Bloggers beat back ban
Canada’s draconian election news ban is bloodied but unbowed – for now. “It’s a 20th century law for a 21st century issue,” wrote Alexandra Samuel and Darren Barefoot before backing down and imposing a three-hour blackout at tweettheresults.ca. In the weeks leading up to the election, Canada’s media ban caught some attention south of the border, where NYU journalism professor Jay Rosen coyly suggested a mass tweet-in. After an unsuccessful court challenge by CBC and Bell Media, Elections Canada sent out a stern reminder to emboldened ban-breakers. On e-night, the chastened tweeters restricted themselves to playful hints. Then a few began reporting the results straight up. Then the tweet-in went global and the gates opened. Ironically, one of the first breaches came not from the blogosphere, but from an accidental CBC broadcast. OpenFile has posted a collection of notable election night communications. Sites like electopinion.ca have sprung up and continue to follow the buzz, and it seems results-reporting blogs are now part of the landscape. If bookies are taking money on the next round, the early money is likely on the bloggers, not the ban.
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