The Western Standard

I noticed the Western Standard (a Canadian independent magazine) had announced this weekend online that it was publishing some of the danish cartoons in it’s print edition.

I figured it was about money, after all, anyone with access to a computer can see what they want to see.  After reading Mr. Levant’s reasoning some of the points make sense, I’m not sure enough of the points make sense, but it doesnt matter what I think. I’ve never seen a hard copy of The Western Standard, and I won’t be rushing out to buy one.
Canadian media is covering Canadian media – which I believe was the point.

The Weekly Standard has a circulation of about 40 thousand, and was launched in 2004 after The Alberta Report went under in 2003. In a column in The Calgary Sun,  The Western Standard publisher Ezra Levant lays out why he decided to print the cartoons in his magazine. 

- In our magazine’s news judgment, you can’t properly report that story without showing the cartoons (we want to be the first – attention sells copies)

- most of the cartoons are innocuous (to our readers, the heck with everyone else)

- It seems absurd that such a banal journalistic act would be taboo ( if it’s so banal why say it’s taboo unless you are aiming at your competition?)

- Canada’s other publications and TV stations are the abnormal ones for avoiding the subject at the centre of the largest story of the week. (no one has been avoiding it, it’s been a story longer than a week, while you’ve been making your decisions they’ve been making theirs, different mediums make different choices)

- It’s a potential hassle, and publishers aren’t in the hassle business — publishers are in the money-making business. (publishers are in both - your publication and your position as publisher are a classic example of the status quo)

- Anything that could cause subscriptions to be cancelled or advertisers to be scared off is dangerous to the bottom line. ( it’s a risk and it’s a tough job but someone has to do it, you are doing yours)

- And then there is the risk of violence (notice how the reasoning is beginning to change? but we still aren’t at what I think is Mr. Levant’s key reason)

- Freedom of the press can mean the right to ignore a story, too. (now the taunts toward the real objective start – his competition)

-Not a single publisher, editor or reporter has admitted they have blocked the cartoons for fear of an economic backlash. (there could be an economic backlash – this is something the CBC, CTV, Globe and Mail, Le Devoir, Halifax Herald etc. have to say publicly? eastern media - meet western media)

- callow, profit-driven commercial journalists (now we’re into the name calling, of course journalism is commerce driven)

- And none of them have admitted what we all know is true, at least a little bit: That these riots are scary. (Any riot is scary including but not limited to political, religious, race, sports )

-Journalists and other artists have been killed by Muslim radicals. (yes, journalists have been killed by a lot of different kinds of radicals including Muslims)

-In fact, the official excuse has been that TV producers, publishers and editors don’t want to offend religious sensibilities (yep, commerce driven media empires can be hypocritical) 

- The most laughable excuse — especially from the liberal, secular media like the CBC or CNN — is that they “respect” Islam too much. Really? They respect a religion opposed to feminism, gay rights and abortion? (what you see as an excuse others see as a reason, and no one is laughing at your reasons)

- The Western Standard has no explaining to do. (took a long column to get to no explaining)

The Western Standard website and blog were down earlier today and are back online with a subscription drive.