[adma]

I seriously don't get how three right-leaning newspapers survive in a Liberal stronghold such as Toronto. Who reads them? Most people in Toronto read the Star. It is the most popular in the city.

Though it may be argued that the G&M's brand of "right-leaning" is indeed Liberal-compatible; that is, among the Martin/Iggy/ex-PC brand of Liberals...

 

[toraerach]

I seriously don't get how three right-leaning newspapers survive in a Liberal stronghold such as Toronto. Who reads them? Most people in Toronto read the Star. It is the most popular in the city.

The star is the most popular paper in the country even though it gets little circulation outside of Ontario. The Post and Globe are both marketed as national news papers, are circulated throughout the country, and both are still less read than the Star. I wonder if Toronto could support both the Globe and Post if they were local papers. The Sun is in a completely different category.

All that being said, I sometimes even find the Star uncomfortable with Miller, perhaps unable to fully forgive him for his NDP-roots. Unlike Conservatives and Liberals, New Democrats (in Toronto at least) don't have a big newspaper who will stick with them through almost anything - for example, the way the Star stuck with Dion through his disasterous campaign.

 

[adma]

Unlike Conservatives and Liberals, New Democrats (in Toronto at least) don't have a big newspaper who will stick with them through almost anything - for example, the way the Star stuck with Dion through his disasterous campaign.

I guess it depends on whether one calls Now a "big newspaper" or not...

 

[Brian69]

All that being said, I sometimes even find the Star uncomfortable with Miller, perhaps unable to fully forgive him for his NDP-roots. Unlike Conservatives and Liberals, New Democrats (in Toronto at least) don't have a big newspaper who will stick with them through almost anything - for example, the way the Star stuck with Dion through his disasterous campaign.

I rarely agree with the editorials but the Star is the most complete paper that covers the GTA and has a very well presented layout. It's funny how often the Star pushes the social justice issues that are dear to the hearts of the NDP but hates to make the connection. Perhaps it's because it supports economic policies closer to the hearts of the Liberals (though not exclusively so).

 

[Eug]

I rarely agree with the editorials but the Star is the most complete paper that covers the GTA and has a very well presented layout. It's funny how often the Star pushes the social justice issues that are dear to the hearts of the NDP but hates to make the connection. Perhaps it's because it supports economic policies closer to the hearts of the Liberals (though not exclusively so).

Not really surprising. This is an overgeneralization of course, but I find the NDP in Ontario much less practical than the NDP in the west. It seems the NDP in the west is more willing to take a practical approach to issues, whereas the NDP in Ontario leans more heavily to ideology at the expense of practicality.

To put it another way, the NDP of the west is keen to balance budgets. The NDP of Ontario, not so much... unless it means heavily raising taxes.

I'm not surprised at all that no major newspaper is keen to align themselves with that latter brand of NDPism. As for Now and Eye, I read them, but in the greater scheme of things they really don't count.

Though it may be argued that the G&M's brand of "right-leaning" is indeed Liberal-compatible; that is, among the Martin/Iggy/ex-PC brand of Liberals...

The G&M isn't really right-leaning by Canadian standards. Its social perspective seems to be more centrist and occasionally even slightly left IMO, although its business section would lean to the right as might be expected. A reasonable assessment overall is to say it more or less splits things right down the middle, which probably partially explains its popularity as a "national" newspaper. To put it another way, if people consider the G&M significantly right leaning, perhaps those people might be more far left than they think they are, or that the Canadian public is not really as far left as some people hope they are.

 

[Brian69]

Not really surprising. This is an overgeneralization of course, but I find the NDP in Ontario much less practical than the NDP in the west. It seems the NDP in the west is more willing to take a practical approach to issues, whereas the NDP in Ontario leans more heavily to ideology at the expense of practicality.

To put it another way, the NDP of the west is keen to balance budgets. The NDP of Ontario, not so much... unless it means heavily raising taxes.

Perhaps because the NDP in the West (everyone except Alberta) has a longer tradition of either being in power or being the official opposition and thus has to be a little more careful with economic plans and promises. Here they can promise the moon with little consequence while pressuring the party in power to actually deliver it. Bob Rae learned that one the hard way.

 

[Earlscourt_Lad]

Unlike Conservatives and Liberals, New Democrats (in Toronto at least) don't have a big newspaper who will stick with them through almost anything - for example, the way the Star stuck with Dion through his disasterous campaign.

I'd wager it boils down to numbers. If there were enough people willing to read, and purchase, such a paper it would probably exist.

