Sunday, July 22, 2007

Journalistic Standards At Can West

From Canada.com:

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing eight decisions made under the U.S. Endangered Species Act -- one of which involves the protection and status of the Canada lynx, a fox-like animal known as the grey ghost of the north.

I suppose its as "fox-like" as any wild-cat can possibly be. In fact, I think I can see fox-like cunning in its yellow, cat-like eyes. Can't you?

From the people who publish the National Post.

17 comments:

Rosie said...

we learned what a linx was in grade 1.

Red Tory said...

What a boner.

Excuse me, I have to go now and let my dog-like kitty inside...

Reality Bites said...

They're both four-limbed mammals.

Come to think of it, so am I.

So why doesn't anyone ever call me fox-like?

Ti-Guy said...

I went to a Loblaw's Superstore the other day and some man chased me after I reacted in total consternation at his bargain-basement offer of a subscription to The National Post.

I nearly took the offer just because the man was pleading. However, It was either spend it on that or a six-pack, and...well, there wasn't much of a decision to made, knowwhatImean?

Jay said...

Good catch. They have changed their article to now read a bobcat like animal.

A little better but still misses the point. Bobcats (Lynx Rufus) and Lynx (Lynx canadensis) are very closely related and are nearly always confused with each other. Also they fail to mention other subspecies, like the one found on Newfoundland.

Maybe they should just say

"WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing eight decisions made under the U.S. Endangered Species Act -- one of which involves the protection and status of the Canada lynx, an animal known as the grey ghost of the north."

Leave it at that. Most Canadians know what a Lynx is and the ones who don't, don't care anyway and the differences are lost on them.

Ti-Guy said...

Yeah...in Northern Ontario, we use Bobcat and Lynx interchangeably.

Jay said...

They are very similar.

The main problem I was aware of with regard to the Canada Lynx is that it rely's on very few types of prey whereas the Bobcat is more generalist and will eat anything. The Lynx food is disappearing allowing the Bobcat to move in and take over the preying grounds since they actually can eat what species are left.

Not sure if there is really much they can do because it's their prey we need to be protecting first.

We have a very healthy population of Lynx in Newfoundland but they are a subspecies of Canada Lynx.

Ti-guy I would suspect that in Northern Ontario you originally had Lynx and that has been replaced by Bobcat. The transition would have been near unnoticeable. There would obviously be some individuals of Lynx around still but it would probably be the cause of the interchangeable bobcat and lynx names.

bigcitylib said...

Jay,

Cool that they actually changed the article. You see the power of ridicule?

The one thing I have read about the Lynx is that they are pathetically easy to trap. Scientists working with them (for tagging, lets say)say its really easy to recollect them. The same traps work again and again. Not very cunning at all.

I was also once told that those domestic cats with the Lynx-like ears are crossbreeds, but I imagine someone was trying to pull my leg.

Ti-Guy said...

Ti-guy I would suspect that in Northern Ontario you originally had Lynx and that has been replaced by Bobcat.

I myself never saw one; when I was young, my father shot one that had gotten into the back porch. From what I understand, it was probably a bobcat (Lynx rufus), since my parents describe it as not much bigger than a cat.

Red Tory said...

BCL — Tigers are likewise remarkably easy to kill/trap.

Anonymous said...

I learned to spell 'lynx' in Grade 1.


Great work everybody! That was obviously the code word to start some sort of neo-con hidden agenda. Now it's been foiled! Hoo-ray for petty, nit-picking anal retentive Liberals everywhere!

Jay said...

anon.

You may call getting your facts straight nit-picking but to the rest of us, if your facts are not straight then your asessment is wrong. But I don't expect you to understand seeing you support the CPC the kings of lies and deceit. You seem very easy to Con into anything.

Jay said...

BCL,
Never heard of them being easy to trap but then again never met anyone who traps them. I do know from growing up that the only thing most people see of a Lynx or bobcat are their eyes and then they are gone. Very nervous/shy animals. They don't interbreed with house cats I don't think. Different genus.

They may not have been trying to pull your leg, they probably actually thought this.

Ti-Guy said...

That was obviously the code word to start some sort of neo-con hidden agenda. Now it's been foiled! Hoo-ray for petty, nit-picking anal retentive Liberals everywhere!

Get a high-colonic, you constipated misery.

Anonymous said...

You're right Jay, the inaccuracy of describing a lynx as fox-like is a crucial error which MUST be corrected. Normally people just write it off as simply coming from a typical journalist who knows nothing about the subject. That's the quality of reporting I've come to expect. You know, after reading about bolt action .22 rifles described as "assault weapons", or street-racer cars having "up to 2,000 horsepower", my expectations of the MSM are pretty low. They at least related it to another animal. I'm sure somewhere, some anal retentive ignorant do-gooder is even now mounting a campaign to have Can-West sued for speciesism against lynxes, or against foxes, or some other equally stupid leftard reaction. It'll likely try to connect Can-West with Harper and put them all in bed with George Bush. Yeesh.

Rosie, if you just learned how to spell none of this would have happened.

bigcitylib said...

Anon 4:49,

canada.com changed the piece late yesterday afternoon. It makes me happy to know I made someone from CanWest work on a Sunday.

Jay said...

Anon,
You are right.

After reading through your dribble I now understand the audience that canada.com is intended for.

I guess even using fox-like was too much for its readers. Would it better if they said something like that animal you have stuffed on your mantle or maybe what you scraped off the road for dinner last week?