Editorials - Dec. 5, 2025
Raging to the bottom
“Rage bait” is the Oxford University Press Word of the Year for 2025. It is defined as “(n.) Online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative, or offensive, typically posted in order to increase traffic to or engagement with a particular web page or social media account.” Increasingly, even the mainstream media is using this tactic to engage readers and increase traffic, pushing other stories off the front page and burying them deeper in the news cycle.
Last week, headlines screamed about the tragic Hong Kong apartment block fire that killed 156 and saw at least 13 arrests due to safety violations by construction companies that allegedly contributed to the tragedy. In the same timeframe, more than 1,300 people lost their lives in cyclones and monsoons in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, but their loss wasn’t enraging enough, apparently, so they could be found much lower on the news feed. Similarly, Iran is experiencing a record-setting drought. In a country that barely sees enough rain in a normal year, this drought is proving disastrous, especially for the capital Tehran that has seen explosive growth in the past few decades. The story remained a footnote in newscasts until the President began talking about moving the capital and, suddenly finger-pointing and accusations of poor planning made the story more interesting.
Maybe we should all look for more empathy than anger in the stories that we are reading. – DS
Kill ’em with kindness
As the rightward surge being seen in many countries around the world is, in many cases, devolving into straight-up, unabashed racism, it was, in many ways, not surprising to see an alleged white nationalist demonstration on a London, Ontario overpass late last month. Some media outlets have attributed the protest - which included a few dozen masked (always the calling card of the brave) men urging “remigration now” - to a Canadian group called Second Sons Canada.
While many have cheered on the group on social media, others have a slightly different take on the message being heralded. “Even idiots have the right to protest,” said retired Lt. Col. Ian Haley of London to CTV News, while more than 100 Londoners, over the weekend, took to the same bridge in an effort to reclaim it with a positive message of love, joy and community. And yet, the Canada Anti-Hate Network is warning of the highest levels of white nationalism ever seen in Canada.
Here in Huron County, we have seen a similar action and reaction to this kind of rhetoric. When a racist sign was erected north of Goderich, a few locals took it upon themselves to found No Hate in Huron in an effort to combat this kind of hateful, unwelcoming language. The sign may still be up, but, since its founding, No Hate in Huron has grown, hosting popular events and spreading its message.
For many, the rise in openly racist rhetoric, mainly on social media but bleeding into the real world, is upsetting and disappointing after we’d come so far, but solace may be found in the fact that often the actions of a few bad actors are met with hope and love from three times the people in ways that will stand longer than any sign. – SL
Missing the point
When a venerable international publication such as Time Magazine quotes a bit of jaw‑dropping “diplomatic rhetoric,” one expects a high bar of journalistic care. Recently, Time credited as genuine a quote that, in fact, came from The Beaverton, a Canadian satirical outlet.
The alleged quote, attributing to the U.S. Ambassador to Canada a vow of “500 per cent steel tariffs or one Patriot missile aimed at Parliament Hill,” was fabricated. The error was significant enough that Time ultimately issued a correction after the mistake was flagged.
This gaffe is more than an embarrassing slip for one magazine. It exposes deeper challenges facing modern journalism.
First, it underlines how vital human research and editing remain. Satire is supposed to be obvious. A good proofreader or fact‑checker should have recognized that the line came from a known parody outlet.
Second, given the rise of automated research tools and AI‑driven summarizing, one cannot help but speculate whether an algorithm, rather than a curious person, assembled the article. Machines may not grasp nuance or context the way humans do. If AI was involved, this becomes a cautionary tale that amplifies humour into harmful misinformation.
Many will shrug and say this was a harmless mistake. A satire site does satire, and Time corrected itself. But the consequences can stretch beyond laughs or embarrassment. Outlets like The Beaverton rely on exaggeration to prompt laughs and reflection. When those exaggerations are stripped of context and passed off as fact, it erodes public trust.
For Canadians who value clarity, honesty and a good dose of dry wit, this misattribution should serve as a wake‑up call. Let us remember that the machinery of media, whether human or artificial, requires care, context and a final human glance before the headlines go out. – SBS