Canada. Well, there is the CBC :)
- jollybean 5y ago
  This is 100% a legitimate news story. In an era of increased government surveillance and arbitrary encroaching powers, this is exactly what news is. That the government is apparently using the data anonymized for COVID research etc. is obviously important. Honestly it's a bit odd to think there are people who would just 'look the other way' and trust that the system without information. Thankfully, we have a news diaspora and other journalist can monitor the program and follow the story with 'access to personal information requests' from them, Telus etc..
  - arcticbull 5y ago
    > In an era of increased government surveillance and arbitrary encroaching powers, this is exactly what news is. The government did not create any new powers here, this dataset was available for a long time, and the public health agency is now using it in service of its goal - furthering the public health of Canadians. > That the government is apparently using the data anonymized for COVID research etc. is obviously important. Why is anonymous data important to you? I don't mean this in a provocative way, I'm genuinely curious. I'd honestly submit de-anonymized data to PHAC if asked. Seems like a worthwhile mission. I have no idea how PHAC could harm me or anyone else by knowing I went down to the Loblaws on MacArthur in Vanier this morning. > Honestly it's a bit odd to think there are people who would just 'look the other way' and trust that the system without information. I think it's fair - important even - to ask the questions, but if you find the answer is a non-story, then don't publish it or at least publish it without a negative, suspicious framing. Once they found the data was anonymous and being used under existing authority exactly for the thing it was supposed to be, it's sort of a move along, nothing to see here moment. I know that doesn't sell papers for the grandparent company in New Jersey.

emehex 5y ago

Canadian here, as well. This comment is a bit radical and sensational. While the National Post may lean slightly centre/right [1], it is still a respected publication. [1] https://ground.news/interest/national-post https://ground.news/interest/national-post

unbad505 5y ago

Radical? Not really, though it is definitely more sensational, and I would stay as far away as I could from their opinion pieces.

tagoregrtst 5y ago

The National Post radical.??? It is more tasteless and characterless than the sawdust served at an IKEA cafeteria. Nothing about it is radical. They raison d’être is to defend the English Canadian way to do government (therefore literally the opposite of radical). “Radical” NP opposes Quebec’s nationalist laws including the anti-muslim laws, laws forcing immigrant to learn French in six months after arriving (under pain of being kicked out??). Their founder Lord Conrad Black -the only columnist with an ounce of flamboyance - spent some time in an US jail before SCOTUS declared most of the accusations as unconstitutional. In jail he taught his fellow inmates to read and got them to get their GEDs. Lord Black has been a tireless advocate of US prison reform, years before it became trendy. Their religious columnist, a Catholic priest, is Goan and a staunch defender of Pope Francis (those who are Catholic will understand that). Words that come to mind with NP are: “mayonnaise”, “boring”, “establishment”, “Multiculturalism promoters”, “Pro-immigration”, “Post-religious Anglican” That being said, they are critical of Trudeau - a man who wore blackface twice, brown-face (ie Indian) in his first term, fires women who criticize him publicly, etc. The NP are the antipode of radical.