Backgrounder
January 29, 2013

montage

The Hughes paragraph

What’s the Hughes paragraph? Lesley Hughes explains.

“The day after I was nominated to run in the federal election of 2008, as the Liberal candidate in Kildonan/St. Paul, an anonymous blogger alleged a column I had written in 2002 was anti-Semitic.

“I wrote the column entitled ‘Get the Truth’, which was published in Winnipeg’s community newspapers, owned then by Transcontinental Media Inc. for the purpose of informing readers about Canada’s unexamined war in Afghanistan.

“Did my column have an influence on people? Perhaps. But it was posted by Thee United Church of Canada on their Peace and Justice website, where it remained for six years.

“In 2008, in my fight to clear my name from allegations of anti-Semitism, and uphold the right of journalists to write freely, paragraph 8 became the contentious issue.

“I believe that my own experience, in some small way, will help other journalists when referencing previously published material.”

 

 

-30-

To arrange interviews, please call: 204-791-2404 between 9 AM and 9 PM, CST, Jan. 29, 2013 to Feb. 1, 2013 or email: lesley@lesleyhughescanada.com

 

journalist • broadcaster • media trainer • speaker • humourist • award winner
lesleyhughescanada.com