Ethnic media failed the Canadian standard in Young case
By Harvey Oberfeld
Vancouver South Conservative candidate Wai Young is having a difficult campaign: she’s been criticised for attending a BC Khalsa school meeting, where she was endorsed by Air India bombing suspect Ripudaman Singh Malik; her own siblings are suing her in a family dispute over an inheritance; and, they’ve also announced they will not be voting for her.
And making matters worse, as the possible Malik connection was questionned, Young had been hiding from the media for four days, issuing a printed statement, but avoiding interviews. Or most interviews…
Earlier this week, Young invited a select group of ethnic (Asian) media to a home in Richmond, where she took questions. Non-ethnic media were not invited … shut out from asking questions.
The Tory candidate has been criticised for that, but I think the media who attended and went along with her quite apparent racist selection of media to talk to deserve condemnation as well.
When they saw this was a press availability for only certain “ethnic media” … with other non-ethnic” media shut out … they should have refused to take part and left. The standards to be applied to ethnic or Asian media must be the same as those applied to the rest of the media.
One can only imagine the outcry from the Asian media if any candidate running for public office, under a major political party banner (lets forget the loonie fringe) held a media avialbility session for select “white” media only. And they would be absolutely right in screaming like hell.
And I believe the regular city, provincial or national media invited to such a racially selective “Asians keep out” press availability session would refuse to participate.
But here, the ethnic media went along. Shame on them.
True, one of them, Fairchild Media, gave a copy of their tape to their “gwai lo” counterparts, but that’s not good enough.
In Canada, in BC, and especially in the multi-ethnic Lower Mainland NO media should agree to press availability sessions set up on a racial basis. On ANY topic, but especially by a candidate running for any public office in the land.
The media who took part on this racially -specific event owe apologies: to their listeners/viewers; to their fellow journalists who they allowed to be excluded; and, most of all, to Canada … where such discrimination is unacceptable.
Harv Oberfeld is a blogger and retired journalist. This column originally appeared in his blog, Keeping It Real. Reprinted with permission.
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