Juno News - July 18, 2022


James Topp on the media coverage of his march


Episode Stats

Length

3 minutes

Words per Minute

145.65141

Word Count

556

Sentence Count

22


Summary


Transcript

00:00:00.000 So large sections of the mainstream media have either tried to ignore you or they've tried to smear you and your organization.
00:00:07.880 How does that make you feel? Does that bother you?
00:00:11.240 And let's say you'd been marching for Ukraine across the country, for Ukraine's freedom.
00:00:17.600 Do you think the mainstream media would have reacted differently?
00:00:21.140 No, I got to the point where I'm okay with it.
00:00:28.820 I'm not exactly happy about it.
00:00:30.500 Like you said, if I were to have been marching for a different cause, okay, quote unquote, definitely I do believe I would probably have my own retinue in a bus and a number of other perks that I don't have available now.
00:00:45.780 But the fact is that this is not a popular thing to be engaging in in this current climate and the media landscape is not friendly to the things that I'm saying.
00:00:59.020 And of course, this kind of a lot of this is being painted as something negative.
00:01:06.840 And I'm perplexed because nothing that we've done is outside of the law.
00:01:12.280 You know, I haven't been approached and have met with Canadians from all walks of life, from all backgrounds, from all income brackets.
00:01:21.700 OK, and to have, you know, these name calling and the smears, it does it does bother me in a way that, you know, because what have what has the, you know, corporate journalism become?
00:01:37.700 In that there's no attempt at a discussion or an attempt to understand why I'm doing like in the fashion that you're doing as an independent journalist, asking the questions, allowing me to explain.
00:01:50.760 That's not happening at the corporate level, there's just this name calling and no attempt at any sort of investigation.
00:02:00.380 And if the investigation is had, I would say it's not a very good one because I have not come into contact with many reporters at the higher levels at various organizations.
00:02:11.380 So when I say that, I'm not I'm not exactly OK with it, because I think it it's it's very disruptive and harmful to the public mind.
00:02:24.460 Yeah, is this just something that is creating a kind of hatred and a rage in people?
00:02:33.200 And it's not necessary because nothing I've ever said or done is inflammatory.
00:02:37.500 I've not insulted anybody.
00:02:39.040 I've never I've not criticized all I'm trying to do is bring to light the the the issues that are facing federal government workers that have been affected, like I have.
00:02:49.480 So I just find it it's it's irresponsible journalism.
00:02:54.460 It does it does bother me because of the hatred and anger that is generating, which is misplaced and not necessary, I might add.
00:03:03.440 However, when I have had the ability now over the last couple of days to have a couple of conversations with reporters from Canadian press and Ottawa citizen, I have attempted to try to say, look, this is what I am seeing from your organization.
00:03:21.580 Please make some effort highlighting the positive that came out of this, because this is the remarkable story and how, number one, I came together with 11 other people.
00:03:34.060 And over the course of four and a half months, that team facilitated a foot march over forty four hundred kilometers in length.
00:03:43.300 So why this cannot be reported on, you know, I don't understand.