Media Matters – SFU Business in the News – February 19
Feb 19, 2010
How SFU Business fared in the news for the week ending February 19, 2010.
The 2010 Olympics
Patriotism
- The Olympic outpouring of Canadian patriotism led to public policy prof Doug McArthur being interviewed on CKNW and marketing prof Lindsay Meredith being interviewed by the Portland Oregonian. McArthur said Canadian patriotism has changed from a kind of anti-Americanism to “a more mature identification with Canada as a place we love and admire for its own sake.” As a result, he said, “even those unhappy with the state of affairs in Canada today can embrace pride in our country while still seeing it could be made a better place.” He cautioned politicians against trying to capitalize on the wave of pride. “Many ordinary people have grave doubts about the money spent while at the same time unequivocally supporting our athletes and our country.” Meredith said he’d never before seen such nationalism among Canadians as he has seen in recent months. “I find (the emphasis on winning Olympic medals) to be another fundamental shift in the Canada I’m used to seeing,” Meredith said. “I think it will endure.” Added the Oregonian: “That is a strong cultural shift among a national populace that counts ‘Sorry’ among its most-uttered words, Meredith said. Even as telephone glitches at the Olympics’ Main Press Center dropped a reporter’s call to him more than a dozen times, Meredith maintained his calm—underscoring his point about Canadian deference.” The McClatchy-Tribune Regional News Service sent the story to other papers. Meredith was also in a Province story that said downtown merchants are doing well thanks to Olympic crowds, but those in other areas such as Cambie and Broadway are missing out. It added: “SFU marketing expert Lindsay Meredith said the Olympic potential for retailers was ‘vastly overblown.'”
Bad Press
- As glitches at the games and ticket cancellations at Cypress Mountain generated a run of bad press in the U.K. and U.S., marketing prof Lindsay Meredith was on CBC Radio, saying organizers seemed to be doing a reasonable PR job—“but I don’t see any big apology on their news releases.”