In reply, Conrad emerged as the defender of the National Post’s editorial independence. On March 14 he wrote to Asper. In carefully measured tones, he flatly rejected as “absolutely untrue” Izzy’s accusation that he had worked any sort of “personal orchestration” or “firestorm” against David. The facts, he said, were quite different. Black, as well as Barbara Amiel, Ken Whyte and others, “all warned David that writing in these newspapers accusing them of injustice to Chrétien would produce great resentment amongst the journalists and would appear to anyone in the country still interested in an independent press to be servile, toadying to a rather corrupt regime in what is now more or less a one party state.” The proper course to objectionable coverage would be to carefully set out exactly what was wrong or unfair. Instead, David’s piece was “unrigorous and hostile to your own employees with consequences that were foreseeable and predicted.” Beyond being shown the editorial to be published by Ken Whyte and asking for the removal of one sentence that he felt might unintentionally offend the Aspers, Black assured Izzy that he had had no hand in the inevitable reaction to David’s clumsy intervention.
Moreover, Black continued sternly, this wasn’t the first time he had tried to help the Aspers: “I have told you, David and Leonard many times that there is a way to alter the general tone of a serious newspaper, and I have offered advice, without being asked, on how to do that. I believe it is, in fact, contrary to the spirit of our arrangement and to Canwest’s corporate interests for you people to tinker so recklessly with these interferences with the credibility and therefore the value of these franchises, which my associates and I so swiftly built up.”
In response the following day, Izzy re-entered the fray by firing a heat-seeking missile at Conrad, with what may well be the most incendiary communication since Marie Antoinette’s legendary invitation to starving French peasants, deprived of their daily bread, to “let them eat cake.”
Dear Conrad,
In no order of priority, let me deal with your assertions on the facts of our difference:
1. You say that Barbara [Amiel], Peter [Viner] et al. warned David [Asper] about the consequence of his Intervention. Wrong. Your observations were made after the fact and not as a caution in advance.
2. You resolutely deny having “orchestrated” or “acquiesced” in the Post’s scurrilous rebuttal, but, in conclusive repudiation of that assertion, you acknowledge that you read Whyte’s vitriolic response, in advance of publication, and even edited it, for whatever reason. That’s hardly consistent with your claim of “not being party to or involved.” I will not comment on the information we have that Post people “encouraged” the other media (non-Southam) to focus on this issue. I believe our sources. Where I allege breach of our arrangement is as follows:
1. The Nat’l Post harangue on Chrétien/Shawinigan was excessive, unbalanced and an embarrassment to Canwest as being improper journalism—you published something like 50 accusatory opinions with not one exculpatory opinion.
2. We exercised our contractual right to publish a contrary piece.
3. You deliberately delayed publication of our piece to gain the time to concurrently publish a condemnation of our piece.
4. When you did publish our piece, it was relegated to the bottom of the page, while your condemnation of it, in double its length, was put on top of it. In further violation of fairness, you ran a streamer headline across the top of page one of the paper, drawing attention to your condemnation of our piece, which received about one-third the size and prominence of your denunciation.
Conrad, read our agreement. I assure you we never expected that when, on the rare occasion, we exercised our right to differ with the Post’s editorial or opinion position, that we would be subjected to a vilification torrent as a rebuttal! That’s just not a plausible interpretation of our deal.
So, bottom line, I don’t withdraw any of the complaints I proffered in my letter, and if that forecloses a meeting between us, to explore modus vivendi options, so be it.
Given your own experience in dealing with contemptible charges, you will appreciate that I cannot remain silent. If you want the Post to continue this practice of withholding publication of our views until they can prepare a refutation, then we will insist that the Post deliver to us in advance all of their opinion pieces, so that we can concurrently publish our opposing views.
There are other options. The Globe and Mail has offered its unlimited space to immediately comment on National Post opinions. Therefore, perhaps it is best that we resolve this by ignoring the Post’s positions, and our rights to differ, expressing ourselves through them and other media.
Of course, other options abound, including our selling out to you, or vice versa, or dividing the opinion pages equally between Post and Canwest commentators etc., etc.
However, be assured that we will not tolerate a torrent of refutation by Post writers, either personally inspired, or encouraged by you, every time we exercise our contracted right to differ.
I believe these are the options we should explore when we talk or meet. Presumably, you don’t want a five-year running argument any more than I. As for the Southam papers ground rules, I expect to deal with the people there precisely as you would.
At this time, although still under reflective consideration, I intend to proclaim, nationally, Canwest’s refutation of the charges and accusations levelled at us in this sorry affair. Obviously, I may reach a different strategic plan after further consideration.
Sincerely,
Israel Harold Asper
The tension between the two men was dissolved in August of 2001, when Black sold the remaining half of the National Post to Asper. The first 50 per cent, part of the original deal, cost Izzy $100 million; the second 50 per cent went for $1. He paid too much both times. As for his war with the journalists, it was just getting started.
Excerpts from Izzy. Copyright 2008 by Dragonmaster Productions Inc. All rights reserved. Photographs courtesy of Canwest and the Asper family.
