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Opinion. Investigates the failure of daily newspapers in Canada to take the forefront in news gathering and agenda setting. Possible causes for the poor performance of newspapers, including the rise of the electronic media and the focus on journalistic objectivity; Reference to a story related in the book `Alberta Was My Beat: Memoirs of a Western Newspaperman,' by Fred Kennedy.

Terry O' Neill, who patrols his British Columbia turf conscientiously for "Up Front," sends along a clip from the March 5 edition of the "Coquitlam Now" weekly newspaper. It seems Joanne MacDonald, a sports reporter for the "Maple Ridge Times" (which is part of the same chain of papers), ran across interesting difficulties while reporting on high-school wrestling. A local coach had issued a press release praising some outstanding female grapplers, so she called up to find out what weight classes the named athletes competed in. The coach warned MacDonald that if she somehow divined the girls' weight classes and printed them, she would be deluged with angry calls from parents. The reporter, who was spelling off a colleague on the sports beat, was flabbergasted by such obvious sexism.

Presents the opinion that the Kyoto accord will not reduce deaths from smog-related illnesses in Canada. Newspaper headlines which asserted that physicians claimed the treaty would reduce illness; Role of Dr. David Suzuki in promoting the treaty; Way that a newspaper reader discovered the false statement in the paper.

Discusses the influence of the 'National Post' newspaper on politics and Canada, and its inability to make money. Idea that the paper played an important role in forcing the resignation of Prime Minister Jean Chretien; Idea that there are few conservative newspapers in North America; Investigative political reporting of the 'Post.'

Discusses the nature of and relationship between politics and newspapers in Canada. Annual national conference of the Canadian Association of Journalists; Shift among print media staff towards conservatism; Conrad Black, who has complete control of the Southam papers; Significance of Black's 'National Post' which was founded in 1998; Why there has been a lessening of forbidden topics.

Considers ownership changes at several Alberta newspapers. Impending sale of Toronto Sun Publishing Corp., the company that runs the `Calgary' and the `Edmonton Suns'; Other ownership changes in May 1996; The fact that the papers that most Albertans read are owned by a few big chains based outside the province; Opinions about the importance and impact of out-of-province ownership.

Relates that Alberta's `Calgary Herald' and the `Edmonton Journal' newspapers, owned by Toronto-based Southam Inc., are cautiously edging their left-leaning editorial policies toward the right. The `Herald' admitting in September 1995 that many readers feel that the paper's editorial views were out of touch with its home community; Job changes for Southam editor and editorial writer Catherine Ford and Linda Goyette; Satya Das; Other changes.