Did they just get it wrong or is this the new standard of partisan journalism at the government-friendly VOCM?
First of all, let us recall that Westcott is leaving the job as communications director in the Opposition Office of his own accord. Westcott sent out an e-mail to local media saying that :
My commitment was to help Yvonne and her team through to the election. Now that the leadership situation has changed, Yvonne has kindly relieved me from that obligation effective the end of this month, which facilitates an earlier return to my papers for which I am extremely grateful.
Relieved from the obligation.
So VOCM wrote the headline:
Westcott Relieved of Duty by Liberal Party
Not true.
Relieved of duty means he got fired. There’s no evidence for it. VOCM got that spectacularly wrong.
It gets worse.
Craig Westcott did not work for the Liberal Party. He worked for the House of Assembly.
The punters can tweet about him being fired all they want. They don’t get paid to give accurate information.
VOCM does.
And if that wasn’t enough, VOCM’s version has all the hallmarks of a piece of Fox News horseshit. According to the Voice of the Cabinet Minister, Westcott:
says he is not stepping down. Craig Westcott asserts that he did not quit, but that former party leader Yvonne Jones told him that his services would no longer be required as of August 31st.
Wow.
Then they bring up the private e-mails the provincial government released illegally last year.
This story – a complete falsehood from start to finish – is still online as of 8:00 PM Tuesday night.
- srbp -