The colors of 2022 | The Press

Six colors that have tinted the news in the last year.

Grey… like Lisa LaFlamme’s hair

“Who allowed him to no longer dye his hair? This question, posed by CTV National News Vice President Michael Melling about anchor Lisa LaFlamme, sparked a stir last August. The network, owned by Bell Media, has fired its star presenter, winner of numerous journalism awards, who appeared on screen with her magnificent silver hair since the pandemic. Ageism? Sexism ? The story of M.^me LaFlamme has gone viral and spawned the #Keepthegrey hashtag. Wendy’s, Dove and Sports Illustrated, among others, publicly supported the veteran journalist who announced her dismissal on Twitter. Since then, CTV has lost feathers and Michael Melling, his position.

Nathalie Collard

Red…like Canadians’ finances

Do you have a mortgage? Thinking of making a big purchase or investing in your business? Go for it ! This was the watchword of the Governor of the Bank of Canada at the start of the pandemic, confident that interest rates would remain low for a very long time. Oh how fast the wind has turned! This year, to overcome inflation, he raised the key rate seven times, which rose from 0.25% to 4.25%. Not easy to swallow for households who see their payments climb, while their net worth is visibly melting, because of the correction in real estate, stocks and bonds. On top of that, inflation continues to erode their purchasing power. That looks bad for 2023. Already, insolvencies are up 19% among consumers and 32% among businesses (as of October).

Stephanie Grammond

Orange… like the Québec solidaire tax

The tax on large fortunes proposed by Québec solidaire turned into a real ball and chain for Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois during the last election campaign. The idea started from a noble intention: to tax the rich, to give back to the poor… like Robin Hood! But the QS tax experts had not anticipated the perverse effects of this new tax on net assets, which included a large fortune as well as a house, an investment or a pension fund. Result: the QS measure raked too wide and penalized the middle class more than the ultra-rich. This “orange tax” became a weapon for the CAQ, which used it as ammunition until the very end of the campaign. A veritable political black eye for QS.

Nathalie Collard

Black… like the victims of racial profiling

People of color are more likely to be stopped by the police than white people, several studies have shown. However, racial profiling is intimately linked to the police’s methods of arrest. This is why many observers have expressed regret at the Legault government’s desire to appeal the decision of Superior Court judge Michel Yergeau to prohibit arrests without valid reason. Several police services, including the SPVM, have adopted a policy against racial profiling in recent years. All eyes are now on the new leader, Fady Dagher, to see what he will do with it. Recognized for his avant-garde methods, he could set the tone for all police services in the province.

Nathalie Collard

Blue… like Twitter tweets

This is the color of the tweets of the social network Twitter, in profound transformation since its acquisition for 44 billion US dollars by Elon Musk. And not for the better. The first two months of the Musk era have been chaotic: the second richest man in the world (dethroned by Frenchman Bernard Arnault in early December, according to Forbes) wants to establish almost absolute freedom of expression on Twitter (too bad for the fight against online misinformation and hate), has alienated several large advertising clients, and wants to charge holders of verified accounts. Is this the beginning of the end for Twitter? It’s off to a bad start when the big boss’s tweets turn him into a nasty troll at best, and a follower of ridiculous/conspiracy theories (like suing the Dr.^r Anthony Fauci).

Vincent Brousseau-Pouliot

Khaki… like Zelensky’s t-shirt

On February 24, the unthinkable happened. Russia was invading Ukraine, unleashing a horrific war that has already killed 40,000 civilians and claimed more than 200,000 military casualties on both sides, according to US military estimates. Then the whole world discovered Volodymyr Zelensky. The President of Ukraine swapped shirts and ties for a khaki t-shirt and impressed everyone with his courage. Above all, he succeeded in rallying the Western countries behind him, securing the support in arms, money and intelligence which made it possible to repel most of the Russian attacks. But Vladimir Putin responded by pounding Ukrainian infrastructure, including electricity, again testing the incredible resilience of the Ukrainian people.

Philip Mercury