Straight Talk

Postmedia editorial staff in Vancouver disavow published commentary criticizing diversity, tolerance, and inclusion

by Charlie Smith on September 7th, 2019 at 7:47 AM
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      This morning, the Province newspaper website is still carrying a widely condemned opinion piece that's been scrubbed from the Vancouver Sun website.

      Mount Royal University instructor Mark Hecht's article asks whether Canada can learn from Denmark's immigration policy.

      "The jury is out," he writes. "But the minimum requirement is that we say goodbye to diversity, tolerance and inclusion if we wish to be a society that can rebuild the trust we used to have in one another and start accepting a new norm for immigration policy—compatibility, cohesion and social trust."

      Both newspapers are owned by Postmedia Canada Network.

      In January, the Postmedia board appointed a new CEO, Andrew MacLeod. According to a recent article on the Canadaland website, he wants the chain to become "more reliably conservative".

      MacLeod has given Calgary-based Postmedia executive editor and right-wing journalist Kevin Libin authority to make this happen.

      Vancouver Sun editor Harold Munro has apologized over Twitter for the Calgary-based Hecht's opinion piece.

      But saying he's sorry over Twitter wasn't sufficient for some.

      Over Twitter Munro admitted that Hecht's article is appearing in the weekend print edition because that section of the paper had already gone out.

      Meanwhile, various Postmedia staffers have publicly disavowed Hecht's opinion piece.

      The premier's former director of stakeholder relations, Mira Oreck, called the opinion piece "dangerous".

      Eagland then tweeted his agreement.

      Former Vancouver Sun journalist Frances Bula has praised the courage of the reporters who've spoken out publicly.

      Of course, controversies about columns in the Vancouver Sun aren't a new phenomenon.

      Some long-time readers have been criticizing the paper for years for its coverage of diversity issues.

      Columnist Douglas Todd, in particular, has come under fire for repeatedly writing articles about various communities and foreign students that undermine public confidence in multiculturalism, diversity, and immigration.

      But some of the loudest uproars have been in connection with columns from guest contributors, including former diplomat Martin Collacott.

      Prior to his death in 2018, Collacott's articles were regularly derided as racist by his critics.

      Collacott's columns on birth citizenship, the downside of immigration, undocumented migrants, and how Canada is replacing its population remain on the Vancouver Sun website to this day.

      Update #1

      Vancouver Sun editor-in-chief Harold Munro has posted an apology to readers on the newspaper's website, stating that Hecht's opinioin article does not reflect the views of the editors and journalists.

      "We are reviewing our local workflow and editorial processes to ensure greater oversight and accountability so that this does not happen again," Munro wrote.

      Martin Collacott's columns remain on the Vancouver Sun website.

      Update #2

      The author of the column, Mark Hecht, told Canadaland that he sent the article to the opinion page editor, Gordon Clark.

      Hecht also told the Toronto-based website that he thought he would be "breaking new ground" by expressing opposition to diversity, tolerance, and inclusion in a mainstream newspaper. He revealed that he felt the Vancouver Sun would be interested in the column because of other columns it had pubished by Douglas Todd.

      Martin Collacott's columns remain on the Vancouver Sun website. 

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