Hi All,
Yesterday Marilyn and Gail both sent me a story which you can find at:
www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=239536&sc=79
Which was published in the Newfoundland Telegram.
At the bottom of the article they asked for Comments, which me being me I sent one within minutes of reading their article.
I later found out that Kelly and at least one other sent comments too but by early afternoon Kelly and I could not only not find our comments but noticed that they had now removed the comment button.
Kelly and I talked it over and we decided that Kelly would write and ask what happened.
Below is their first reply.
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Kelly,
First of all I can answer that question for you. Yes a decision was made not to allow comments to be posted on the Agent Orange story.
I’m actually not in charge of that, our web team is.
Meanwhile, when our web editor gets back from lunch shortly I will take it up with him and try and get you either a reason as to why the comments were pulled or get the comments posted.
Thanks for getting in touch and watch for more stories on this in the future.
Meanwhile if you’re interested in participating in any stories about agent orange or if you’re willing to let us look at any documents you say you have I’d be more than willing to do a little digging.
Thanks again
A
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and shortly there after:
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It’s our policy not to post comments related to court actions because it can cause legal troubles for us as a paper should a comment that’s liable get through by accident. But until our web editor gets back from lunch I can’t confirm that’s why he chose not to post comments on that particular story.
Again, thanks for your interest.
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I then wrote to her letter below.
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Dear Alisha Morrissey, Alisha Morrissey [mailto:amorrissey@thetelegram.com]
I am writing you in reference to the article attributed to you called, 'Monster of a case,' published in the Telegram on Monday the 6th. of April 2009, and about the CFB Gagetown Class Action Lawsuit and some of the frustrations surrounding it.
When I read this story I wrote and submitted a comment to the web site and although I realize that Transcontinental Media reserves the right, at its sole discretion to post comments or not, however it is totally un-Canadian and unfair to allow Ottawa's rhetoric about the Lawsuit and the Gagetown issue while not allowing the Victims of this very deadly issue to correct the intentional mistakes (or as Ottawa would call it the Misspoken) that Ottawa and their departments have fed the Canadian Media.
Alisha, I ask kindly that you that you let whoever is censoring us to stop immediately. This in un-constructional and a direct assault on the average Canadian's right to free speech, or at least the same amount of free speech that they are at this time affording the Government and chemical industry.
Shutting us out while the government and chemical industry are free to publish incorrect numbers, dates and even the chemicals used is in my opinion not good journalism.
I however realize that this may not be you decision in the end.
Thank you for listening.
One question: Why was there no Gagetown comments allowed to be published?
Cpl. Kenneth H. Young CD (ret)
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She answered
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Mr. Young,
I will tell you the same thing I have told other commenters that have gotten in contact with me regarding this story.
First of all, you are right I am not responsible for moderating the comments on our site. Second, the Telegram chooses not to post comments about stories related to cases that are before the courts. There are legal issues when it comes to posting such comments and we have been advised that there are cases in which newspapers and reporters become liable for comments posted to websites.
I assure you that I have done my research on this story, I have been covering it for two years. The people who have been affected by agent orange (for example Ed Ring) are getting their chance to speak on this issue publicly — in the stories.
When there is finally a decision in the case comments will be opened to the public. Meanwhile, that could be years from now.
The Telegram isn't in the censorship business and if you would like to express your opinion you can through a letter to the editor. You can click on our letters section of our website or e-mail
letters@thetelegram.com
I am sorry you feel this way, but these are the only options.
A
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So it seems that not only is the evidence in our case being withheld, the CF and DND personal gagged under threat of charges, we are now also being denied the right to even have a comment correcting the misinformation which Ottawa supplies about Gagetown from being published in Newfoundland.
And then they wonder where conspiracies theories come from.
Just trying to keep you all informed.
We are working on posting the comments which the Telegram wouldn't and the fact that they wouldn't.
We hope that Art, Ken D, Kelly and Bette will all post the story.
I will post the articles when I have them together.