Under our
Charter of Rights; Freedoms and the Canadian Constitution the rights of all
citizens must be protected, be they non-public figures or elected
representatives of the public and all are to be presumed innocent until
legally and beyond any reasonable doubt in a court of law found otherwise.
Recently media corporations, such as the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star and Gawker blog, with their editorials, reporting and story journalism being based on gossip, hearsay and anonymous dubious sources that cannot be independently legally verifiable and would not be judicially acceptable in our courts of law, in my opinion, have adequately shown the media must be reigned in and clamped down on by legislation for such muckraking at the direct expense of any individuals citizen’s character and that of the family, spouse and children.
Recently media corporations, such as the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star and Gawker blog, with their editorials, reporting and story journalism being based on gossip, hearsay and anonymous dubious sources that cannot be independently legally verifiable and would not be judicially acceptable in our courts of law, in my opinion, have adequately shown the media must be reigned in and clamped down on by legislation for such muckraking at the direct expense of any individuals citizen’s character and that of the family, spouse and children.
Mob rule
public opinion guilt spread through muckraking bulling editorials and
journalistic news-making stories or gossip blogs are neither reliable, relevant
or permitted evidence on issues before the courts. Such unproven allegations
should NOT be allowed “to go to press” in public or private newsprint media. Such legislation must be enacted to protect the personal reputations of all Canadian individuals, their spouse, family and children from media corporations rush to judgment and opinions based on allegations from scurrilous anonymous sources of gossip; hearsay and theory as offered up as editorial opinions and journalistic stories.
The personal reputation of every Canadian from whatever province they reside or make their living must be shielded from story generated journalism and reporters acting like legally constituted police investigator or officers of our judicial system which they are not.
To quote Justice
J.E. Scanlan, “guilt or innocence is NOT based on rumour, speculation or
reputation. An accused is not tried” (in the media, courts or public opinion)”
based on what he/she may have done before” rather “ the evidence related to the
matter in issue.”
In my opinion,
unprofessional editorials and journalistic stories lately have forgone any
sense of professionalism or basic human decency.
Perhaps it is
because of their own or their employers’ distinct motives as based on their
particular political ideologies and philosophies,
I am not sure but it
seems that way.
Sources
