The amount of misinformation, hate, and outright lies being broadcast through our media these days is MASSIVE. From the Faux News station in the U.S. to the Post-Media owned newspapers across Canada, hate is encouraged and applauded.

It’s not just North America. The European Federation of Journalists has a “Media Against Hate” campaign. As they say on their site, “We aim to counter hate speech and discrimination in the media, both on and offline, by promoting ethical standards, while maintaining respect for freedom of expression.”  The Rabid Right has gone so far offside that Britain has jailed the leaders of the extremist group, Britain First. The European Union has given Facebook, Twitter and other social media companies an ultimatum: get rid of the hate speech on your platforms or there will be legal consequences.

We should be as demanding in Canada as other regions of the world are becoming. We should be actively prosecuting hate crime of all kinds. According to this CBC article, “The Criminal Code of Canada says a hate crime is committed to intimidate, harm or terrify not only a person, but an entire group of people to which the victim belongs. The victims are targeted for who they are, not because of anything they have done.” BTW, it is also a hate crime to incite hatred against an identifiable group based on colour, race, religion, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.

Now we come to the rub: People are protected from being charged with a hate crime if their statements are truthful or the expression of a religious opinion. WTH! So that’s why those racist, homophobic asswipes wrap themselves in religion? So they can be exempted from the “you can’t incite hate” rule? We’ve got to change that rule!

But that will take time. And it doesn’t address many members’ of media loose relationship with the truth. Want to do something NOW that will make a difference?

Post Media is notorious for their Rabid Right christian slant. The straw that broke this camel’s back was an article in The National Post reframing Canada’s trade war with the U.S. as Justin Trudeau’s fault. Seriously? Cos the Conservatives would just give Trump what he wants, and screw Canadians?

Perhaps if an advertiser or two were to pull ads, Post-Media would shape up (or ship out, whichever is fine with me.) The following is a list of retail advertisers in the National Post and Toronto Sun. (I have to be honest, I don’t know how they’re still alive.)

National Post (Toronto ed as of Tuesday, June 19, 2018)

Sportchek

Harry Rosen

Bell

MOGO.ca (financial)

TheGrowthOp (weed)

BeAssured.ca

Oaken Financial

The Green Organic Dutchman (weed)

Jolera.com (security)

HondaCanada*

MercedesBenzCDN*

SubaruCanada*

DilawriAuto*

*Thanks to @fleurdelis30 who sent these to me on the 19thvia Twitter. More please y’all.

The Toronto Sun (same as above)The Argonauts

Flair Air (airline)

TheGrowthOp (weed)

MOGO.ca (financial)

And many, many, many car retailers

If you want to add to the list based on the advertising in the Post Media publication in your region, send it along and I’ll add to the list. If you have access to a National Post or other Post Media paper at work, take a peek and send me a note if you see an advertiser we should add to the list. getgvo@gmail.com

The next step is up to you. Pick a company. Tweet, go to their FB page and comment, email them, write them a letter AND call. Tell them that if they continue to advertise in Post Media papers, you are going to join the #BoycottPM team building against them (yeah, that’s us).

When you see other people using the #BoycottPM hastag, retweet or share comments. Don’t just “like.” Retweeting/sharing will spread the message further.

If you are serious about calling out centres of influence peddling lies, hate and bigotry, it takes only a few minutes each day to send a message to a company that their money spent in a Post Media publication will cost them YOUR money.