Don’t quote students: CFS-MB spokesperson

Anger over budget reporting is quoted on Free Press reporter’s blog

JENELLE PETRINCHUK STAFF

A recent story published in the Winnipeg Free Press apparently had CFS-MB spokesperson Liz Carlyle upset, according to reporter Nick Martin’s blog.

Martin writes on his blog that Carlyle had left him a voicemail message claiming the Free Press “has a strong editorial stance against the tuition free freeze” which apparently “trickles down into news articles.”

“What really got CFS ticked off was the paper’s decision to seek out and quote ordinary people along with the usual spokespersons for business groups, big unions, student organizations, and the like,” wrote Martin on his blog.

The original story on the recently released provincial budget, included quotes from a grade 11 Sisler High School student and a second-year political studies major at Canadian Mennonite University.

Martin includes a quote from his voicemail from Carlyle in his blog: “There’s these two random students who are quoted, and don’t represent anyone. We don’t expect to see individual students quoted totally out of context. These students obviously don’t have much information, they’re just saying off the top of their heads what they think . . . in a flip and uninformed way.”

Martin said he had previously asked the two students to review the budget and read up on details regarding it, only offering their comments after they had made an informed decision.

“I know there’s a great deal of sensitivity about who speaks for large communities . . . but the issue is whether or not they believe I deliberately slanted a story in a particular manner, and whether it is appropriate to talk to individual citizens about certain issues,” said Martin in an interview with the Manitoban.

In terms of CFS’s standpoint, Manitoba representative Rachel Gotthilf, who is also vice-president (external) for UMSU, stressed that Carlyle’s message is not representative of the federation.

“Of course, of course, of course it’s not,” she said. “I think that what was written on his blog was a misrepresentation as to what we were trying to get across.”

“We think all students have valid opinions,” said Goltthilf.

“When they call, that was CFS speaking as far as I was concerned,” said Martin.