Harper says national media are biased against him

[Vicious]

RE: Harper says national

You are all missing the point. The media has a job to do. They are to find the truth and tell the world about it using whatever newspaper, tv station, agency they represent. There is no rule that this has to be made easy by any government.

The Liberals spoon fed the media for so long that the media got lazy. They started to report what the Liberals said as if it were the truth. They forgot to do their due diligence. So now that the conservatives have taken away the spoon they are whining about it.

The conservatives have in no way restricted the freedom of the press. They are still free to print the truth as they see it. It's just a bit harder now. They make actually have to do some research and digging or whatever it is that journalists do to get to the truth.

The point where I stopped believing the media was the Wendy Mesley interview of Stockwell Day in 2000. She was far from neutral in that one.

 

[Jay]

Who believes the CBC anymore?

 

[Semperfi_dani]

Vicious, i completely agree with your assessment of the media as it has been for the great many years.
BUT.
It can't be a good thing if media calls the government to respond to the story, doing their due dilligance, and they do not respond in a timely fashion. Lately, every story on any issue is "the minister of such and such did not return our calls". Than when they do, its no comment?

It is the media's responsiblity to report the facts and if the minister can't take the time to respond to a policy they have initated, it creates confusion for the public, its unprofessional, and quite honestly, i question who they work for...which last time i checked was US, not the policy backbenchers. Its this kind of backroom secrecy that got the Liberals in trouble.

I think the real issue here is that in the past the REFORM/CRAP/Canadian Alliance/Conservative (or whatever the fuck they are calling themselves these days) members have shot themselves in the foot over and over and over again in the most embarassing of fashion (think Myron Thomson, or various alleged racist/homophobic/stupid comments), and thus to prevent those repeated errors from happening again.

But i know that if were to run as a MLA, and i got told i could not speak, save for the few flagship issues that HARPER has decided is the most important, even if its not within my portfoio, i would be a bit miffed. And futher more, its not unreasonable to expect a answer on a topic not related to Harper's 5 topics of the week.

 

[missile]

:twisted: Did some of those nasty old reporters ask a question that made Little Stevie cry again? Bad Liberal Press,Bad!!I hope he ran home and told his momsy. :lol: Maybe she'll write a letter to The editor.

 

[Jay]

:lol:

 

[Semperfi_dani]

hehe... or he'll cry wolf...the sky is always falling in conservative land..and damnit, its the liberal media's fault. Rat bastard.

 

[Vicious]

RE: Harper says national

You have to ask yourself who's whining and why? The public, the conservatives or the media?

There was a news editorial just after the election - I think it was on CBC - that pointed out that the Ottawa press had spent so much energy getting in good with the key Liberals over the years, that it would be particularly tough on them to cultivate new working relationships with the new gang.

 

[JonB2004]

OTTAWA (CP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper says the national media are biased against him so he will avoid them from now on.

The prime minister says the Ottawa press gallery seems to have decided to become the opposition to his Conservative government. He told a London, Ont., TV station Wednesday that he is having problems with the media that a Liberal prime minister would never have to face. So Harper says he will take his message out on the road and deal with the less hostile local media.

Two dozen Ottawa reporters walked out on a Harper event this week when he refused to take their questions.

The prime minister does not want to hold press conferences unless his staff gets to pick which journalists ask questions.

The Ottawa press gallery has refused to play by those rules.

Harper has grumbled publicly about an anti-Conservative bias in the media before - but not since becoming prime minister.

Ironically, Liberals have recently been convinced of the contrary.

In the dying days of the last election campaign, Paul Martin's staff grumbled that reporters were out to get them and were working to elect Harper.

How dare he not talk to the media? :x

Well, don't worry everyone. Only six more months till the Liberal leadership convention and then things will go back to normal.

 

[BitWhys]

Re: RE: Harper says national

You have to ask yourself who's whining and why? The public, the conservatives or the media?

