Postmedia Network Canada Corp., operator of the flagging chain of English-language Canadian newspapers and clickbait websites, yesterday announced the appointment of former Alberta Conservative premier Jason Kenney to its board of directors.
It’s a revealing commentary on the state of affairs in Canadian media nowadays that the acquisition of Mr. Kenney’s services actually lends a little lustre to Postmedia’s tarnished reputation, the result of a variety of factors including “highly illiquid” shares last seen trading at only a penny over a Loonie, plummeting revenue, and a business model that emphasizes right-wing commentary instead of quality news coverage.
Notwithstanding having been run out of politics in 2022 by the “lunatics” of his own United Conservative Party’s base – his term, not mine – perhaps Mr. Kenney’s cranky views of Canadian history, especially his obsession with defending the reputation of the country’s first prime minister, John A. Macdonald, can do something in this nationalistic moment to get Canadians to forget that Postmedia is two-thirds owned by a U.S. hedge fund, and almost entirely owned by foreigners.
New Jersey-based Chatham Asset Management acquired the company in 2020. When the Jersey Boys took control of Postmedia, the New York Times reported in July 2020, “the company … cut its work force, shuttered papers across Canada, reduced salaries and benefits, and centralized editorial operations in a way that has made parts of its 106 newspapers into clones of one another.”
The deal raised Postmedia’s foreign ownership “to a dizzying 98 per cent,” Canadian Dimension reported in 2023, with 66 per cent held by Chatham.
So who still believes Postmedia is Canadian-controlled? Even fewer Canadians than in 2016 when The Tyee asked that question in a headline.
Mr. Kenney’s association with a large Calgary law firm, Bennett Jones LLP (in the news lately for the statement of defence its lawyers filed on behalf of the Alberta Government in response to the wrongful dismissal lawsuit by former Alberta Health Services CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos) and his service on the board of ATCO, may also lend a little respectability in corporate circles to his presence.
But while Postmedia’s commentary nowadays almost exclusively supports the federal Conservative Party and its various provincial franchises, which do business under a variety of names, whoever chose the latest additions to the company’s board was paying better attention.
At the same time as they were appointing Mr. Kenney, who is likely to have an in with a Conservative national government in the event federal party Leader Pierre Poilievre emerges later this year as prime minister, there is also a new Liberal on the board.
Either way, bean counters associated with both parties are sure to take a close look at the controversial Trudeau-era newspaper subsidies that are helping to keep Postmedia afloat. Mr. Poilievre has vowed to kill the program.
Appointed at the same time as Mr. Kenney was Terrie O’Leary, a former chief of staff to Liberal Paul Martin, back in the days when he was finance minister a few years before he became prime minister of Canada. That should cover the possibility Prime Minister Carney doesn’t go down in history as Canada’s shortest serving prime minister. (To do that, he would have to serve as PM for fewer than the 68 days managed by Sir Charles Tupper in 1896.)
Recent polls actually suggest that a Carney victory might actually be possible, much to the consternation of most Conservatives – although not necessarily Mr. Kenney, who might see in such a circumstance an opportunity to revivify his seemingly hopeless prime ministerial ambitions.
“On behalf of the Board,” said Postmedia Chair Peter Sharpe in a news release, “we look forward to their many contributions and support in driving long-term value for Postmedia’s stakeholders.”
It’s likely to be a long drive. Postmedia’s net loss in the first quarter ended Nov. 30, 2024, was $24.5 million, as compared to a net loss of $10.6 million in the same period in the previous year, the company reported.*
No joy at U of A law school for Danielle Smith
“It was a packed room of 150 future lawyers tonight at the University of Alberta answering their important questions about our legal system, our province, and the US trade dispute,” Premier Danielle Smith’s X account cheerfully chirped on Monday.
Alas for the premier and Justice Minister Mickey Amery, you can fool some of the people all of the time, but not the U of A’s law students even some of the time. They are said to have schooled the premier on what they thought of Bill 26, her government’s probably unconstitutional anti-trans legislation. By all accounts, it was not a pleasant experience for the premier.
So far, a recording of the session has not emerged, although that is bound to happen sooner or later. In the meantime, the priceless photo above, which has been circulating all over the Internets, pretty well says it all.
*It beats me why Postmedia’s first quarter would end on Nov. 30. But then, nothing about that company, including its continued survival, makes any sense. DJC
OMG, she looks pissed. thank you, made my day!
