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Blog of Adam Daifallah -- author, journalist, law student. Lover of politics, writing, golf, curling, fitness, fashion, bacon and maple products -- not necessarily (but probably) in that order. Partisan of the Anglosphere. Contact me via email at adam@daifallah.com. This summer I am joined by Keir Wilmut and Omar Soliman.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
A conservative voice silenced
The Western Standard, Ezra Levant's conservative fortnightly magazine in which the essay that became the book Rescuing Canada's Right was printed as a cover story, is ceasing publication effective immediately.
News of the Standard's demise had been rumored for some time, but intensified when editor-in-chief Kevin Libin left for the National Post and when his replacement, Joe Woodard, lasted a matter of weeks before being replaced by Ezra himself. (The final editor of the magazine ended up being Matthew Stuart, whose reign was quite short.)
Enemies of balance in the media will cheer this news, others like myself with mourn.
Each time a conservative publication starts, you hope that this time it will be different; that, unlike every other one before it (Alberta Report, From the Right, The Next City, etc.) this one will last beyond a few years. I thought the Standard had a fighting chance, but I was wrong.
I think the future of print publications on the right in Canada is dead. There just simply isn't the will to fund them now, and there probably -- sadly -- never was. There aren't enough people ready to fund them, nor are there enough advertisers. Even the benchmark conservative publications like National Review survive due to the grace of philanthropic donors.
The only hope is the Internet, which is why I'm so excited about c2c. Online publications are fun, low-cost ways to reach a whole lot of people.
The Western Standard website will remain and there's talk it may turn into a Canadian version of Townhall. Let's hope it does.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 9:24 AM
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