media releases

Media release
B.C. Citizens for Green Energy
www.greenenergybc.ca
July 14, 2008

Global TV, CKNW’s Keith Baldrey joins the campaign against
independently produced
clean electricity

Influential journalist’s participation raises
a number of concerns, says B.C. Citizens for Green Energy

B.C. Citizens for Green Energy today asked how veteran reporter Keith Baldrey can claim journalistic objectivity when he has joined the campaign against independently produced clean electricity. Baldrey, a journalist with Global TV and CKNW, will provide media coaching at a two-day training conference for anti-IPP activists from across the province. That information comes from the conference program and a Web site, both published by sponsors of the two-day event.

According to the program, Baldrey will present a workshop called The Media and Your Message at the More Power To You training session to be held on October 4 and 5 at Vancouver’s SFU Harbour Centre. Baldrey will present the workshop with Gwen Barlee, policy director of the Wilderness Committee. Barlee is one of B.C.’s most prominent opponents of independently produced clean electricity.

The two-day conference is sponsored by COPE 378 (a BC Hydro union), IBEW local 258 (another BC Hydro union), the Wilderness Committee (a close ally of COPE 378) and B.C. Citizens for Public Power, whose seven-person board of directors consists of Barlee, two COPE 378 officials, two officials of allied unions, a well-connected political activist and an academic who’s closely associated with the anti-green energy campaign.

“It’s hard to believe a veteran journalist like Baldrey doesn’t know who he has aligned himself with,” said Gene Vickers, B.C. Citizens for Green Energy co-spokesperson. “This is the same prominent but close-knit group that’s been pushing the campaign of misinformation about clean electricity. They’re motivated by ideology, politics and self-interest, as their spokespeople have unwittingly indicated many times.”

The conference program states that Baldrey “is the B.C. legislative bureau chief and reporter with Global television, provides a weekly radio commentary on the ‘cutting edge of the ledge’ segment of CKNW’s Bill Good Show and is a regular contributor to numerous newspapers and magazines in the province.”

“How can Baldrey be objective when he’s taking part in such a campaign?” asked Vickers. “Does he think he can turn his objectivity off when he’s working for the campaign and back on again for Global TV and CKNW?”

The sponsors are spending big money to subsidize the More Power to You conference, which charges attendees only $35 to $50 for two full days of training. The sponsors will also subsidize travel and accommodation expenses for activists from all over B.C.

“Judging by how they’ve been running their campaign so far, it’s fair to ask if Baldrey will be helping them push misinformation and scare tactics,” added Vickers. “We’ve heard a steady stream of myths from those groups, often delivered in an overbearing, emotional manner. It will be interesting to see how Baldrey fits into their campaign.”

Baldrey isn’t the first high-profile journalist to join the campaign against independently produced clean electricity. Sean Leslie of CKNW was originally scheduled to give the media training session. He has apparently pulled out, with Baldrey as his replacement. “The campaigners seem to have a chummy relationship with some influential journalists,” said Vickers. “But the issue is vital to everyone, especially future generations. We need more electricity for our growing population and clean electricity for the sake of our planet. We also need an independent and robust media to provide balanced news coverage.”

The More Power to You conference program is available here:
www.greenenergybc.ca/assets/Conference_Program_v3_lowRez.pdf