On fairness and balance

You'd think the Leader-Post would at least pretend to try to show both sides of an issue. As all too often, you'd be wrong.

I noted earlier the plan released today by Saskatchewan's NDP government to deal with substance abuse.

The Leader-Post's front page features two stories on the plan.

One story, left over from this morning, features two paragraphs setting out the rough facts, followed by six paragraphs of Saskatchewan Party quotes, followed by two more paragraphs of facts, followed by six more paragraphs of SP MLA June Draude. Pause for a bullet-point list of Sask Party policy proposals, then finish off with two more paragraphs of Draude.

Then there's this one, posted later today, which makes the story the Sask Party's reaction rather than the policy itself. It leads with a paragraph saying that the opposition is disappointed...presents a small amount of the new policy in two paragraphs...then goes to three paragraphs of quotes from SP MLA Ted Merriman before closing by noting a policy still under consideration.

The result: two articles on the most important news story in Saskatchewan today, not one word of NDP input.

Now, there are two possibilities here.

One is that the NDP managed to release a much-anticipated report and consequent policy without a single MLA bothering to say anything about it. (Hint: The NDP's caucus website may have a quote or two.)

The other is that the Leader-Post has once again chosen to pay attention to only one side of Saskatchewan's public policy debate.

Draw conclusions as needed.

UPDATE, Aug. 5: Miraculously enough, today's story was actually on the balanced side. Now was that so hard?