Sun Media has apologized to Justin Trudeau for saying insulting things about his parents.
Earlier this week, TKN reported (see story here) that Liberal leader Justin Trudeau had decided to boycott—stop talking to—reporters from Sun Media. That’s because broadcaster Ezra Levant had made offensive personal remarks about Trudeau’s father, former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
Levant had gone on a “rant” about Pierre Trudeau and about Justin, saying some mean things about their personal lives. After that, the Liberal leader announced he would no longer speak to reporters at any of the 236 newspapers owned by Sun Media.
Now, Sun Media has apologized.
On their website they said, “this segment was in poor taste and should not have been aired. We understand why many viewers found both the content and language of this segment to be offensive.”
Trudeau’s communications director responded with a statement saying, “We accept Sun News’ apology.” She said Trudeau will speak to Sun News reporters again.
Levant’s rant on Sept. 15 was sparked by a photo of Justin Trudeau kissing a new bride on the cheek in one of her wedding pictures. Levant said Trudeau should not have interfered with the wedding—and then Levant went on to say many offensive things about the Liberal leader. (The bride, and her father, both made statements saying Trudeau was asked to pose in the picture and his presence was welcome in the photos.)
Related links:
TKN’s first story about Justin Trudeau’s boycott of Sun News.
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
By Jonathan Tilly
Writing/Discussion Prompt
The information about the bride/photo was not in the original TKN story. Why do you think the reporter left that part out? Do you think she should have? Do you think she should have left it out this time as well? What would you have done if you were the reporter?
Reading Prompt: Extending Understanding
This is a “follow-up” news story, which builds on a previous news story. How does today’s article answer any questions you may have had after reading the first article? What questions remain unanswered?
Junior
Extend understanding of texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them (OME, Reading: 1.6).
Intermediate
Extend understanding of texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them (OME, Reading: 1.6).
Language Feature: Apology
Today, the word “apology” is used most often when someone wants to say sorry for something they said or did. But the word “apology” wasn’t always used in this way. An “apology,” as it was used in Ancient Greece meant “a speech in one’s defence.”
How are these definitions related despite their differences?