 

[unimaginative2]

The G&M isn't really right-leaning by Canadian standards. Its social perspective seems to be more centrist and occasionally even slightly left IMO, although its business section would lean to the right as might be expected. A reasonable assessment overall is to say it more or less splits things right down the middle, which probably partially explains its popularity as a "national" newspaper. To put it another way, if people consider the G&M significantly right leaning, perhaps those people might be more far left than they think they are, or that the Canadian public is not really as far left as some people hope they are.

You're right that the Globe isn't particularly right-leaning by Canadian standards, but it's interesting that our newspaper of record is well to the right of the New York Times.

 

[Eug]

You're right that the Globe isn't particularly right-leaning by Canadian standards, but it's interesting that our newspaper of record is well to the right of the New York Times.

That's not my impression. They seem similar to me. Maybe on specific issues, but overall I'd consider them similar... with the NYT leaning more to the right in the business section.

The National Post is much further right than both of them. As for the Sun, it's not that it's right or left, it's just that I usually can't stand reading it.

 

[kEiThZ]

I find its mostly Toronto Star fans who carp about how right-leaning G&M is. In my travels across the country, I have found G&M to be the newspaper that best reflects the attitudes of Canadians across the country. The Star is really a Torontonian pecularity, and if the comments are any reflection of the readership, the newspaper might not reflect the views of its readers necessarily. Certainly, I don't think the Star's editorial line reflects the attitudes of most suburbanites. We saw solid evidence of this fact during the Harris years.

The only reason the Star has good circulation is because of the fact that it is a local newspaper in Canada's largest city which offers excellent coverage about GTA issues while providing adequate coverage of national and international news. It also provides significantly better coverage of things like sports than the national dailies. That's why the Star sells. That and their drug dealer type marketing techniques (free papers to schools and colleges/universities) help build a loyal readership.

I am fairly sure outside of the GTA and a tad beyond, that the Star is probably not widely read. In contrast, the New York Times is quite a different standard of journalism. They are really a national daily with excellent coverage of New York. The Star would have a long way to go till they achieved that standard.

 

[kEiThZ]

On topic...

I wonder how the implementation of a strong mayor system would change attitudes towards Miller. Certainly, the implementation of his executive has brought about complaints of dictatorial behaviour.

 

[Brian69]

I find its mostly Toronto Star fans who carp about how right-leaning G&M is. In my travels across the country, I have found G&M to be the newspaper that best reflects the attitudes of Canadians across the country. The Star is really a Torontonian pecularity, and if the comments are any reflection of the readership, the newspaper might not reflect the views of its readers necessarily. Certainly, I don't think the Star's editorial line reflects the attitudes of most suburbanites. We saw solid evidence of this fact during the Harris years.

The only reason the Star has good circulation is because of the fact that it is a local newspaper in Canada's largest city which offers excellent coverage about GTA issues while providing adequate coverage of national and international news. It also provides significantly better coverage of things like sports than the national dailies. That's why the Star sells. That and their drug dealer type marketing techniques (free papers to schools and colleges/universities) help build a loyal readership.

I am fairly sure outside of the GTA and a tad beyond, that the Star is probably not widely read. In contrast, the New York Times is quite a different standard of journalism. They are really a national daily with excellent coverage of New York. The Star would have a long way to go till they achieved that standard.

Yes, I think the G&M does try to tread a middle course but its old-school layout and reserved attitude makes it look stodgy to a lot of people. In some ways The Star is a top-notch local paper more than a significant North American daily. It hosts the largest Canadian market and plays to it well.

The New York Times does have a more than modest readership in Canada and aside from a few big gaffes I'd say they deserve it. The ongoing decline of the newspaper is not a good thing.

On topic:

Miller

 

[adma]

To put it another way, the NDP of the west is keen to balance budgets. The NDP of Ontario, not so much... unless it means heavily raising taxes.

At least, the NDP of ManSask is. The BCNDP is in a league of its own...

 

[unimaginative2]

That's not my impression. They seem similar to me. Maybe on specific issues, but overall I'd consider them similar... with the NYT leaning more to the right in the business section.

The National Post is much further right than both of them. As for the Sun, it's not that it's right or left, it's just that I usually can't stand reading it.

Not at all. Read the columnists. Nobody at the Times is comparable to the downright comically right wing Neil Reynolds. He's supposed to be the Globe's economics columnist. The Times has Paul Krugman. In the business section, the Times has Joe Nocera. The Times has Frank Rich, Gail Collins, and Frank Herbert who are all well to the left of anyone at the Globe other than Rick Salutin. Kristof and Cohen write columns that would be too radical for the Globe. Their editorial positions are also generally comparable or to the left of the Globe.

 

[Therion]

I got a free three-month subscription to the Post a while ago. Talk about right wing. Oy vey!