It seems fitting Kenney should join the board of what probably should be called CPC Media, and has been trying to bring down Liberal governments ever since Conrad Black basically created it mostly for that purpose.
Now, despite the US financiers propping it up, probably more for political than sound economic reasons, Black’s grand vision fell short, perhaps due to his own personal downfall. Going to prison does reduce one’s influence considerably and it also made his already overstretched financial situation worse.
So CPC Media is maybe now just a step ahead of the Bay at this point, another fine Canadian business to be finished off by US owners. It certainly now is the weak, sickly child compared to say Murdoch’s infuential US conservative media empire. Perhaps this also partly explains why success for Conservatives in Canada has been so much more mixed than there.
No doubt CPC Media will pull out all the stops for its favoured party in the upcoming Federal election, but if that does not work I would not be surprised if its demise happens soon after. Even well off US owners do not have unlimited enthusiasm for a money pit with diminishing political influence. Although perhaps it will somehow continue as a zombie company.
Lots of pictures of a grumpy Smith these days. Between falling oil prices, a rising deficit and the departure of her favourite whipping boy Trudeau, things are getting a lot tougher. Kenney could write a sympathetic newspaper column, of all people I suspect he best understands when politics gets more difficult in Alberta. However somehow I suspect he won’t. But if voters do decide to reject the lunatic fringe of the right, I feel he is getting ready to pick up the pieces, at least Federally.
“Either way, bean counters associated with both parties are sure to take a close look at the controversial Trudeau-era newspaper subsidies that are helping to keep Postmedia afloat. Mr. Poilievre has vowed to kill the program.”
Thank you for including that little tidbit, David. It will be a small consolation if the CPC does prevail in the next election.
Bob: As noted in response to Middle Dave, I think that is one promise Mr. Poilievre is unlikely to keep, should he have the chance. DJC
Hopefully postmedia will die quickly.
A good question is what role did Postmedia play in influencing the Alberta provincial election in 2019? There was a full cover election advertisement with the former UCP leader on it, all over Postmedia owned newspapers in Alberta, with Rosa Ambrose endorsing him. They meant Rona Ambrose.
There were definitely questionable things going on.
The quality of what Postmedia publishes is getting worse. David Staples, Lorne Gunter, Rick Bell, and the other columnists are all churning out a rapid amount of columns that lack any reasoning, and extoll virtues of Danielle Smith and Pierre Poilievre, which they lack, while putting down Mark Carney. It’s as if these columnists, such as Rick Bell are press secretaries for Danielle Smith and the UCP, and Pierre Poilievre and the CPC. Any comment sections in these Postmedia newspapers are mainly full of endorsement from people for these pseudo Conservatives and Reformers, and they put down anyone who is smart enough not to support them. Letters to the editor in these newspapers are almost exclusively from people who are supportive of Danielle Smith and Pierre Poilievre, especially in Sun newspapers, and if anyone else tries to write a letter that does not support Danielle Smith and the UCP, and Pierre Poilievre and the CPC, they will not get published.
Many years ago, when you read a newspaper, such as The Edmonton Journal, you you could definitely trust what you were reading to have credibility. That has definitely changed for the worse.
Danielle Smith doesn’t look too happy in that photo. Hopefully, when those young adults vote, they help put Danielle Smith and the UCP out of power, by not voting the way their parents and grandparents likely did. The UCP has caused far too many problems for Alberta.
Please keep in mind that Letters to the Editor can be edited so that they covey a completely different message than what you had in mind. They don’t have to omit an unfavourable letter, they can change it.
I’m betting my grandson was one of the future lawyers in attendance knowing how much he hates these Reformers and their stupid policies.
It’s always April Fool’s Day in Alberta. Jason Kenney appointed to the board of an “independent” newspaper chain! (Note: not “Good Jason Kenney” of X, although someone should congratulate him). Danielle Smith lecturing law students on anti-trans legislation! I hope the law students waded into the reeds about what to do if you’re ticketed for talking on a cellphone while driving in a school zone, and how best to handle students legally protesting on university campuses: to club or not to club, and is causing concussions a step too far?
Kenney’s board presence will likely do little to raise journalism standards above the drivel served up by Post Media. We can expect that the National Post, Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal will continue to out dumb each other. They are not totally without some benefit as senior years approach as any inclination to read them may indicate the onset of declining critical faculties.
