1 I share Neil Reynolds’ patriotism about the Telegraph-Journal newspaper.

2 At one time, the newspaper was under the powerful direction of Ralph Costello as publisher and the cheerful enthusiasm of Fred Hazel as editor-in-chief. It was a hard-nosed paper but it was also known for its heart, such as remaining loyal through the long and difficult illness of its columnist and editor—and renowned poet—Alden Nowlan.

3 Few became very close to Ralph Costello, the formidable publisher, but he was held in great respect. Following his death in 2001, I wrote in my weekly column in the Telegraph: "The late Ralph Costello presided over the affairs of New Brunswick as few have done, not as a Premier, but as a writer, newsman, editor, and publisher. He watched the development of his province with keen interest and, as a man of action, when he moved on a story he used all his considerable artillery."

4 Newsrooms are among the best, most dynamic places to work anywhere. Virtually all journalists in New Brunswick work at some point for the Telegraph-Journal, and the newspaper has always been a strong training paper where young reporters can develop accuracy, speed, tenacity and an appetite for work.

5 Particularly in the mid-1990s, journalists such as Mr. Reynolds and Philip Lee brought the Telegraph-Journal to its highest-ever level, sometimes called its "Golden Age."

6 Since the year 2000, the media in New Brunswick have evolved dramatically—virtually all the province’s weekly newspapers have been bought by the Irving interests. Coupled with the fact that all the English language dailies in the province are also Irving-owned, this brings further urgency to the question of the health of a New Brunswick free press.

7 The loyalty which Mr. Reynolds, myself, and other journalists feel toward the flagship Irving paper, the Telegraph, should not prevent a close look at New Brunswick’s overall media structure, particularly as almost all newspapers have the same ownership as the province’s major industrial conglomerate.

8 Scrutiny is needed because New Brunswick’s media structure does not possess the key attributes of a dynamic free press: diversity of ownership, healthy competition among media outlets, and the independence to allow unfettered reporting and commentary.

9 These prime elements of a free press—diversity, competition and independence—are vital for the quality of media itself, but also for the advancement of the province as a whole, for they foster education, entrepreneurship, innovation, critical thinking, and the free exchange of ideas.