I've rented for pretty much my entire adult life.
It's not something that you typically scream from the rooftops, as it has this sort of unofficial aura to it where you haven't really entered adulthood until you have a mortgage. And there's a certain air of truth to that, as it carries a boatload of responsibilities to it.
That's not to say that I'm not a responsible guy. I've always been a solid tenant (mainly because I'm never home). I always pay my rent on time, always keep the place neat and tidy (for the most part) and really don't even have people over, as I know how I feel when I hear loud music and people meandering through the building, so I don't like imposing that on others.
Yet, for some reason, being a renter also carries with it the burden of being looked down on by some homeowners. All you need to do is see the back-and-forth that always happens when secondary suites are debated at any city council. Look at what happens when apartment buildings are contemplated in areas traditionally-known as being single-family home areas. You hear the same arguments over and over and over again about increases in crime, lack of parking, transient populations, etc.
Is some of it true? Sure. Not all renters are the greatest in the world. But there are also those of us who are great renters who would be a benefit to a community. Your community. All they're looking to do is get themselves in a spot where they can save some money, which will be used for that down payment on their first home. Believe it or not, that's a lot harder to do than some would make you believe, particularly when you're spending an arm and a leg to rent or when you're not making six digits a year, plus battling debt you've accumulated going to school, etc.
I think it's a combination of hard work and luck that I'm in the situation I'm in. I promised myself that by the age of 30 I'd be debt-free (vehicle, student loans, credit cards) and I made it happen. Then it was a matter of saving money, first to buy a new car, then to get enough scratched together for that down payment. I'm there now. And while I've talked a lot about buying my first home, it's finally going to be a reality this summer with my wonderful girlfriend.
With it, comes all of the responsibilities, and a lot of questions. Even at 34, I can openly admit there's a level of "scared" involved in this. Because it's not part of my DNA. My family lived on the farm, so it wasn't like we were changing houses all the time. And as I sometimes joke, the education system was great at showing us what the Pythagorean Theorem is all about, but I'll be jiggered if it taught me about the ins and outs of day-to-day life like buying a house or getting a line of credit. Everything in this is "guess and test". Sure, lots of friends can help us out (which we're forever grateful for) and the internet is overloaded with information, but until you actually go through the process and get your hands dirty, you don't necessarily know what you're getting yourself into.
This is all coming from a guy who is a "manager". I'm well-educated and financially-savvy. Yet it's tough feeling super-confident about going head-first into this process, bargaining for a good price and making sure you have all your I's dotted and T's crossed.
I'll be forever grateful for the places I've been able to live, as they have all taught me a number of lessons that will undoubtedly help us as we begin down this path of home ownership.
My point with this blog is this: if you're a regular at slamming renters for being lazy or disrespectful or any other generalization you enjoy falling back on, stop and take a deep breath. Not everyone is at the same point in life as you are. Not everyone has the financial means to cobble together a down payment or afford mortgage payments right this very minute. That doesn't necessarily make them the blight on society you may think they are.
Many hope to be in the exact same position you're in. So maybe it's worth cheering them on.
Sunday, May 7, 2017
Friday, March 17, 2017
Teaching What I Preach
Time to lift the veil on a little project I've been working on for a while now.
But before I do, I will admit that it feels like this is said a lot on this blog. "Man, it's been a while since I've written anything." Truth be told, there's been lots on the go and the blog took a seat on the bench. Between life at the radio station and in hosting, plus life with my wonderful girlfriend, family and friends, I haven't had a ton of time at home to entertain the masses.
That being said, it hasn't meant I've been sitting on my tush elsewhere. I've hinted that I have a couple of mini-projects in the works and I'm here now to explain one of them.
It actually all started with a couple of passing comments while I was volunteering as PA announcer with Calgary Bantam Football. Every so often, I'll get a word of "thanks" or someone asking if I could work high school games. I had to politely decline, but it got me thinking. And we all know where that goes...
It got me into some conversations. Eventually, it led to one with Joy Bowen-Eyre from the CBE, who pointed me in the direction of a couple more people, which took me to the Calgary Senior High School Athletics Association board meeting a week ago Monday. That's where I made a short presentation and pitch on my idea.
The Pitch
A pilot project where we would get four or five kids from four or five high schools into a classroom, where I would teach them how to be an announcer for their own schools. I'd give them some tips and tools on speaking, the formatics and preparation involved in announcing games, maybe bring them to a CBFA game or to the radio station so they can soak in some of the knowledge from others in the business.
My big goal here is to get kids who aren't normally part of their sports teams to actually be involved in another way. Maybe they have physical limitations or are simply not good enough to play, but maybe they are in drama and have a killer voice or an encyclopedia for a sports mind and a great attitude. Why not allow those kids to be a part of their team in a different way? Frankly, it's how I've made my career.
Now all of a sudden, we could have kids in different social circles interacting with one another. Now we're building school spirit and pride with a different kind of atmosphere on the court or on the field.
And for the kid, these kinds of skills are transferable. They can take these experiences wherever they go, whether it's continuing the announcing in post-secondary and beyond, or whether it's simply to have the confidence to speak in public, which is a major fear for a lot of people.
For the schools, I feel like this is a win-win as well. Now you have a kid who is comfortable in front of a microphone and in front of a crowd, and they can now be the MC for pep rallies and assemblies, or maybe the school needs an "official voice" for online videos being created. The options, in my mind, are endless.
So the idea is now in the hands of the schools, who have the information and can use it to find a student who they think could do this. Hopefully I'll hear back in the next few weeks from those interested, and we can start building a bit of a curriculum or game-plan on getting these kids involved. By all means, if you know someone who might be interested in something like this, have them give me a holler.
I'll keep you all posted on how this thing turns out, but I'm super-stoked at the possibilities.
