Guardian didn’t cover paratransit assault conviction
September 17, 2009 Doug Currie, MLA Charlottetown - Parkdale, and Minister of Social Services and Seniors, met with Greg Peters and David MacCallum, executive members from the Pat and the Elephant Board of Directors.
Charlottetown Guardian covers month old press release but not assault of disabled boy
This picture was on page C8 of the Charlottetown Guardian today. We have not seen a story about the Pat and the Elephant assault.
Why did the Charlottetown Guardian not carry the story about the 14 year old who was assaulted by a Pat and the Elephant para-transit driver?
Assault of a child with a disability is news and the Guardian knew about the story.
Pablo Szerman assaulted the boy who has a developmental disability during May of 2009. Szerman plead guilty to assault in court on September 29th, 2009.
The Charlottetown Guardian had a court reporter at court that day. Their reporter Jim Day knew the story since he knows the family. The family called Day but he begged off the story.
We sent the Guardian a news notice on October 2nd along with other media organizations in PEI. On Tuesday October 6th CBC did a radio story, Compass story and carried it on their website. See Thank you CBC Charlottetown .
There were 63 comments from CBC viewers.
We emailed another notice to Gary MacDougall, managing editor of the Charlottetown Guardian.
Nothing happened. The story was ignored. However, they have the space and time to run a public relations press release from the government.
What is the Charlottetown Guardian hiding?
9 Responses to 'Guardian didn’t cover paratransit assault conviction'
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Just like every other Islander, if The Guardian see’s Stephen Pate’s name attached to it, they will go the opposite way. He is hurting disabled persons on PEI as he drags their names through the mud.
Good on The Guardian for caring about us disabled.
Chris McKenna
15 Oct 09 at 10:35 am
It’s a shame. The editor likes to pontificate on what is newspaper is and what constitutes journalism, yet his rag consistently falls far short of the minimum requirements.
I assume the circulation continues to fall. It deserves to.
Observer
15 Oct 09 at 10:58 am
Chris I appreciate that you commented.
The messenger is often the one to catch the arrows.
I advocate strongly on behalf of those with disabilities because otherwise the stories don’t get told. The CBC reported the story after pointed them to it, one of the first real disability stories they have done in ages.
The media like two types of disability stories
1. Happy talk – you won the special Olympics, you pushed on through the pain, they built 2 accessible homes/apartments, P&E got new vans
2. The disabled are crooks – someone cheated on their disability supports and got caught
The media rarely if ever tells the true story.
PEI has a history of sweeping bad news stories about the disabled under the carpet.
In 2006 when the Binns government cut $1 million from the PEI Disability Support Program all of the disability groups refused to say “boo”. CBC reported it after I started blogging. PEI Council of the Disabled was chaired by Trisha Clarkin and the board muzzled her. The PEI Paraplegic Association refused to comment and were rewarded with a $240,000 donation spring of 2007.
I am a disability advocate. If you don’t like advocacy, it is not a popularity contest.
The Guardian doesn’t give a rats ass about the disabled. All they want is publicity from the Easter Seals abuse of children with disabilities.
Don’t worry, I’ll keep plugging away.
Stephen Pate
15 Oct 09 at 11:18 am
As a disabled person myself, The Guardian has always answered or sat down with me when an issue came up. As far as i know, they’ve always been helpful with the COD.
At the end of the day, Islanders will continue to laugh at you and you’ll continue to give us disabled people a bad name.
As such, the only person your advocating for is yourself and not for the disabled.
Chris McKenna
15 Oct 09 at 2:24 pm
Only at the end of the day, that’s no fun, I was hoping they were laughing over their Cheerios.
You do it your way – for a guy who gets the Guardian’ sit down – who are you?
Why did Mrs. Gillespie not get any help from the Guardian? She is a friend of Jim Day. I didn’t know her from Adam; however, she did ask for my help when everyone else turned a blind eye.
As someone who works at this 7 days a week, I submit you are talking through your hat. You are either not working on anything important …
Stephen Pate
15 Oct 09 at 2:33 pm
Last comment didn’t go through. Would like to chat with Friday about press gallery situation. What’s your name?
Cheers
Oliver Moore
15 Oct 09 at 5:56 pm