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Contact: Josh Tabish,
Lead Coordinator, Media Democracy Day [email protected]
778.782.7353
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Muzzled Scientists Highlighted at Media Democracy Days
Vancouver, B.C. October 11, 2012. Media Democracy Days Vancouver (MDD) 2012 isproud to announce an upcoming panel discussion titled Muzzling the Scientists taking place
November 3 from 1:15-2:45PM at The Vancouver Public Library. Environmental leaders and
activists will gather to talk on media coverage of environmental politics and the Harper
governments censorship of Canadas scientists.
Muzzling the Scientists will showcase several panelists, including influential environmental
activist, Tzeporah Berman. In the early nineties, Berman was faced with one thousand criminalcharges and six years in prison for her participation in protests to save the endangered rainforestsof Clayoquot Sound. Now, nearly two decades later, Berman is helping to organize Defend Our
Coast (www.defendourcoast.ca), a mass sit-in planned for October 22 taking place at the BC
Legislature in Victoria.
There are moments in history when its clear that our elected leaders are failing us and it is
necessary to take a stand, said Berman, we are stating our intention to defend our coast and
calling on others to join us.
Berman is just one of the speakers that will be featured at MDD, along with Professor of Marine
Ecology at Simon Fraser University, Dr. Isabelle Ct, retired DFO scientist, Otto Langer, andVancouver-based SumOfUs campaigner, Emma Pullman.
Muzzling the Scientists speakers bring a profound range of experience and expertise to MDD.
Langer was the first to leak the federal governments plans to undermine environmental
legislation in Canada through the Omnibus Budget Bill (AKA: Bill C-38). Dr. Ct, along withtwo of her colleagues, published a letter in the prestigious research journal, Science, criticizing
the federal governments rationale for disabling Canadas Fisheries Act.
Their letter details how in the thousands of proposals reviewed through the federal
environmental assessment process between 2006 and 2011, only one was ever rejected.
The scientific case for protecting aquatic habitats is as strong as ever, and the justifications for
weakening protection do not bear up to reasonable scrutiny. Says Dr. Ct in the letter. Canada
should stand up to its responsibility as first signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity
and steward of the worlds longest coastline and largest lakes.
The Muzzling the Scientists panel will take place take place on Saturday, November 3, from
1:15 to 2:45PM in the Alice MacKay Room at the Vancouver Public Library. For complete
programming details for Media Democracy Days Vancouver 2012, please visit
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www.mediademocracyday.org
All events are open and free to the public. MDD 2012 is a partnership of SFUs School ofCommunication, OpenMedia.ca, and The Vancouver Public Library, and is sponsored in part by
Vancity.
About Media Democracy Days
Launched in 2001, MDD western Canadas signature event for the growing global media
democratization movement. This movement seeks to create a more participatory media system
by supporting independent and public service media production, celebrating innovation and
creating dialogue around the politics and biases linked to our increasingly corporate andconcentrated media. This year, MDD events will be taking place over two-days at SFU
Woodwards Goldcorp Centre for the Arts and the Vancouver Public Library Central Library.
To learn more, visit http://www.mediademocracyday.org.
About the School of Communication at SFU
For nearly 40 years, the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University has fostered the
development of critical, interdisciplinary approaches to the study of media and technology with a
commitment to social theory and political economy. Led by an award-winning team ofeducators, the School of Communication is at the leading edge of media policy research,
technological innovation and cultural transformation on a global scale. For more information,
visit http://cmns.sfu.ca.
About OpenMedia.ca
OpenMedia.ca is a grassroots organization that safeguards the possibilities of the open and
affordable Internet. The group works towards informed and participatory digital policy. For moreinformation, visit http://openmedia.ca.
About Vancouver Public Library
Founded in 1887, Vancouver Public Library is one of Canada's largest library systems dedicatedto meeting the lifelong learning, reading, recreation and information needs of the people of
Vancouver. Each year, the Librarys 22 branches serve over six million visitors and offer over
2.5 million items, including books, CDs, DVDs, magazines and countless online resources. For
more information, visit http://www.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/ .
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Media Contacts:
Kathleen Cross, PhD.
Chair, The Media Democracy Project778-782-3861
Stuart Poyntz, PhD.
Steering Committee, The Media Democracy Project778-782-7293
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Josh Tabish
Lead Coordinator, Media Democracy Days 2012
778.782.7353