But before I do, I will admit that it feels like this is said a lot on this blog. "Man, it's been a while since I've written anything." Truth be told, there's been lots on the go and the blog took a seat on the bench. Between life at the radio station and in hosting, plus life with my wonderful girlfriend, family and friends, I haven't had a ton of time at home to entertain the masses.
That being said, it hasn't meant I've been sitting on my tush elsewhere. I've hinted that I have a couple of mini-projects in the works and I'm here now to explain one of them.
It actually all started with a couple of passing comments while I was volunteering as PA announcer with Calgary Bantam Football. Every so often, I'll get a word of "thanks" or someone asking if I could work high school games. I had to politely decline, but it got me thinking. And we all know where that goes...
It got me into some conversations. Eventually, it led to one with Joy Bowen-Eyre from the CBE, who pointed me in the direction of a couple more people, which took me to the Calgary Senior High School Athletics Association board meeting a week ago Monday. That's where I made a short presentation and pitch on my idea.
The Pitch
A pilot project where we would get four or five kids from four or five high schools into a classroom, where I would teach them how to be an announcer for their own schools. I'd give them some tips and tools on speaking, the formatics and preparation involved in announcing games, maybe bring them to a CBFA game or to the radio station so they can soak in some of the knowledge from others in the business.
My big goal here is to get kids who aren't normally part of their sports teams to actually be involved in another way. Maybe they have physical limitations or are simply not good enough to play, but maybe they are in drama and have a killer voice or an encyclopedia for a sports mind and a great attitude. Why not allow those kids to be a part of their team in a different way? Frankly, it's how I've made my career.
Now all of a sudden, we could have kids in different social circles interacting with one another. Now we're building school spirit and pride with a different kind of atmosphere on the court or on the field.
And for the kid, these kinds of skills are transferable. They can take these experiences wherever they go, whether it's continuing the announcing in post-secondary and beyond, or whether it's simply to have the confidence to speak in public, which is a major fear for a lot of people.
For the schools, I feel like this is a win-win as well. Now you have a kid who is comfortable in front of a microphone and in front of a crowd, and they can now be the MC for pep rallies and assemblies, or maybe the school needs an "official voice" for online videos being created. The options, in my mind, are endless.
So the idea is now in the hands of the schools, who have the information and can use it to find a student who they think could do this. Hopefully I'll hear back in the next few weeks from those interested, and we can start building a bit of a curriculum or game-plan on getting these kids involved. By all means, if you know someone who might be interested in something like this, have them give me a holler.
I'll keep you all posted on how this thing turns out, but I'm super-stoked at the possibilities.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
The Big Picture
I'm not a big fan of spouting my mouth off without thinking long and hard about a topic. I like to give things context. I like to be the devil's advocate. And I like to ask hard questions, even of myself.
This blog is not about politics or anything controversial, like I tend to do. Instead, I want to talk about the above challenge and an experience this week, and hope that you guys take something away from it.
My new Chevy Equinox was broken into on Sunday night/Monday morning. The back passenger door window was smashed out, which I wasn't obviously impressed about. Upon further inspection, I realized that my big Calgary Stampeders jacket and toque were the items taken from the backseat (which I had left back there as part of an emergency kit, in case I broke down or was involved in a wreck in a not-so-populated area).
It's an inconvenience to be sure. It makes you feel kind of violated, having something of yours vandalized. I'll admit I went through a bit of an emotional roller-coaster, not knowing exactly how I should feel.
You see, I was mad for about a minute. Honestly, I was more mad at myself for avoiding the message that I've heard and even reported on before, about leaving valuables in plain sight. You hear that message around Christmas time especially. I had a momentarily lapse of judgment and it cost me a jacket, toque and $200. It sucks to be sure. But lesson learned.
I'm NOT mad at the person responsible for this. Well, maybe a little. But I also understand the situation. Because there were sunglasses in the front, some change in the console, even some parking passes. None of that was taken. Which tells me that while this was a "crime of opportunity", it also seems to have been a "crime of survival."
You see, it's Calgary and it's January. It's cold outside. People are looking to stay warm. Maybe that person needed the clothing, or knows someone who needed the clothing. In which case, I hope they're able to utilize it. Maybe those responsible were hoping to sell the jacket to make a little cash to put food in their stomachs, or maybe to buy drugs. I honestly have no idea.
But what I do know is that this speaks to the desperation we're seeing on the streets in Calgary. People are needing to invade the private property of others to get their hands on whatever they need to SURVIVE. Yes, it's a choice, but it's also not a choice, if you know what I mean.
Could I want revenge? Could I demand police investigate and bring the offender before the court of law? Sure. But what point does it really prove? It was a petty crime done out of necessity (at least in the mind of the offender). You could throw them in jail for a bit, then when their sentence is done, they're back out, in the exact same situation they were in before. It's no-win for everyone.
My biggest take-away from this is that we should be aiming to care more about each other, as human beings, especially in the midst of this economic recession. Yes, I know this is difficult to think, given that everyone's in self-preservation mode right now. Not to sound too much like a contestant for Miss America, but we're stronger together than we are apart. If we start looking out for one another, trying to give each other a hand UP rather than a hand OUT, the cycle will eventually come to a halt because these people won't need to break into cars or homes or anywhere else to get what they need, whatever it is, to survive.
It doesn't have to be anything big. A moment of your time can go a long way. Maybe it's volunteering at a soup kitchen. Maybe it's giving your old clothes to a charity (we just went through Christmas and I know a lot of people, including myself, who are doing a purge of their closet). The more time the less-fortunate have to spend in getting the essentials for life means the more time they can spend focusing on building themselves back up from the foundation.
I'm not saying what happened is "okay." All I'm saying is "I understand."
#LiveToLove #LoveToLive
This blog is not about politics or anything controversial, like I tend to do. Instead, I want to talk about the above challenge and an experience this week, and hope that you guys take something away from it.
