Globe/union get extension till Thursday midnight

Typically, once a final offer is on the table bargaining stops, and the next step when the final offer is refused is strike/lockout. The Globe and Mail and its union, though, have opted for mediation, to the above deadline. It doesn’t mean a deal is imminent though; a mediator first has to determine whether there’s room for negotiation (if not, the mediator then files a report that the two sides are deadlocked). Assuming there is, most mediators want both sides to give up some demands before filing a mediation report recommending a contract. Then both sides have to vote on that contract. At this point, I’m betting on lockout or strike. Since there’s a media ban on this (nice how the media exempt themselves from the usual coverage they provide) we likely won’t know till Friday morning what the result is.

CP/Canoe, June 29 2009

New Media from Iran troubles MSM

The tendency of mainstream media to simply quote from new media, without seeking a second source or other verification, is troubling enough. It’s even worse when the state clamps down on all media, new or traditional, and observers outside that state try to get a sense of what’s going on. As a result, blogs, posts, videos etc. on the current unrest in Iran are being cited frequently by MSM, but with the unease that they have no way of verifying that any of it is factual. A thoughtful piece from the New York Times.

New York Times, June 28 2009