CanWest (publisher of the Citizen) has sunk to new lows by starting community newspapers like The Now to skirt the by-law enforcing no-flyer mailbox stickers. Newspaper is a term that barely applies to this product as it wraps 4 sheets of ad-laden copy around 1.5 pounds of dead tree in the shape of unwanted flyers. There were 11 articles this week, on 16 pages. Accompanying this were 274 pages of flyers. This paper freeloads on the right of genuine community papers to widely and freely distribute neighbourhood stories of community interest.

Let us take an example of the fine journalism CanWest publishes under the label of The Now EMC Ottawa-East. Recently, the editor took the time to publish an editorial (“Calling the Shots”, Aug. 8). In this remarkable dying-swan piece, the editor defends his journalistic independence. In response to accusations of bias, he lectures those who “make up their minds regardless of circumstance” in “mis-directed anger.” In the same breath, he launches an ad hominem attack against “grad-student types who speak fluent academic jargon-ese”. There is no evidence that this irony is intentional. Although he asserts that he is “nobody’s baby,” it is clear from the editorial’s placement under the advertising deadlines and specifications that the opposite is true.

CanWest should be ashamed of itself. Advertising to those who choose to receive it is fine. Advertising to those who have not indicated a preference is defensible. Purposefully starting a rag with the barest veneer of shoddy journalism to circumvent no-flyer stickers is reprehensible.