Well this is a nice way to wake up in the morning. Hope whoever took off with my @calstampeders winter jacket enjoys it. #Bankview #yyc pic.twitter.com/pDEj69TeV8
— Joe McFarland (@JoeMcFarland) January 16, 2017
My new Chevy Equinox was broken into on Sunday night/Monday morning. The back passenger door window was smashed out, which I wasn't obviously impressed about. Upon further inspection, I realized that my big Calgary Stampeders jacket and toque were the items taken from the backseat (which I had left back there as part of an emergency kit, in case I broke down or was involved in a wreck in a not-so-populated area).
It's an inconvenience to be sure. It makes you feel kind of violated, having something of yours vandalized. I'll admit I went through a bit of an emotional roller-coaster, not knowing exactly how I should feel.
You see, I was mad for about a minute. Honestly, I was more mad at myself for avoiding the message that I've heard and even reported on before, about leaving valuables in plain sight. You hear that message around Christmas time especially. I had a momentarily lapse of judgment and it cost me a jacket, toque and $200. It sucks to be sure. But lesson learned.
I'm NOT mad at the person responsible for this. Well, maybe a little. But I also understand the situation. Because there were sunglasses in the front, some change in the console, even some parking passes. None of that was taken. Which tells me that while this was a "crime of opportunity", it also seems to have been a "crime of survival."
You see, it's Calgary and it's January. It's cold outside. People are looking to stay warm. Maybe that person needed the clothing, or knows someone who needed the clothing. In which case, I hope they're able to utilize it. Maybe those responsible were hoping to sell the jacket to make a little cash to put food in their stomachs, or maybe to buy drugs. I honestly have no idea.
But what I do know is that this speaks to the desperation we're seeing on the streets in Calgary. People are needing to invade the private property of others to get their hands on whatever they need to SURVIVE. Yes, it's a choice, but it's also not a choice, if you know what I mean.
Could I want revenge? Could I demand police investigate and bring the offender before the court of law? Sure. But what point does it really prove? It was a petty crime done out of necessity (at least in the mind of the offender). You could throw them in jail for a bit, then when their sentence is done, they're back out, in the exact same situation they were in before. It's no-win for everyone.
My biggest take-away from this is that we should be aiming to care more about each other, as human beings, especially in the midst of this economic recession. Yes, I know this is difficult to think, given that everyone's in self-preservation mode right now. Not to sound too much like a contestant for Miss America, but we're stronger together than we are apart. If we start looking out for one another, trying to give each other a hand UP rather than a hand OUT, the cycle will eventually come to a halt because these people won't need to break into cars or homes or anywhere else to get what they need, whatever it is, to survive.
It doesn't have to be anything big. A moment of your time can go a long way. Maybe it's volunteering at a soup kitchen. Maybe it's giving your old clothes to a charity (we just went through Christmas and I know a lot of people, including myself, who are doing a purge of their closet). The more time the less-fortunate have to spend in getting the essentials for life means the more time they can spend focusing on building themselves back up from the foundation.
I'm not saying what happened is "okay." All I'm saying is "I understand."
#LiveToLove #LoveToLive
Friday, December 30, 2016
News Year Resolutions
Those who know me, know I don't actually believe in New Year's Resolutions. They feel like they're made to be broken. We should be focusing on bettering ourselves every day of every month of every year. We should be aiming for bigger and better.
Now, I'm not saying it's not worth having goals. But you gotta be realistic with them, start small, and expand on them through the course of the year. Want to work out? Awesome. But don't jump headfirst into the pool, only to realize you're not seeing massive results right away, so you get discouraged. Want to start a new business? Don't expect millions of dollars right away. You need to work yourself up for it.
Anyways, now that I have that out of the way, I do believe in "lifestyle changes." For a few years, I had a few things that I wanted to do and set out to do them. Whether it was checking out a few more concerts or going to a ballpark, or learning some new recipes and playing more guitar, they were easily attainable. And for the most part, it was a success.
While I was driving around the other day, I got to thinking about "News Year Resolutions" (see what I did there?) As all of you know, I've been on my "mission to civilize" for a while and that won't stop. But what I think I've come up with is a trio of things I can do to help in my mission:
#1. Good News
Sometimes, the trouble with good news is that some people will lean on the old sayings of "must be a slow news day" or "this isn't news." And that's fine. Different strokes for different folks. But there is good in this world. One of my favorite stories I've worked on in the past few years was about a group of homeless men who donated money to a kids' charity. We have to report on the bad news of the world, that's a given. But we can't turn a blind eye to the good stories in the process. My resolution here is to share more of the good stories.
#2. Bad News
When the bad news does hit, it's important for all of us to take care of each other. As I pointed out in a previous blog about the effects of these kinds of stories on reporters, it does pale in comparison to what those truly impacted have to deal with. But we can't sit in silence over it either. These stories expose everyone, from reporters to viewers/listeners/readers, to a roller-coaster of emotion. The story of Taliyah Marsman and her mother, Sara Baillie, struck a particular chord for me this year. These stories are important to tell, especially when it comes to the human element.
#3. Take A Snooze
So many ways I could have gone with this, but the bottom line is we all need to stop and smell the roses at some point. As reporters, we're wired to be "in the know" on everything, but it quickly leads to burn out. Our phones are on all the time and it's easy to let an 8- or 9-hour day turn into 15- or 16-hours. The same goes for consumers. And it's starting to feel like everyone needs to take a Snickers bar. I'm not trying to diminish the sense of urgency, disappointment or disgust you or anyone else is feeling, because it is (for the most part) warranted. But, there comes a point where we have to spend at least a few minutes realizing that the world can be a pretty spectacular place as well. We have to remember: this is real life.
I get the feeling 2016 was a rough, rotten year for a lot of people, for a variety of reasons. Here's hoping the Christmas season (or holidays, or whatever it is you're celebrating) allowed some time for a deep breath. Let's let 2017 be a year of understanding, healing and moving on to making this world a great place to be.
