Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Lights out for Public Eye Online and Sean Holman's unique contribution to investigative journalism - what a pity

Sean Holman - Public Eye Online
Just a few words quickly tonight about the demise of Public Eye Online - the best and most important investigative journalistic venture BC has seen, period.

My good friend Sean Holman has broken so many important and significant stories it's hard to list them.  Check his website for the highlights, year after year.

What's critical to remember is that BC didn't support his efforts - sadly.  I was one of the relatively few people who was a monthly donor to Public Eye but others who appreciated his groundbreaking reporting didn't bother to contribute - and Sean paid the price for years, carrying on as an unpaid public service.

Now there is an enormous hole in political journalism and all of us who are left have to do the best we can to sandbag the dike.

What pisses me off the most is that some champagne corks will be popped because a fearless reporter has been silenced, because dozens of untold stories will never see the light of voter scrutiny, because dirty deeds will go unpunished by the weight of public opinion.

Sean - you have done a great service to the province, but as the old saying goes, a prophet is unhonoured in his or her own country.

But you have honoured yourself with intrepid journalism and a burning sense of righteousness that will not go out.

Best wishes for whatever you do in the future and I know it will make a difference.

I just regret that a must-read publication has typed - 30- forever.

.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

A salute to better men. You as well Bill.

Anonymous said...

Holman missed every. A lot of his stuff was Public Affairs Bureau PABlum. May be he got a job there?

Anonymous said...

Competition from blogs sucks.

Its blogs like these and that Tyee that led to the demise of Holman's great news site.

At least he had class. Which is more than a few perpetual contributors to this blog have.

DPL said...

I rather doubt we have seen the last of Sean Holman in the media.I liked most of his stuff, but his bog fan Josek K. did lower the tone a lot

Anonymous said...

Andrew MacLeod writes on TheTyee.ca - "Holman also wrote a column for Victoria's Monday Magazine for a time, but was replaced by Brian Kieran, a former reporter who was a partner in the Pilot House lobbying firm implicated in the BC Rail scandal."

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Rob Shaw writes on his TC blog - "It’s worth noting, as Sean moves on to a new phase of his career, that it was not long ago he won a Webster award – the highest journalism honour in B.C. – while working as a columnist at the Times Colonist. We tend to forget such things, as new award recipients come and go every year, but Sean’s investigative story turned into a full-blown scandal that forced a cabinet minister to resign."

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The Georgia Straight would seem to be the perfect home for Holman.

Anonymous said...

Holman will be missed. There is no one out there like him. Just where will Josef K troll now?

Anonymous said...

Holman was amazing, along with Public Eye. Anyone who believes in democracy and freedom of the press should be disappointed.

But hacks on both sides of the fence will be celebrating.

Stick around if you can, Bill. Folks like you, Tsakumis, and Holman have helped keep politicians honest -- God knows journalists like Baldrey, Smyth, Palmer, and Good have become a little too comfy to raise hell like you lot.

Anonymous said...

I rather doubt we have seen the last of Sean Holman in the media.I liked most of his stuff, but his bog fan Josek K. did lower the tone a lot

But not as low as this one.

Nothing could be lower than this blog in tone.

Not even the fur on a Vancouver Island Marmont's tummy.

Anonymous said...

I'd rather have seen him stick around and your blog go out of business...

Ron1 said...

Why can't the commenters from the Public Affairs Bureau come up with better names than "Anonymous"?

Why does the PAB dislike you so much, Bill?

Anonymous said...

anon 3:38,da da da da da da da da da da da da da........batman!