Youssef Shoufan, the guy behind this video about Journal de Montréal workers, has suggested through his blog and a Facebook group that Montrealers boycott Quebecor’s 24 Heures free newspaper in protest of its alleged bias in favour of Quebecor companies like TVA and Videotron.
It’s very unlikely such a move is going to make any difference, for the simple reason that people who care about the state of the news industry don’t read the free papers, and the vast majority who don’t care about media convergence won’t give this a second thought and will go on reading the newspapers boycott or no. You can’t threaten to cancel your subscription to 24 Heures.
Meanwhile, at the Journal, there’s little going on. Le Devoir had a piece from Paul Cauchon on Monday summarizing the stalemate, and focusing on all the anti-Quebecor articles that have appeared on RueFrontenac.com now that journalists have the freedom to say what they really think about their corporate overlords.
And at the little brother Le Réveil, which was also locked out by Quebecor, advertisers are pulling out of the publication in solidarity with workers (so says the no-agenda-here RueFrontenac). Saguenay’s mayor is under pressure to pull the city’s $130,000 worth of advertising from the free paper.
Keeping the machin running
I’m starting to like this overly-enunciative fellow. (The original, for those missing context)
Elsewhere
- Julie Snyder (PKP’s conjointe) says she wants to see this labour disruption ended as soon as possible, in the most diplomatic way possible.
- Céline Galipeau and Sophie Thibault, whose names I just notice rhyme, found each other together at the nomination press conference for the Artis, and made out with each other had a little photo op. Rue Frontenac takes the time to point out that Céline refused an interview with the Journal de Montréal.