Now, I'm not saying it's not worth having goals. But you gotta be realistic with them, start small, and expand on them through the course of the year. Want to work out? Awesome. But don't jump headfirst into the pool, only to realize you're not seeing massive results right away, so you get discouraged. Want to start a new business? Don't expect millions of dollars right away. You need to work yourself up for it.
Anyways, now that I have that out of the way, I do believe in "lifestyle changes." For a few years, I had a few things that I wanted to do and set out to do them. Whether it was checking out a few more concerts or going to a ballpark, or learning some new recipes and playing more guitar, they were easily attainable. And for the most part, it was a success.
While I was driving around the other day, I got to thinking about "News Year Resolutions" (see what I did there?) As all of you know, I've been on my "mission to civilize" for a while and that won't stop. But what I think I've come up with is a trio of things I can do to help in my mission:
#1. Good News
Sometimes, the trouble with good news is that some people will lean on the old sayings of "must be a slow news day" or "this isn't news." And that's fine. Different strokes for different folks. But there is good in this world. One of my favorite stories I've worked on in the past few years was about a group of homeless men who donated money to a kids' charity. We have to report on the bad news of the world, that's a given. But we can't turn a blind eye to the good stories in the process. My resolution here is to share more of the good stories.
#2. Bad News
When the bad news does hit, it's important for all of us to take care of each other. As I pointed out in a previous blog about the effects of these kinds of stories on reporters, it does pale in comparison to what those truly impacted have to deal with. But we can't sit in silence over it either. These stories expose everyone, from reporters to viewers/listeners/readers, to a roller-coaster of emotion. The story of Taliyah Marsman and her mother, Sara Baillie, struck a particular chord for me this year. These stories are important to tell, especially when it comes to the human element.
#3. Take A Snooze
So many ways I could have gone with this, but the bottom line is we all need to stop and smell the roses at some point. As reporters, we're wired to be "in the know" on everything, but it quickly leads to burn out. Our phones are on all the time and it's easy to let an 8- or 9-hour day turn into 15- or 16-hours. The same goes for consumers. And it's starting to feel like everyone needs to take a Snickers bar. I'm not trying to diminish the sense of urgency, disappointment or disgust you or anyone else is feeling, because it is (for the most part) warranted. But, there comes a point where we have to spend at least a few minutes realizing that the world can be a pretty spectacular place as well. We have to remember: this is real life.
I get the feeling 2016 was a rough, rotten year for a lot of people, for a variety of reasons. Here's hoping the Christmas season (or holidays, or whatever it is you're celebrating) allowed some time for a deep breath. Let's let 2017 be a year of understanding, healing and moving on to making this world a great place to be.
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Eleven Years
You would think that after eleven years of doing this, I'd get used to the idea of journalism ranking right up there with "scum of the earth" when it comes to how society can sometimes view your career path.
And for the most part, you power through that insinuation. You shrug off the really vile stuff and take in the constructive criticism. But lately, it feels like the anti-media rhetoric has gotten worse. It's more than just phone calls, which have escalated substantially over the last three or four years in particular. It's more than just the emails and social media. I know I shouldn't let the keyboard warriors bother me, yet they do.
The trouble is: it's my livelihood. Over the last eleven years, I've prided myself on being as unbiased as humanly possible. I try to see every side of every debate, even if I don't necessarily agree with it. I've asked the tough questions of politicians from all sides of the spectrum. I've upset supporters on every side as well (even family members). Why? Because that's what I do.
This isn't an "oh woe is me" blog. This is a blog to open your eyes, as there are so many other great reporters and journalists who do the same thing, day in and day out. Yet they all get railroaded as being part of the "lying media." And most stay silent, not really wanting to put up with the litany of responses, typically of the nameless, faceless, anonymous variety. Who can blame them?
But there came a moment for me this week where I couldn't stand by and watch it anymore.
It actually started when NDP Human Services Minister Irfan Sabir stood up in the legislature and said, not once but twice, that Post Media's Paula Simons is "passionate but doesn't have all of the facts."
This was all in regards to the highly-emotional discussion about Serenity, the four-year-old Alberta girl who died under a veil of secrecy in the provincial care system. This was a cabinet minister calling into question the integrity of a reporter's extensive work into a specific topic, one where she had to scrape her way along just to get the facts she did. And this minister was part of the chain of command that forced that reporter to go digging like she did in the first place. Does something not sound wrong about this whole situation? Where are ALL of the facts then, if the reporter doesn't have them all? When will people get the answers they deserve?
But that just turned out to be the tip of the iceberg.
I lost it on Twitter after watching some of the commentary from a rally in Calgary this weekend. Admittedly, I should have just avoided it and turned off my phone. But I couldn't. And really, it was only one comment that really bothered me.
Apparently, "the media doesn't report actual news."
Reporters covering this event got boo'd and were the target of a verbal barrage. They stood there and took it. They could have easily walked out the door as they didn't have to take that. But they all knew the minute they walked out was the minute that they'd get railroaded anyways. So they sat there and took it. They were berated for doing their jobs.
I've said this before and I'll say it again: there is no such thing as "the media." It's not like all the different outlets and reporters get together in a room, smoking cigars and drinking wine while determining what stories they'll be covering today and how they'll be covered. I know I'm going to offend a few people here, but "the media" is a term used by the lazy. Instead of calling out a specific outlet (or outlets) for having a viewpoint that's different than your own (or reporting on something that isn't favorable to your own preconceived notions or causes), the lazy thing to do is just throw out "the media" and then you have all your bases covered.
"The media doesn't report actual news." That apparently got a STANDING OVATION at the rally. That one stings.
Eleven years in this business, covering everything from city council and local crime to education and good news stories, but apparently it's not actual news. Floods, wildfires, murder trials, you name it. Not actual news.
