I read a quote this past week:
"It's crazy how some people need no proof to believe a lie but demand endless proof to accept the truth."
Seems kinda on the nose about our society these days, doesn't it?
Let me explain a little.
On Election Night in Canada last Monday, social media was the circus that it's pretty much expected to be as soon as the results came pouring in and it was confirmed that the Liberals were going to remain at the top of the mountain. Not the result that many people wanted, and that includes myself, but it is what it is and all you can do is move on with your daily life.
But then I saw a claim being shared on Facebook by someone that I know, and I had to step in and correct it.
This person was apparently claiming that the federal government is the one who decided that news media links on Facebook be banned in Canada.
Folks, I'm here to tell you that this is a lie.
Not only does Canada as a country not have the POWER to enforce such a ridiculous rule in essentially forcing Facebook to ban all news links in this country, it would also be easily criminally prosecutable.
Here's the truth:
The reason why Canadian news media can't be linked and shared on that online platform is because the company, Facebook Meta, refuses to pay its share to media outlets nationwide for providing such content on the platform, something which Google already has agreed to and done. In 2023, Google agreed to send $100 million in funds to the Canadian Journalism Collective, an organization designed to disperse the funds to media outlets nationwide, in exchange for an exemption from the Online News Act, which compels companies to pay for their use of news articles and journalism.
These events have nothing to do with the federal government, aside from simply acting as a representing body on behalf of Canadian journalists. I mean, who were we supposed to get to speak for us? David Suzuki? Anne Murray? The ghost of Mr. Dressup, maybe?
Whether it was a Liberal or Conservative government, it wouldn't matter; this and only this was their role in this particular battle.
If people are looking for someone to blame in this scenario, look no further than billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, the owner of Facebook Meta. Not whoever happens to be in charge in Ottawa, because honestly, when you think about the level of power that's in play here, that's irrelevant in the grand scale.
If you REALLY think the Canadian government is the one banning news media links in its own country, then you:
1. Have far too much time on your hands; and
2. Really, really, REALLY over-estimate how much power little ole Ottawa has over a global behemoth like Facebook Meta.
The comedy didn't end with that this past week. Someone else that I know seemed to have an issue with the fact that I posted a screenshot of a letter to the editor that was posted online at SaskToday. I didn't write the actual letter, mind you, but apparently there's an issue with simply sharing an image of an article that readers can still find readily available online.
Apparently, I can't be human and share such images myself, even if I do happen to agree with a lot of what's being said in such a letter. However, I didn't say that, and I didn't even offer any opinion of my own when I shared the image of the letter. Why? Because I write this column, for one thing....
I was thinking about this, and the end result only has me shaking my head and laughing.
Keeping on this train of thought - and stay with me now - it's apparently 100% okay if I share images of my news articles that talk about things like a business holding a grand opening, a new fire hall beginning to take shape, or a team winning the big one; this is all perfectly fine.
But the second that I share *someone else's opinion* about perhaps a negative topic that's on the minds of many in the community - remember, not even MY opinion - that's somehow......bad?
Some people need to seriously pick a lane. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Sometimes the news is great, and I love writing about that. But sometimes the news just plain sucks, and I have to write about that. And then sometimes, someone else writes about something else that sucks in a letter to the editor, and yes, I'm going to share that too, just as I do for soooooooooo many other articles that have been written.
Zuckerberg's blocked how my content and how SaskToday's content is presented to people, so if I have to do a tiny bit of extra work to promote it, I'm going to do it. Plain and simple. You don't have to like it, but you do have to accept it.
But that's the funny thing about people. THIS and THIS is okay, but THIS or THIS? No, we can't have that! How dare you!
It's called life, people. It isn't always rosy and it isn't always a barrel of monkeys.
I would also have a problem as a journalist with being 'selective' in the stories that I post and even promote. I can't be selective and I can't let emotion cloud my judgment.
I'll close with this:
The irony in seeing people shout FAKE NEWS at basic truths and refuse to accept common knowledge at face value, while at the same time whining online about how Canadians "are being lied to!" left and right is both hilarious and eye-rolling to me.
In the end, you reap what you sow in life.
For this week, that's been the Ruttle Report.
