Comments on: Some Sunday reading on Haiti

By: Maria Gatti

Maria Gatti — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:01:42 +0000

I presume you mean the francophone Quebec press. Steve didn't mention Le Monde or Libération.

Bit of a Blimp? The Natives haven't learnt English yet?

As for the Congo story. Steve, as you know around where we live, any Black person unless he or she is obviously English or Spanish speaking (BWI, US tourist or old anglophone Black community southwest of here, Dominican...) is assumed to be a Haitian. Indeed, a Congolese, faced with all the expressions of sympathy about "ce qui se passe dans votre pays" almost thought the average Jacques or Jacqueline knew something about the protracted civil war in both Congos. They are more likely to know about Rwanda due to Radio-Canada journalist Léo Kalinda and his famous, talented and gorgeous nephew Corneille.

By: Alex H

Alex H — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:00:08 +0000

I think the problems of Haiti are that no matter what happens, it is still not going to work out well. It hasn't taken long for the public to go on rampages, for the people to be calling for the ouster of the president, and to call for the return of Artistide. It's an amazingly bad situation there right now, only made worse by a people who don't seem to be able to work together for 10 minutes, let alone the time that will be needed to make this better.

I am personally shocked to see how many journalists were sent over, particularly by the daily news outlets (newspapers). I can't help but think in the first couple of days that there were more reporters than humanitarian aid workers on the ground, which is pretty sad.

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:48:10 +0000

Well, no. I was just wondering whether there's any original foreign reporting being done by the Post that someone wouldn't also potentially find in their local paper.

By: Fagstein

Fagstein — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:43:06 +0000

Not that I know of, but whether the journalist is employed by Canwest or the Post doesn't make much difference really.

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:27:56 +0000

Does the Post have any foreign presence of its own - apart from the Canwest people, I mean?

By: Fagstein

Fagstein — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:21:18 +0000

Canwest News Service (which is shared by the National Post and Canwest's other papers) has correspondents in Asia, Europe, Afghanistan, Washington and New York. But they're more like a wire service. That leaves the Globe and the Star as the only papers rich enough to afford them.

By: Fagstein

Fagstein — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:18:29 +0000

They too have already sent their second reporter after the first came back.

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:14:27 +0000

When a Canwest paper sends anyone outside the country, it surprises me, and it's a stunner to me that the Journal de Québec would, but last time I checked, the Star was sending reporters elsewhere in the world pretty regularly, and even maintaining foreign bureaus.

This announcement (http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/439106) is a year and a half old, but indicates that at that time, at least, they had four foreign correspondents. I'm just going to guess that behind the Globe, that's probably the most of any Canadian newspaper?

By: Shawn

Shawn — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:46:11 +0000

Yeah, I'm with Heather: at least as far as Quebec media goes. Didn't know the TO Star had someone there, too, though.

By: Dominique

Dominique — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:17:04 +0000

$6900. Wow.

By: John M

John M — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:27:14 +0000

As much as I really don't care about the french press I did read Patrick Lagace's article through your link and I gotta garee with it! Enough bullshit.... Give until bleeds people, because the corrupt masses in Haiti need to pad their pockets even more....

By: Fagstein

Fagstein — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:42:38 +0000

I'm not saying they wouldn't send reporters because the story isn't important or relevant, but because of financial reasons. And the Journal de Montréal hasn't sent anyone to Haiti. It's the Journal de Québec that's sending reporters.

By: Heather H.

Heather H. — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 04:30:31 +0000

Why are you surprised that Montreal newspapers like The Gazette and Le Journal de Scab sent reporters?

Haven't you heard about Montreal's HUGE Haitian community?