Thomas H. Blacklock

[margrace]

When I am not on here disturbing staunch Conservatives I am an avid geneologist and I find family histories completely facinating. In my research of my husband's family I found this man.

Thomas H. Blacklock, for many years Ottawa correspondent of The New York Times and one of the best known members of the older generation of Canadian political correspondants, died suddenly here today (Ottawa) 1935

Mr. Blacklock had enjoyed a position unique among Canadian journalists as confidant and sometime political adviser to many Prime Ministers of Canada. His political judgement was considered sound almost to the point of infallibility and, Although a Conservative of sincere conviction, his party beliefs never warped his acute discernment.

He had traveled Canada many times from coast to coast , and knew its history and its people. He had close friends in all parties, but none closer than Sir Robert Borden, a former Prime Minister of Canada

"I have always held him in the warmest affection, " was Sir Robert's comment today.

He was on the staff of Toronto World, he went west during the prairie boom and became editor and puglisher of a newspaper in Weyburn, Sask. He also become its mayor: The only publice office he ever held. He was editor of the Regina Provinces and in 1912 he came to Ottawa as correspondent for the Winnipeg Telegram. and so on

Quite a remarkable man. He would have been my husband great great uncle.

[Keepitsimple]

When I am not on here disturbing staunch Conservatives I am an avid geneologist and I find family histories completely facinating. In my research of my husband's family I found this man.

Thomas H. Blacklock, for many years Ottawa correspondent of The New York Times and one of the best known members of the older generation of Canadian political correspondants, died suddenly here today (Ottawa) 1935

Mr. Blacklock had enjoyed a position unique among Canadian journalists as confidant and sometime political adviser to many Prime Ministers of Canada. His political judgement was considered sound almost to the point of infallibility and, Although a Conservative of sincere conviction, his party beliefs never warped his acute discernment.

He had traveled Canada many times from coast to coast , and knew its history and its people. He had close friends in all parties, but none closer than Sir Robert Borden, a former Prime Minister of Canada

"I have always held him in the warmest affection, " was Sir Robert's comment today.

He was on the staff of Toronto World, he went west during the prairie boom and became editor and puglisher of a newspaper in Weyburn, Sask. He also become its mayor: The only publice office he ever held. He was editor of the Regina Provinces and in 1912 he came to Ottawa as correspondent for the Winnipeg Telegram. and so on

Quite a remarkable man. He would have been my husband great great uncle.

I think this underscores how much journalism has changed over the years - along with our politics....it's difficult to pinpoint exactly where we went wrong and how we've decsended into "gotchya" reporting. Perhaps it's the breakneck speed that journalists are pressured into to beat others to the "scoop". Things happen so fast that there is no time for in-depth analysis lest the the other paper beat you to the punch. So many political stories are really tempests in teapots dressed up as big scoops - only to find out later, upon reflection, that it really wasn't much of a story. But it sold papers and advanced partisanship which again, sells papers - an insatiable circle of events. With media tilting one way or the other in their biases, it's no wonder that message management is critical for parties - whether it's Chretien's iron fisted PMO or Harper's secretive bunch - can the media really be trusted nowadays?

Canada needs more Blacklocks but the enabling environment is just not there.