Jimmy: I know this will seem harsh, and rude, but really the only useful purpose of most editions of Postmedia’s newspapers is one’s annual fecal immunochemical test. Postmedia does hire good reporters from time to time, but they move on as quickly as possible to The Canadian Press, The Globe and Mail, or law school. Who can blame them?
David, you’re forgetting the vital role that Postmedia papers play in maintaining the comfort and hygiene of caged birds all across the nation. What would our budgies, parrots, parakeets and canaries do without them?
Maybe rude, but funny.
Thanks.
Careful selection of photos in said Postmedia newspapers is essential.
Postmedia has the same parent company as the National Enquirer. Tells you everything you need to know about its journalism.
DJC, your comments on the foreign ownership of Postmedia need to be more widely circulated, although as they control almost all of the print media in Canada, not sure how that would be accomplished……
With your recent post on the term of Mr. Trudeau, while a PM has a lot on his plate, it always annoyed me that he did not do more to hasten the demise of Postmedia. It’s not like Postmedia’s coverage of him could get any worse. No different than those whose sole source of ‘news’ in the US is Fox ‘News’, a steady diet of Postmedia, especially the flagship (?) National Post, can skew one’s perception of reality, and push one to even further right wing outlets. For proof, head over to the National Post site, no need to worry about a paywall or actually click on any of the articles, the headlines demonstrate clearly the bias. Note that now that they don’t have Mr. Trudeau to denigrate anymore, the vitriol has shifted to Mr. Carney. While Postmedia is not quite at head of lettuce stage, it would be nice to see this blog outlast them (no pressure on you DJC).
Actually, I fear Postmedia is almost indestructible – doomed to hang on forever in a state of permanent decrepitude and dumbfuckery. Pardon, my language, but consider in that light this: https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/danielle-smith-ben-shapiro-cancel-culture-florida-trip
As Southam, Postmedia was once a great institution, a chain of great regional news organizations. It is a nuisance at best today, a canker, a boil on the butt of Confederation, a vector of anti-Canadian propaganda. This much can be said, if the objective of the Trudeau newspaper subsidies was to protect and enhance real journalism, it failed from the get-go. If it was to prop up an American vulture capitalist company to spread anti-Liberal propaganda, well, I guess it succeeded. That is why I suspect pulling the plug on the whole thing is one promise that Pierre Poilievre, should he get the chance, is unlikely to keep.
DJC
98% foreign ownership for Postmedia. Sadly I am not surprised.
Like many Canadians I am now trying to ‘Buy Canadian’ and have discovered the minefield of our modern economy… ownership. A product can be made in Canada, but by an American-owned company. More and more quintessential Canadian brands are. Some are also made abroad, but under Canadian ownership (much more rare). How should we treat that? We are assured that this is a good thing… bringing investments into the country. I might be convinced if it was, say, a 40% foreign stake, but 98?
I am old school and obviously believe that ownership brings with it unassailable levels of control. Maybe the tariff crises will lead us to rethink acceptable levels of foreign ownership. A possible silver-lining? We at least need the discussion.
That whipped dog picture is pure comedy gold.
In any case, what is the difference between speaking to the cultish faithful rubes,
https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/braid-danielle-smith-united-states-chemtrails-sky-pentagon
as opposed to speaking to “a packed room of 150 future lawyers tonight at the University of Alberta answering their important questions about our legal system”?
For starters, “Lawyers are trained in critical thinking. They approach problems from multiple perspectives, assess strengths and weaknesses, and make reasoned judgments based on evidence and logical reasoning. Critical thinking is indispensable in the legal profession.”
Was some of the air in her oversized head and over inflated ego suddenly released at the realization that she is merely a carefully constructed automaton, or fabrication that is both groomed and supported by powerful and privileged benefactors?
Further noting,
(i.) “Take down a notch” is an idiomatic expression that means to lower someone’s ego or confidence level. It refers to reducing someone’s arrogance or pride by making them feel less important or significant than they believe themselves to be.”
(ii.) “Do you see a woman who is wise in her own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for her.”
Forget about Jason Kenny and Postmedia politics. I know I speak for a lot of people but do the Sun newspapers still have a daily Sunshine Girl?