I went on a bit of a Twitter rant, with essentially the same message. The replies had common themes like "well we all know that no one trusts the media anymore", "you reap what you sow" and something about "the left-wing media bias." To which I asked people to point out where my bias has shown. Give me a specific example. Yet, no one could actually point me in that direction, and then it became "well, we know 80% of the media is left-wing biased." Some would even admit that "well maybe you're not one of them." But you see, the damage is already done. You've said what you meant to say, without doing any background checks whatsoever, just so you can throw out your over-generalization that makes you feel better about your own personal stance. Good job.
It has gotten to that point that I firmly believe that we could report that the sky is blue, and someone will proclaim "don't believe the media lies, the sky is red." And you know what, it feels like they would gain a lot of traction there.
Never before have I seen FACTS be questioned so much. Never before have I seen basic human decency get tossed out the door in the name of "freedom of speech." And never before have I been so disappointed in so many different respects.
I honestly have no idea how to fix it. Because I (and every other good, honest reporter I know) could stand at the top of a mountain and proclaim that everything we've done has been to the best of our abilities. We will cite example after example and it will be the absolute truth. Yet, so many people now have it entrenched in their minds that "the media" (aka reporters) are not to be trusted and we're obviously lying. Frankly, we've allowed ourselves to pick-and-choose who we follow, what we believe and then talk about it all in our own echo chamber, void of any differing viewpoint or opinion. And it makes us all believe that what we're seeing and reading is true.
I've said every now and again that I'm on a "mission to civilize", much like Will McAvoy in "The Newsroom."
But what happens if so many people have no interest in being civilized? What happens when few people are actually interested in having a real discussion about the issues plaguing our society? What happens if the preconceived notions and political ideologies have become so strong, that there's no breaking through?
One definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over and over again while expecting a different outcome."
And for the most part, you power through that insinuation. You shrug off the really vile stuff and take in the constructive criticism. But lately, it feels like the anti-media rhetoric has gotten worse. It's more than just phone calls, which have escalated substantially over the last three or four years in particular. It's more than just the emails and social media. I know I shouldn't let the keyboard warriors bother me, yet they do.
The trouble is: it's my livelihood. Over the last eleven years, I've prided myself on being as unbiased as humanly possible. I try to see every side of every debate, even if I don't necessarily agree with it. I've asked the tough questions of politicians from all sides of the spectrum. I've upset supporters on every side as well (even family members). Why? Because that's what I do.
This isn't an "oh woe is me" blog. This is a blog to open your eyes, as there are so many other great reporters and journalists who do the same thing, day in and day out. Yet they all get railroaded as being part of the "lying media." And most stay silent, not really wanting to put up with the litany of responses, typically of the nameless, faceless, anonymous variety. Who can blame them?
But there came a moment for me this week where I couldn't stand by and watch it anymore.
It actually started when NDP Human Services Minister Irfan Sabir stood up in the legislature and said, not once but twice, that Post Media's Paula Simons is "passionate but doesn't have all of the facts."
This was all in regards to the highly-emotional discussion about Serenity, the four-year-old Alberta girl who died under a veil of secrecy in the provincial care system. This was a cabinet minister calling into question the integrity of a reporter's extensive work into a specific topic, one where she had to scrape her way along just to get the facts she did. And this minister was part of the chain of command that forced that reporter to go digging like she did in the first place. Does something not sound wrong about this whole situation? Where are ALL of the facts then, if the reporter doesn't have them all? When will people get the answers they deserve?
But that just turned out to be the tip of the iceberg.
I lost it on Twitter after watching some of the commentary from a rally in Calgary this weekend. Admittedly, I should have just avoided it and turned off my phone. But I couldn't. And really, it was only one comment that really bothered me.
Apparently, "the media doesn't report actual news."
Reporters covering this event got boo'd and were the target of a verbal barrage. They stood there and took it. They could have easily walked out the door as they didn't have to take that. But they all knew the minute they walked out was the minute that they'd get railroaded anyways. So they sat there and took it. They were berated for doing their jobs.
I've said this before and I'll say it again: there is no such thing as "the media." It's not like all the different outlets and reporters get together in a room, smoking cigars and drinking wine while determining what stories they'll be covering today and how they'll be covered. I know I'm going to offend a few people here, but "the media" is a term used by the lazy. Instead of calling out a specific outlet (or outlets) for having a viewpoint that's different than your own (or reporting on something that isn't favorable to your own preconceived notions or causes), the lazy thing to do is just throw out "the media" and then you have all your bases covered.
"The media doesn't report actual news." That apparently got a STANDING OVATION at the rally. That one stings.
Eleven years in this business, covering everything from city council and local crime to education and good news stories, but apparently it's not actual news. Floods, wildfires, murder trials, you name it. Not actual news.
I went on a bit of a Twitter rant, with essentially the same message. The replies had common themes like "well we all know that no one trusts the media anymore", "you reap what you sow" and something about "the left-wing media bias." To which I asked people to point out where my bias has shown. Give me a specific example. Yet, no one could actually point me in that direction, and then it became "well, we know 80% of the media is left-wing biased." Some would even admit that "well maybe you're not one of them." But you see, the damage is already done. You've said what you meant to say, without doing any background checks whatsoever, just so you can throw out your over-generalization that makes you feel better about your own personal stance. Good job.
It has gotten to that point that I firmly believe that we could report that the sky is blue, and someone will proclaim "don't believe the media lies, the sky is red." And you know what, it feels like they would gain a lot of traction there.
Never before have I seen FACTS be questioned so much. Never before have I seen basic human decency get tossed out the door in the name of "freedom of speech." And never before have I been so disappointed in so many different respects.
