Updated: See below.
A week after it published that pathetic story about Chebucto Heights school, the fallout for the Chronicle Herald continues. Lezlie Lowe—the award-winning journalist, j-school professor and Coast contributing editor—used her column in today’s Herald to announce she is quitting the columnist job. Effective immediately. Because the Chebucto Heights story made her lose faith in the paper of record’s journalism.
The story lays bare the worst of the worst xenophobia in our city and our province. It lacks all proportion. Balance eludes it, start to finish.
Journalists and citizen journalists alike have a responsibility to recognize and manage the great power they hold. That didn’t happen, here. Not even close.
In a rare move, Herald publisher Sarah Dennis also wrote a piece for today’s paper. While apologizing about the school story, Dennis singles out Lowe.
In today’s edition, freelance columnist Lezlie Lowe writes a farewell column explaining why her strong feelings about the mistakes we made have led her to end her association with the paper.
We are very sorry to lose Lezlie as a talented columnist, but we respect her decision.
Clearly Dennis sees Lowe’s resignation for what it is: A huge statement. And a huge loss.
Update: This afternoon Lowe published a Facebook post explaining why she worked at the Herald during the strike. Here’s the essence.
The HTU asked me, and all other columnists and freelancers, in a Jan. 7 open letter, to “avoid getting involved” in the about-to-boil-over labour dispute.
“Make it known that you will not file material or take new assignments until we are back at work with a contract in hand,” the letter urged.
That’s not avoiding involvement. That’s joining the strike.
The HTU was asking me to quit my non-unionized job to allow union members to have a better stab at keeping theirs.
That was beyond the bounds of solidarity for me.
In other words, she felt that the Halifax Typographical Union not only didn’t have her back, but it wanted to stick a knife in her back. No wonder she stayed.
This article appears in Apr 14-20, 2016.
Hey, a Lowe column worth reading!
Unlike your posts cranky…
I kid, I kid! Sorry. Cranky is as Cranky does, me and Lowe go way back to her Coast days, she even gives a nod to the old Crankster in her final column!
I most definitely will not miss her sanctimonious, politically correct finger waving. Won’t miss her harping in the least.
Praise the lord! Something good has come out of this mess after all. I never understood how she qualified to write for this publication, much less get a gig at the Herald.
It would sure be nice to know what originally happened that led to the story. Surprised no local journos seem to want to go near it. Or maybe I shouldn’t be.
And after saying she was going to quit 3-4 months ago? How noble to stay until there was a cause to quit over. #teenyviola
What happened that led to the original story, RedRocket, was pretty obvious: one random parent dropped the Herald a tip of dubious merit. The paper assigned to the job one of their totally inexperienced replacement reporters, who failed to verify with other parents or school administration the claims of the one (unnamed, un-checkable) source. The story then made it an “editor” who was actually just a Herald manager doing double time as an editor, since most of the real editors are on strike.
So that’s how a probably invented (or at least grossly exaggerated) anecdote from one flimsy source turned into a “news” story.
Look up the story on Live Leaks. Do a search for the school.
Shut it down
Leslie has always been a common interest columnist, some weeks is that her interest strays. The fact that she is taking a moral stand is great and admirable, but in the end, she will end up writing the same fill for some other publication, to which people will reply positively or negatively, but in that “this person at the grocery store is annoying me” type of way.
Perhaps a proper look at the issue or (non-issue) at the school would benefit everyone. To clear the air one way or the other and find the best way forward. As it is, walking away leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Dispelling the inevitable rumours with the truth serves everyone.
The Herald probably got pressure from the local Liberal Govt. Need to have a paper in Canada that prints the ‘whole truth’ not the cover up stories. Good for her – glad she quit – I like people with principles!
Good riddance.
I listened to an interview with two of the parents of the children that were allegedly being bullied. One claims to have done organized donations for the refugee families. Both the parents who complained their children were being bullied claim to having gone to the principle prior to the article the Herald printed to ask the school get more resources to help the children acting out. Interpreters etc. One parent claims her daughter came home with a red mark on her face from a slap across the face. The parents say the principle acknowledges the problem but was getting no response for further assistance for the new children. The parents said they felt they had no where else to turn. Now they say they feel like there is no where to turn as they are being branded xenophobic. This article needs further examination. Clarification. Peoples’ personal feelings about Leslie have nothing to do with this.
“Pathetic Story” ????? The truth or at least an investigative report to prove or disprove the story would have been better than calling the situation xenophobic situation, especially since independent reports have stated the school, school board and media rep for school board were trying to sweep whatever the truth was under the carpet. Let me guess she only writes rainbow puppy dog and unicorn feel good stories as that keeps her in her ” safe place”???? Not a journalist, just a buffoon who thinks resigning will get SJW points. She should move to B.C.
Aside from the atrocious journalism, it’s hard to decide which is more pathetic. Those who gleefully want the story to be true, or those who so desperately need it to be a lie.
Leslie dear, why cut off your nose to spite your face? Quitting will not change the past, current or future; only you lose. Clearly you did this for notoriety. But there is a difference between good attention and bad attention; you need to learn that.
One crappy columnist gone, now to get rid of Scott Taylor.