Calgary MP Joan Crockatt's Tweet On 'Most Important Death' In Journalism Draws Fire

The world of news lost three great journalists in February: New York Times columnist David Carr, '60 Minutes' reporter Bob Simon and Toronto Star baseball writer Alison Gordon.

As people all around the world mourned these deaths, Conservative MP Joan Crockatt's tweet explaining the "most important death" in journalism this week was Sun News Network's closure was widely criticized Sunday.

Yes @EnrightCBC you missed the truth in ignoring that the most important death in journalism this week was the #SunNewsNetwork. @CBCSunday
— Joan Crockatt MP (@Crockatteer) February 15, 2015

Crockatt tweeted at Michael Enright, CBC host of The Sunday Edition, after he published an essay titled "Reflections on a bad week for the craft of journalism," on this week's deaths, "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart's departure, the Brian Williams' controversy, and the demise of Sun News.

Twitter users broke out on the social media site, urging Crockatt to issue an apology and delete her tweet.

.@Crockatteer @EnrightCBC @CBCSunday This tweet is offensive to the families of those lost. Delete it now, beneath office of an MP. #cdnpoli
— Dave Beninger (@DaveBeninger) February 15, 2015

@lgarvin62 @Crockatteer @EnrightCBC @CBCSunday You should step back from that comment Joan. Its a clever quip but a terrible sentiment.
— Janice L. Braden (@JaniceBraden) February 16, 2015

Others expressed shock Crockatt was comparing the loss of 200 jobs to deaths.

@Crockatteer "Take a backseat, actual human deaths."
— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) February 15, 2015

@Crockatteer You're saying the death of a station is worse than the death of actual people? Lovely lack of empathy for their loved ones.
— McMurrayMusings (@McMurrayMusings) February 16, 2015

.@Crockatteer Did you really mean to say closure of SNN was more important than deaths of David Carr, Bob Simon and Alison Gordon?
— Glen McGregor (@glen_mcgregor) February 16, 2015

@Crockatteer You are an embarrassment. Wow.
— Marcello Di Cintio (@DiCintio) February 15, 2015

@Crockatteer @lgarvin62 @EnrightCBC @CBCSunday Yeah but you're comparing it to people who are now dead. Like human people. No longer living.
— Luke Bradley (@LukeBradleyYYC) February 15, 2015

In response to the criticism, the Calgary MP tweeted at one of the upset users, saying they had a difference of opinion.

@lgarvin62 @EnrightCBC @CBCSunday You may disagree with its politics but not that it's space in Canadian journalism is gone - with 200 jobs.
— Joan Crockatt MP (@Crockatteer) February 15, 2015

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