I honestly have no idea how to fix it. Because I (and every other good, honest reporter I know) could stand at the top of a mountain and proclaim that everything we've done has been to the best of our abilities. We will cite example after example and it will be the absolute truth. Yet, so many people now have it entrenched in their minds that "the media" (aka reporters) are not to be trusted and we're obviously lying. Frankly, we've allowed ourselves to pick-and-choose who we follow, what we believe and then talk about it all in our own echo chamber, void of any differing viewpoint or opinion. And it makes us all believe that what we're seeing and reading is true.
I've said every now and again that I'm on a "mission to civilize", much like Will McAvoy in "The Newsroom."
But what happens if so many people have no interest in being civilized? What happens when few people are actually interested in having a real discussion about the issues plaguing our society? What happens if the preconceived notions and political ideologies have become so strong, that there's no breaking through?
One definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over and over again while expecting a different outcome."
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
This Is Real Life
I've had to write this (or some variation of it) way more than I'd like to ever admit:
"Hey all...
Thanks for the lively debate. But there comes a point when we have to step in and start deleting comments and, in some cases, banning people from our page. This isn't an effort to "censor" the discussion. This is an effort to remember the rules of basic human decency. We won't tolerate hateful, vulgarity-laced, demeaning or threatening posts in any way, shape or form. If we wouldn't allow the comments on our radio station, why would we allow them on our Facebook page? If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to call me. - Joe"
As most people are aware now (and it's starting to gain international attention), there have been more than a few stories done about the comments seen in the aftermath of Sandra Jansen crossing the floor from the PC Party to the NDP.
While you may not agree with the decision, and you may hate it, and you may hate her, it still doesn't give anyone the right to spew the vitriol we've seen. In the past few days, I've screen-grabbed some of the comments.
Why? Because these are real people throwing all sorts of comments at real people. There's no filter. Again, there's a difference between political correctness and human decency. It's unacceptable.
And don't get me wrong, this has nothing to do with Liberals, Conservatives or any party or political stance. It's unacceptable, no matter who the target. These kinds of comments and debates stand in the way of real talk, real debate and real progress. These kinds of comments can be seen from all sides, it just so happens that the "right" has been more guilty of it lately, and more loud about it as well.
The other part of this that I can't understand is why people believe this is a matter of growing a "thicker skin." That's not the answer, at all. If you want to base this debate on gender in particular, you're basically accepting that you'd be willing to tell young boys everywhere that it's okay to be demeaning and threatening to women. You're also telling young girls everywhere that it's "tough luck" and they will have to learn to live with it. This is no different than the discussion about sexual assaults. Instead of focusing on the root cause, we go fishing for excuses like "she was dressed provocatively" or "boys will be boys." No. Not even a little bit. We should be expecting better from everyone, and teaching our children about respectful dialogue and debate.
As I've alluded to in a past blog, I don't know why anyone would be willing to be a politician nowadays. Not only are you putting your life out there for the world to see, but now you're also subjecting your life to keyboard warriors who have no desire to add anything to a discussion. And those who actually want to be constructive in their comments are drowned out by the loud extremes who demand their voice be heard. And they get to be heard, because no one is willing to call them out for their behaviour, which is further fueled by likes and retweets. So those who actually want to be constructive leave the debate, because they're not being heard and don't feel like bashing their head against a wall because they know they're fighting a losing battle.
Here's the big problem I'm seeing: we've waged a war between social and fiscal policy. As I've said before, somewhere along the line, these have become mutually-exclusive terms. We're playing the worst game of "He Started It". Apparently, you can spew hatred if you or someone you know has lost a job or feel the government hasn't helped you during the recession. On the flipside, you can turn a blind eye to the financial realities hitting many people hard because they're not as educated as you or because they "had it coming" making a career choice in oil and gas.
Neither is correct.
At some point, we have to accept that others have differing viewpoints. We have to engage in thoughtful discussions about these differences, to come to a better understanding of the situation as a whole, instead of constantly retreating back to our own echo chambers because it's the safest place to be.
It's why the comments I posted those screen-grabs. The language makes you uncomfortable? You don't like the swears?
Guess what?
They're real comments. Directed at real people. This isn't some game where you can belittle or threaten someone for your own enjoyment.
This is real life.
"Hey all...
Thanks for the lively debate. But there comes a point when we have to step in and start deleting comments and, in some cases, banning people from our page. This isn't an effort to "censor" the discussion. This is an effort to remember the rules of basic human decency. We won't tolerate hateful, vulgarity-laced, demeaning or threatening posts in any way, shape or form. If we wouldn't allow the comments on our radio station, why would we allow them on our Facebook page? If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to call me. - Joe"
As most people are aware now (and it's starting to gain international attention), there have been more than a few stories done about the comments seen in the aftermath of Sandra Jansen crossing the floor from the PC Party to the NDP.
While you may not agree with the decision, and you may hate it, and you may hate her, it still doesn't give anyone the right to spew the vitriol we've seen. In the past few days, I've screen-grabbed some of the comments.
Just a smattering of the comments found about yesterday's #ABleg news on the #AlbertansAgainstTheNDP Facebook page. Just. Wow. :( #yyc #yeg pic.twitter.com/A5sQvLqLBm
— Joe McFarland (@JoeMcFarland) November 18, 2016
Y'all were shocked by the 1st smattering of post-#ABleg floor-crossing comments. How about a 2nd helping of #AlbertansAgainstTheNDP. #yyc pic.twitter.com/S5zodIB6fD
— Joe McFarland (@JoeMcFarland) November 18, 2016
Example III of "Just Another Day in #ABleg". The middle comment is funny, as it's not a closed group. But I digress... #yyc #yeg #yql pic.twitter.com/SyEhSy6B0h
— Joe McFarland (@JoeMcFarland) November 23, 2016
Why? Because these are real people throwing all sorts of comments at real people. There's no filter. Again, there's a difference between political correctness and human decency. It's unacceptable.
And don't get me wrong, this has nothing to do with Liberals, Conservatives or any party or political stance. It's unacceptable, no matter who the target. These kinds of comments and debates stand in the way of real talk, real debate and real progress. These kinds of comments can be seen from all sides, it just so happens that the "right" has been more guilty of it lately, and more loud about it as well.