Lol. Danielle Smith looks like she just realized she’s within spitting distance of people who the think shooting up 13 year-olds with chemicals and performing genital mutilation is a good idea. (BTW a lot of jurisdictions in the world have moved in the same direction so Alberta is not so different.)
Can’t take a chance to remind everyone of your transphobia hey Ron ? What you just said is literally a LIE. There has never been a “bottom” gender affirming surgery performed on an under eighteen person in alberta, and I believe it is true for the ENTIRE country; though I would have to double check. Lies are the brand of a coward, and one that you use all too often. What those law students are doing is reminding premier trash can that those decisions, and discussions, are the business of the patient, their doctor, and their parents, no one else’s. Not the premier, and not permanently aggrieved divorced Dads with an axe to grind.
What’s Dani doing ? Looks to me like she realizes she’s running a losing game here, I don’t think the audio has leaked quite yet but I bet she got a THRASHING from people that know how to do it well.
I bet it’s been hard for you these past few weeks tho Ron, what with the entire country and broad swaths of the wider world deciding they HAAAATE your boy Donnie, that’s gotta sting.
Good to see that the right-wing welfare system is still taking care of distressed Cons like Kenney. Guys like him never miss a meal.
Dollar to donuts someone is getting their ears pinned back for not vetting and supplying a more compliant audience for Smith. What hubris Smith et al are displaying by going before a group of young turks who are educated, can critically think and know the law. They won’t make that mistake again. The market fundamentalist business school at the U of C would have been the logical choice for the Premier for a photo op. The photo of Smith says it all.
Dani is like a vampire, she’ll go anywhere she’s invited, the U of A law school, Mar-a-Lago, on stage with Tucker Carlson, speaking at Prager U, how bad do you think she wants on Joe Rogains podcast
I find it odd that one is not allowed on Post Media to post the the name of the prime, the first directer. David Pecker, of the “National Inquirer” infamy? I thought “Post Pecker Media” was rather catchy!
I’d like to leave a fine frack, for their algo rthythms! It’s hard for anyone to find a song for those destined to plow down to new circles in the Dante monologue! But? I have one! https://youtu.be/VpATBBRajP8?t=6
It was such a disappointment when, in early January 1978, we moved to Calgary from Toronto/Montreal/Ottawa areas and subscribed to home delivery of the Calgary Herald. It was even awful back then.
Then some respite when we moved to Vancouver and subscribed to the Vancouver Sun. Day and night difference in quality.
Back to Calgary in 2000. Surprise..the Calgary Herald was even worse than we thought it could be. A ‘feel good’ publication with little investigative or impartial commentary. 14 months of home subscription was about 13 months too long. Especially since I traveled frequently and got to read other locals beside the nationals.
Last month I brought in my neighbours Herald from her doorstep. I was nonplussed at how thin and relatively content free it was other than wire service articles.
No wonder Postmedia is in the ditch!
I read mostly Postmedia, occasionally the Globe & Mail. I won’t read paywall news because I refuse to use only one source and I’m not paying all of them $10 a month. I banned CBC and CTV from my newsfeeds three years ago and never looked back. I trust Postmedia to tell me when any politician screws up, whereas most Canadian sources will cover up a Liberal mess until it becomes public – whereupon they will run to the front of the parade and attempt to ‘splain it… Postmedia gives me access to a variety of editorial boards across the country while the mainstream media, possible exception of Global, takes their cues directly from the Liberal Party of Canada. I watched the CBC and CTV parrot government incompetence and outright lies for many years, accumulating in the disastrous execution of COVID policy and abuse of the Emergencies Act – you could flip the channel between CBC and CTV and not miss a word. Main sources of news are now US, UK and EU.
You need to understand that the CBC was created the year after the On To Ottawa march and that its “Canada is Nice” propaganda is designed to control and deceive the public while fleecing their pockets. As our indigenous people and any male who has ever entered our family law courts know, Canada is anything but nice or just. The basis of the Canadian system is to exploit the west and feed into the east – only since WWII have we gradually been able to buy or sell to the US because eastern banks that hold our mortgages (and mortgage backed bonds if you think Alberta Treasury is really sitting on your 5% no it’s syndicated) wanted more and more and more.
Pretty sure you used an old NDPer’s name on a fake email address, Balter, but I’m going to allow this comment anyway because, well, it’s a point of view and this is a free country, plus it made me laugh. DJC