

Let me start by wishing you a great long weekend.
It’s a time for family and friends and I hope you can spend at least part of the next few days with both. Of course, I’m also happy you are going to spend a few moments with The Buzz.
For years before I became the Chief Correspondent of The National in 1988, I was the backup for Knowlton Nash and, not surprisingly, on big holiday nights Knowlton would stay at home with Lorraine and I would fill in on the job. So, I learned first-hand what it was like to give up family time for work time. We would put the broadcast on with a skeleton staff yet many of those who were at work on Christmas Eve had left kids and spouses at home on the biggest family night, for many, of the year. I swore, no matter what happened to me, I’d never forget those colleagues – most of whom had volunteered to work on the holiday shift.
So, a few years later when I was the Chief, I was the one at home with my family. But I remembered. And one Christmas Eve, I went to a costume store and rented a Santa suit, right down to the big white beard. Padded it with pillows and waited for the right moment.
“Ho Ho Ho!” I called out and ran through the newsroom tossing little goodies here and there.
It was fun and everyone had a good laugh. Some teased me, saying that it was my most constructive night at The National. I’m remembering it this weekend, knowing there are a lot of people out there who would probably rather be at home with family, but they have a job to do. Truckers, grocery workers, first responders and many, many more. Thank you.
One of the many challenges journalists face during a war is determining the truth.
Every war leaves reporters trying to decide whose truth is the truth. The fog of war makes it hard, sometimes impossible, to determine which side to believe.
The Washington Post has spent weeks trying to determine the truth about the Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza. Were the Israelis justified in bombing it because, as they claimed, it housed command posts for Hamas hidden behind or underneath operating rooms? Or was Hamas correct when it claimed that was not the case? The Post’s investigative piece is detailed, it’s lengthy, but is its conclusion clear? You decide:

The case of al-Shifa: Investigating the assault on Gaza’s largest hospital
Last week I talked about the parade of year-end interviews with party leaders that have been tumbling out of Ottawa lately.
Most are pretty predictable, the normal kind that pits a journalist against a prime minister, but there’s always room for something a little different. This one has a tradition that goes back years between two old friends, one who was a well-known local morning radio host in Montreal and one who eventually became the PM: Terry DiMonte and Justin Trudeau. They are making the headlines of The Buzz this week for something Trudeau dropped in this year’s DiMonte chat about the American right – take note because this could be a preview of how he plans to fight the next election. Susan Delacourt wrote about it in The Toronto Star:

Justin Trudeau fears Pierre Poilievre is bringing Trump-style politics to Canada
If you want more on this topic, look for SMT on The Bridge, flagged by nationalnewswatch.com

Modernizing Canada’s Broadcasting Framework
The CRTC is preparing to modernize Canada’s broadcasting system. Canadians’ views on public policy priorities have changed with the times. The Motion Picture Association – Canada commissioned a national study and found people see and value what global studios and streaming services contribute to Canada’s creative economy, including a new world of opportunity for Canadian creative workers.
For the most part, Pierre Poilievre has stayed away from the major news organization’s year-end interviews and focused instead on local and regional opportunities.
That didn’t stop Stephanie Levitz of the Toronto Star from putting together a collection of the best from ten of those interviews, and her summary piece makes interesting reading:

We listened to 10 of Pierre Poilievre's year-end interviews. Here's what we learned about him (including how to pronounce his name)
Okay, here's another year-ender list that you might have missed.
These aren't winners but instead, they’re the losers of the year, at least according to The Guardian. Some are obvious, like Tucker Carlson and Elon Musk. But Drake? The guy outsells Taylor Swift, and not by a little bit but by a megabit. Plus, he's Canadian -- how can you call our guy a loser? But The Guardian did:

Marvel, crypto, Tucker Carlson: eight of 2023’s most spectacular downfalls
Rob Carrick calls himself a personal financial columnist.
Actually, The Globe calls him that, but Rob probably just calls himself someone who’s out there fighting for the rest of us. I love his stuff. He writes about mortgages, grocery prices, car prices - you name it. But what he often loves to write about is the art of tipping. Rob has a thing about tipping and has for years. He thinks we are getting taken for a ride on tipping and he is probably right. Especially when it comes to credit cards. Check out his latest column, which likely means I’m going to have to start carrying cash again, something that disappeared from my pocket when the pandemic hit:

A neat trick to push back on tipping without looking cheap
Are you flying this weekend?
Maybe you’re even flying as you read The Buzz. Well, if you are and want to feel the holiday spirit, I hope you are flying on one of the six airlines highlighted by The Washington Post’s Heidi Perez-Moreno. And yes, my favourite airline (Air Canada) made the list:

How 6 airlines are bringing Christmas dinner to the sky
If you are looking for a special year-end panel, click on Good Talk with Chantal, Bruce, and me. You can always find us on nationalnewswatch.com
Enjoy the weekend and have a Merry one.
See you in a week’s time.
☃️
The Buzz is a weekly publication from National Newswatch that shares insights and commentary on the week’s developments in politics, news and current affairs.