The other part of this that I can't understand is why people believe this is a matter of growing a "thicker skin." That's not the answer, at all. If you want to base this debate on gender in particular, you're basically accepting that you'd be willing to tell young boys everywhere that it's okay to be demeaning and threatening to women. You're also telling young girls everywhere that it's "tough luck" and they will have to learn to live with it. This is no different than the discussion about sexual assaults. Instead of focusing on the root cause, we go fishing for excuses like "she was dressed provocatively" or "boys will be boys." No. Not even a little bit. We should be expecting better from everyone, and teaching our children about respectful dialogue and debate.
As I've alluded to in a past blog, I don't know why anyone would be willing to be a politician nowadays. Not only are you putting your life out there for the world to see, but now you're also subjecting your life to keyboard warriors who have no desire to add anything to a discussion. And those who actually want to be constructive in their comments are drowned out by the loud extremes who demand their voice be heard. And they get to be heard, because no one is willing to call them out for their behaviour, which is further fueled by likes and retweets. So those who actually want to be constructive leave the debate, because they're not being heard and don't feel like bashing their head against a wall because they know they're fighting a losing battle.
Here's the big problem I'm seeing: we've waged a war between social and fiscal policy. As I've said before, somewhere along the line, these have become mutually-exclusive terms. We're playing the worst game of "He Started It". Apparently, you can spew hatred if you or someone you know has lost a job or feel the government hasn't helped you during the recession. On the flipside, you can turn a blind eye to the financial realities hitting many people hard because they're not as educated as you or because they "had it coming" making a career choice in oil and gas.
Neither is correct.
At some point, we have to accept that others have differing viewpoints. We have to engage in thoughtful discussions about these differences, to come to a better understanding of the situation as a whole, instead of constantly retreating back to our own echo chambers because it's the safest place to be.
It's why the comments I posted those screen-grabs. The language makes you uncomfortable? You don't like the swears?
Guess what?
They're real comments. Directed at real people. This isn't some game where you can belittle or threaten someone for your own enjoyment.
This is real life.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
A Few Post-Election Observations
I could have gone a million different ways with this. I've written and deleted two blogs already. It's been hard to sleep the last couple of nights, simply with all that's going on in the world.
But after reading the different stories and blogs and comments and tweets, it felt like it was time to rant a bit. So in no particular order:
#1. Canadians need to check their egos at the door. Anyone who claims that "we don't have US-style bigotry or hatred here" is living in a dream world. I see it every day. Read the comment section of any story involving Naheed Nenshi, Rachel Notley or Justin Trudeau. And it comes from all sides of the political spectrum. The keyboard warriors are alive and well here. This is no "Peace & Love" utopia and stop pretending it is. (Special note: For those who say "get a thicker skin" when it comes to politicians or media or anyone else, I have a fairly straight-forward question for you. Are you saying that we should all get used to the idea of being berated, belittled, intimidated or threatened? Because the answer should be "no." I don't care who you are, where you come from, or who crapped in your Corn Flakes, no one, and I mean NO ONE, deserves that kind of treatment, just because they're in the spotlight.)
#2. If you want to win in politics, simply trumpet something about "change." If the last Alberta election, Brexit or this US election isn't proof enough, I don't know what will be. In a weird way, I think the Occupy Movement has had a residual, albeit unknowingly profound, impact on the way everyone looks at "the establishment." We now question everything. The 99% are standing up and saying "if you don't serve us, we will gladly kick you out." That being said, people might not exactly know what that change will look like, but they know the current system is stiffing them. Which will set the bar for coming elections. If you're the Democrats looking to take power back, you'll need to be perceived as bringing about change. If you're right-wingers in Alberta, merging parties or not, you'll have to do the same. You have to be "The Agent of Change."
#3. Speaking of left-wing and right-wing politics, I have a bone to pick with the vast generalizations we're seeing (and we all know how much I love generalizations). In Alberta, just because someone is a little more right of you, doesn't mean they are a "Wildrose nutbar." And just because someone is a little more left of you, doesn't mean they are an "NDP/Libtard shill." I found some of the reaction from some Canadians to people claiming to be thinking about moving to Canada to be ridiculous. "We don't need any more Liberals here" seemed to be a common sentiment in a couple of comment sections I read. Whose to say they're Liberals? Maybe they're Republicans who felt disenfranchised by the Trump campaign. And maybe they are Liberals. When did it become so cotton-picking wrong to have a civilized debate with people from other political stripes to get a full understanding of where they're coming from. Which leads me to my next point...
#4. We gotta start listening to each other. I have friends on all sides of the political spectrum. Our conversations can get heated. They can sometimes be uncomfortable. But at the end of the day, I think we get a better understanding of why we support who we support. Somewhere along the line, we stopped listening to one another. There's a segment of the population that didn't feel like the system (under a Democratic president) was serving them well. There's also segments of the population that feel like a government led by Donald Trump won't serve their best interests either. Now, it is true that not everyone is going to be happy with every decision made. But this campaign really felt like everyone was talking into their own echo chambers. Instead of having civilized discussions about what was missing from each other's platforms, it turned into a giant game of "Marco Polo" where everyone was yelling, expecting everyone to find them in the sea of loud voices. Eventually, everyone just stopped listening. The Democrats weren't listening to those saying that the system wasn't helping them, while the Republicans weren't listening to those saying they feared the leader wasn't going to serve them. And the more everyone pushed, the harder everyone dug in.
#5. Everyone dug into their belief that their candidate was less corrupt than the other. And the trouble was, I don't think people realized that while they might have been standing for the good in their candidate, they were also standing for the bad. To get something, you had to give up something else. The candidates had a lot of baggage, which led to questions about how morally, politically, socially or fiscally bankrupt (or any combination) you were willing to be. It's no wonder the undecided voters had a hard time figuring out where to go. It's a dilemma that puts me to mind of this scene from The Newsroom, and how the two-party system is a little harder to navigate with shades of grey.
