EP 61: 'Journalists have forgotten who their readers are'

This month at Lean Out, we've been speaking with journalists we admire — and having conversations about the state of the mainstream media, and the rise of the independent press.

Tara's guest today runs an independent outlet in Ottawa, and she joins Tara to talk through some of the year’s biggest stories.

Holly Doan is an award-winning journalist, and the publisher and owner of Blacklock’s Reporter. 

Lean Out did request comment from the Parliamentary Press Gallery on the recent eviction of Blacklock’s Tom Korski. You can read the statement it sent, in full, below. 

The Press Gallery would like correct the record about a decision made last Friday regarding one of its members.

The Press Gallery Executive Committee received a complaint, from several members, of serious misconduct as defined in by-law No.10 of our Constitution, regarding a Gallery member, Tom Korski. The subcategory of serious misconduct at issue in the complaint was that set out in paragraph 2(b) of by-law No.10, which may be described as pertaining to harassing or otherwise inappropriate conduct by a member. The complaint did not pertain to any issue of journalistic practices or principles. The Executive considered the complaint in accordance with the Constitution and the procedures set out in theGallery’s “Complaint Procedures”.

A mediation process was offered, without, however, resolving the complaint.

Mr. Korski was given the opportunity to respond to the complaint, but the Executive did not receive any representations in that regard.

The Executive, after careful scrutiny of the facts alleged by the complainants, has determined that the complaint was well-founded and that the conduct complained-of constituted serious misconduct, as defined in paragraph 10(2)(b) of the Constitution, by the member concerned.

In determining whether any sanctions were required in light of its conclusions on the merits of the complaint, and if so, what sanctions would be appropriate, the Executive gave consideration to both the seriousness of the misconduct and the importance of protecting members who are using Gallery facilities from harassing or otherwise inappropriate conduct by other members. Accordingly, the Executive decided to prohibit the member mentioned in the complaint from having access to certain shared spaces managed by the Gallery, such as the Hot Room, Room 172-B in West Block, the Poliquin Lounge, and the 6th floor boardroom, for a period of 90 days.

The member in question still holds their membership status with the Press Gallery as well as their access card to enter parliamentary buildings for journalistic purposes and will therefore retain the ability to access the Chamber of the House of Commons, committees, and press conferences.

Contrary to certain accounts of these events circulating on social media, Mr. Korski was not escorted by a police officer off the Gallery premises, he was advised of the decision of the Executive andgiven to the end of the day to comply with the decision by leaving the premises.

Mr. Korski was notified of the decision by the president of the Press Gallery, Guillaume St-Pierre, accompanied by the vice-president, Louis Blouin, on Friday, December 2.

The media outlet with which Mr. Korski is associated, Blacklock’s Reporter, retains two members in the Press Gallery, including Mr. Korski. The decision in question pertains only to the access of Mr. Korski himself to Gallery facilities shared by other members.

Guillaume St-Pierre

President, Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery

You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraRHenley, and on Substack at tarahenley.substack.com