By Shannon Rupp. Reaction to Calgary editorial writer’s anti-harm reduction rant proves news still works in this country.
Originally published 24/07/13 on TheTyee.ca
[excerpt] The kerfuffle over a Calgary columnist claiming Glee actor Cory Monteith’s death was somehow caused by Vancouver’s safe injection site is a reassuring sign that journalism still works in this country.For someone who spends much of her time cursing the decline of journalism in mass media, and corporate newspapers in particular, it was almost heartwarming to see the scribes doing their job exactly the way they’re supposed to.
And that includes Licia Corbella, the Calgary’s Herald’s much-mocked columnist. I know the people calling her dumb-as-three-rocks do not want to hear this, but Corbella did us all a great service. She created a news hook on which far better reporters and columnists could hang informative, thoughtful copy about drug addiction.
She is the perfect example of the argument that 17th century poet and philosopher John Milton made in Areopagitica: that we should encourage free speech because in the marketplace of ideas, good ideas will drive the bad ones out.
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