As the month of June draws to a close there is a dizzying array of political stories to reflect upon. The week of June 7th stands out for the daily offering of bizarre revelations about the Conservative government’s G8/G20 expenditures. The $1.9 billion cost for summit security lead the gasp-making news but nothing woke Canadians up to what was happening better than the fake lake being built at the summits’ Toronto media centre situated in the CNE grounds next to Lake Ontario. I don’t know if anyone polled people’s confidence in their government that week? I am too afraid to look. As astounding as the fake lake is, according to a statement made by the Canadian Association of Journalists at their annual conference in Montreal May 27-29th, fake news is frequently the only kind of news that Canadians get from the Harper government.

Founded in 1978 as the Centre for Investigative Journalism, the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) represents over 900 members from across Canada. Their website states: “We speak on behalf of journalists and in their interest on matters including but not limited to source protection, freedom of information / access to information, public disclosure, diversity of voices and in support of the highest quality journalism for those who turn to journalists for information.”

Shortly after he became prime minister, Stephen Harper declared that the national media in Ottawa were biased against his government due to the long tenure of the Liberals and because of that the Conservatives would not deal with them. So began the limiting of the media’s right to question the Harper government which has according to the CAJ grown since 2006 from “a minor annoyance…into a genuine and widespread threat to the public’s right to know.”

Thus, they are: “calling on journalists to explain better to readers and viewers just how little information Ottawa has provided for a story. Every time a minister refuses to comment, a critical piece of information is withheld or an access request is delayed, Canadians deserve to know.”

Reading the Canadian Association of Journalist’s statement definitely helps put the fake lake into perspective. Some excerpts: “Under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the flow of information out of Ottawa has slowed to a trickle. Cabinet ministers and civil servants are muzzled. Access to Information requests are stalled and stymied by political interference. Genuine transparency is replaced by slick propaganda and spin designed to manipulate public opinion. The result is a citizenry with limited insight into the workings of their government and a diminished ability to hold it accountable. As journalists, we fear this will mean more government waste, more misuse of taxpayer dollars, more scandals Canadians won’t know about until it’s too late.”

“It’s been four years since Harper muzzled his cabinet ministers and forced reporters to put their names on a list during rare press conferences in hopes of being selected to ask the prime minster a question.”

“More recently, information control has reached new heights. Access to public events is now restricted. Photographers and videographers have been replaced by hand-out photos and footage shot by the prime minister’s press office and blitzed out to newsrooms across Canada. It’s getting tougher to find an independent eye recording history, a witness seeing things how they really happened — not how politicians wish they’d happened. Did cabinet ministers grimace while they tasted seal meat in the Arctic last summer? Canadians will never know. Photographers were barred from the fake photo-op. Those hand-out shots are, unfortunately, widely used by media outlets, often without the caveat that they are not real journalism. In the end, that means Canadian only get a sanitized and staged version of history — not the real history.”

“Meanwhile, the quality of factual information provided to the public has declined steadily. Civil servants – scientists, doctors, regulators, auditors and policy experts, those who draft public policy and can explain it best to the population — cannot speak to the media. Instead, reporters have to deal with an armada of press officers who know very little or nothing at all about a reporter’s topic and who answer tough questions with vague talking points vetted by layers of political staff and delivered by email only.”

“Reporters have been loath to complain about this problem. But this needs to change. This is not about deteriorating working conditions for journalists. It’s about the deterioration of democracy itself. On behalf of our members, we are calling on journalists to stand together and push back by refusing to accept vague email responses to substantive questions that require an interview with a cabinet minister or a senior civil servant. We are also asking journalists to stop running hand-out photos and video clips.”

“When we can’t get basic information, we can’t hold your government to account on your behalf. In order to have a genuine debate about matters of national interest, people need information. In order for citizens to be involved and engaged and make smart choices at voting time, they need information. It’s time we got some.”

Full scale traditional and independent media presence plus personal recording devices ensured that the coverage from the streets of Toronto during the summit came from all perspectives. From inside the fences we got carefully orchestrated views of the summit meetings culminating with a group shot of the world leaders, smiling and waving to the cameras. For the G8/G20 news it is not difficult to grasp the difference. In everyday news coverage it is a different matter.

Jane E. Burton is a freelance writer who operates her company Memorable Lines from her home in Fanny Bay. For more information on the services offered please visit her website at www.memorablelines.com.