Don't get me wrong. This isn't a support piece for either candidate. Everyone has some soul-searching to do. Democrats, Republicans, pollsters, the media, even Americans. But it's Americans who cast their ballots, therefore they have spoken.. We might not like the outcome, but in a democracy, we have a winner and a loser. We can continue to be as divided as we are.
Or (and at risk of sounding like a hippie)...
We can learn from this experience and promise ourselves never to let this happen again. We're supposed to be part of a civilized, democratic world. We don't always have to agree. In fact, we need strong opposition in our political systems. But make sure it's effective opposition. Don't oppose for the sake of opposing or because "the other guys" like something. Give credit where credit is due. Agree when it makes sense for everyone. Come up with reasonable solutions to problems. Be good to one another instead of looking at our differences as a reason to hate. And govern the same way.
"I stand with everyone who isn't an asshole. Regardless of race, gender identity, religion, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability and national origin."
You can add "political allegiance" to that list, too.
But after reading the different stories and blogs and comments and tweets, it felt like it was time to rant a bit. So in no particular order:
#1. Canadians need to check their egos at the door. Anyone who claims that "we don't have US-style bigotry or hatred here" is living in a dream world. I see it every day. Read the comment section of any story involving Naheed Nenshi, Rachel Notley or Justin Trudeau. And it comes from all sides of the political spectrum. The keyboard warriors are alive and well here. This is no "Peace & Love" utopia and stop pretending it is. (Special note: For those who say "get a thicker skin" when it comes to politicians or media or anyone else, I have a fairly straight-forward question for you. Are you saying that we should all get used to the idea of being berated, belittled, intimidated or threatened? Because the answer should be "no." I don't care who you are, where you come from, or who crapped in your Corn Flakes, no one, and I mean NO ONE, deserves that kind of treatment, just because they're in the spotlight.)
#2. If you want to win in politics, simply trumpet something about "change." If the last Alberta election, Brexit or this US election isn't proof enough, I don't know what will be. In a weird way, I think the Occupy Movement has had a residual, albeit unknowingly profound, impact on the way everyone looks at "the establishment." We now question everything. The 99% are standing up and saying "if you don't serve us, we will gladly kick you out." That being said, people might not exactly know what that change will look like, but they know the current system is stiffing them. Which will set the bar for coming elections. If you're the Democrats looking to take power back, you'll need to be perceived as bringing about change. If you're right-wingers in Alberta, merging parties or not, you'll have to do the same. You have to be "The Agent of Change."
#3. Speaking of left-wing and right-wing politics, I have a bone to pick with the vast generalizations we're seeing (and we all know how much I love generalizations). In Alberta, just because someone is a little more right of you, doesn't mean they are a "Wildrose nutbar." And just because someone is a little more left of you, doesn't mean they are an "NDP/Libtard shill." I found some of the reaction from some Canadians to people claiming to be thinking about moving to Canada to be ridiculous. "We don't need any more Liberals here" seemed to be a common sentiment in a couple of comment sections I read. Whose to say they're Liberals? Maybe they're Republicans who felt disenfranchised by the Trump campaign. And maybe they are Liberals. When did it become so cotton-picking wrong to have a civilized debate with people from other political stripes to get a full understanding of where they're coming from. Which leads me to my next point...
#4. We gotta start listening to each other. I have friends on all sides of the political spectrum. Our conversations can get heated. They can sometimes be uncomfortable. But at the end of the day, I think we get a better understanding of why we support who we support. Somewhere along the line, we stopped listening to one another. There's a segment of the population that didn't feel like the system (under a Democratic president) was serving them well. There's also segments of the population that feel like a government led by Donald Trump won't serve their best interests either. Now, it is true that not everyone is going to be happy with every decision made. But this campaign really felt like everyone was talking into their own echo chambers. Instead of having civilized discussions about what was missing from each other's platforms, it turned into a giant game of "Marco Polo" where everyone was yelling, expecting everyone to find them in the sea of loud voices. Eventually, everyone just stopped listening. The Democrats weren't listening to those saying that the system wasn't helping them, while the Republicans weren't listening to those saying they feared the leader wasn't going to serve them. And the more everyone pushed, the harder everyone dug in.
#5. Everyone dug into their belief that their candidate was less corrupt than the other. And the trouble was, I don't think people realized that while they might have been standing for the good in their candidate, they were also standing for the bad. To get something, you had to give up something else. The candidates had a lot of baggage, which led to questions about how morally, politically, socially or fiscally bankrupt (or any combination) you were willing to be. It's no wonder the undecided voters had a hard time figuring out where to go. It's a dilemma that puts me to mind of this scene from The Newsroom, and how the two-party system is a little harder to navigate with shades of grey.
Don't get me wrong. This isn't a support piece for either candidate. Everyone has some soul-searching to do. Democrats, Republicans, pollsters, the media, even Americans. But it's Americans who cast their ballots, therefore they have spoken.. We might not like the outcome, but in a democracy, we have a winner and a loser. We can continue to be as divided as we are.
Or (and at risk of sounding like a hippie)...
We can learn from this experience and promise ourselves never to let this happen again. We're supposed to be part of a civilized, democratic world. We don't always have to agree. In fact, we need strong opposition in our political systems. But make sure it's effective opposition. Don't oppose for the sake of opposing or because "the other guys" like something. Give credit where credit is due. Agree when it makes sense for everyone. Come up with reasonable solutions to problems. Be good to one another instead of looking at our differences as a reason to hate. And govern the same way.
"I stand with everyone who isn't an asshole. Regardless of race, gender identity, religion, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability and national origin."
You can add "political allegiance" to that list, too.
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