Kushner urges city to support local journalism
Joe Kushner cannot understand why any politician would have signed the memo.
The 2015 memo, written by one of former St. Catharines MP Rick Dykstra’s staffers and which accused The Standard of intimidating politicians and manufacturing the news, is “disconcerting,” Kushner said, and not something any elected official should want to be attached to.
The memo was signed by 11 politicians, including St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik, following a meeting with Paul Godfrey, the CEO of Postmedia which then owned The Standard.
The paper is now owned by TorStar.
The document, which includes accusations that the paper prints “unfounded, derogatory and defamatory” stories was sent to Godfrey.
Kushner, councillor for St. Andrew’s Ward in St. Catharines, is so bothered by the memo — first reported by The Standard on May 3 — that he has put forward a motion that, if passed, would see city council laud local journalists and reject censorship.
Kushner filed a notice of motion during Monday’s evening’s council meeting and his motion is likely to be debated during the June 11 meeting.
The motion, which highlights section 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights Freedoms guaranteeing freedom of the press, says that “investigative journalism is being attacked, not only worldwide, but also at the local level.” It calls on council to “commend the media for their investigative reporting and in no way supports censorship of the news.”
The memo was drafted by David Schulz from Dykstra’s office after a select group of local politicians and Carmen D’Angelo — now the regional CAO but then the CAO of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority — met with Godfrey.
Eleven local politicians attended: Regional Chair Alan Caslin; Port Colborne regional Coun. David Barrick; St. Catharines city Couns. Sandie Bellows, Sal Sorrento and Mike Britton; Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati, St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik, Thorold Mayor Ted Luciani, West Lincoln Mayor Doug Joyner, and Niagara Falls regional Couns. Bart Maves and Selina Volpatti.
The meeting was orchestrated by Dykstra, who invited Godfrey to meet the politicians.
The memo claims the paper was targeting “fiscal conservatives,” and recommended Postmedia “implement measures” to prevent such stories. It also complained about the paper’s online comments section, which was later shut down by Postmedia.
In addition to the memo, D’Angelo sent his own recommendations to Shulz, including a suggestion that Postmedia install a new management team at The Standard.
That suggestion was sent to Godfrey as additional feedback.
Sendzik, along with several other attendees, said they signed it because of concerns about the comments section, but did not believe the paper was intimidating politicians or running defamatory stories. Sendzik could not be reached Thursday.
Kushner said he is disturbed by the meeting and the memo, which he regards as an attempt to silence the press.
He said politicians may not always like press coverage, but he said journalists play a critical role in holding governments to account.
“I have received coverage I did not like,” he said, referring to former Standard columnist Doug Herod chiding him as being too negative. “I did not particularly like it, but that is what happens sometimes.”
Kushner said he doesn’t expect the motion will be debated for long.