There was a news editorial just after the election - I think it was on CBC - that pointed out that the Ottawa press had spent so much energy getting in good with the key Liberals over the years, that it would be particularly tough on them to cultivate new working relationships with the new gang.

considering Harper's the one saying the media is biased and refusing to talk to them its really not all that tough to figure out who is having the hissy fit.

 

[BitWhys]

How dare he not talk to the media? :x

Well, don't worry everyone. Only six more months till the Liberal leadership convention and then things will go back to normal.

If you're worth your salt, talking to the media is supposed to be one of the main advantages of being in power.

 

[sanch]

Well, don't worry everyone. Only six more months till the Liberal leadership convention and then things will go back to normal.

I see media blackouts as opportune times to raid the treasury. Why else would they need to hide their activities? If you see the blinds being drawn at a bank midday you know there is a robbery. Harper's probably working with Klein to sell more of the country to communist China.

And given the level of looting by the conservatives what will the liberals do if they ever regain power? Will they be able to function if there is nothing left in Canada for them to steal or to sell off to the US?

The pattern in Canada seems to be to sell off the country's resources to one's political nemisis. That way no one will suspect anything.

 

[Jay]

Re: RE: Harper says national media are biased against him

hehe... or he'll cry wolf...the sky is always falling in conservative land..and damnit, its the liberal media's fault. Rat bastard.

Are you kidding me? Try and tell me the moment the left didn't think (and still thinks) the sky was falling the moment they realized Harper was going to win this election.

 

[elevennevele]

The US government used the tactic of calling the media bias. By defining the media in public perception they were able to put the media on the defensive. The advantage for the US government was that the media, in trying not to prove they had a Liberal bias became less and less critical of the governments activities.

This was further complicated by the rhetoric of patriotism and an attitude that you needed to support the government during a time of war.

Harper may to some degree be playing a similar card. He may be trying to see if the media will to some extent back down or go out of their way at not showing a Liberal bias (which is absolutely bogus to begin with).

I’m already disappointed in the media in how much of a free ride they’ve given Harper. There has been enough to be critical of, and the media has for the most part, let Harper define the message. If they back down more I will have lost complete respect for them.

To think Harper is being foolish with his tactics in dealing with the media is once again underestimating him. Everybody keeps thinking Harper is being foolish with what he has done of late. Even with the “half-flag” fiasco and coffin hiding. What people seem to fail to realize is that he is getting away with this stuff and the majority of Canadians seem to be asleep to the retro-rightwing policy making.

And how will they ever wake up if Harper, as they’ve done in the USA, manages to get the media to back down further.

I am very certain that what Harper is doing is “intentional” and a means to an end.

 

[Vicious]

Re: RE: Harper says national

considering Harper's the one saying the media is biased and refusing to talk to them its really not all that tough to figure out who is having the hissy fit.

You can believe that if you'd like.

If this is anything more than a short term thing some folks are gonna lose their jobs. The media will have to find a way to get there questions answered. Those that figure out how to do it first will prosper those that don't will be reporting cat-in-tree stories for the local cable access channel.

 

[elevennevele]

Re: RE: Harper says national

If this is anything more than a short term thing some folks are gonna lose their jobs. The media will have to find a way to get there questions answered. Those that figure out how to do it first will prosper those that don't will be reporting cat-in-tree stories for the local cable access channel.

What are you talking about? Questions will be answered. Questions from the journalists who are handpicked by Harper (via “the list”). So in effect, the ones who keep their jobs are the ones who agree to put out the government’s propaganda.

Remember McCarthyism? They loved keeping lists on people. In a similar fashion he is blacklisting a set of journalists associated to media outlets who the government will deem “not able to ask questions”.

 

[FiveParadox]

Re: Harper's Comments, the Press

A few moments ago, on CPAC, I watched with frustration as The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P., the Member for Calgary Southwest and the Prime Minister of Canada stated his opinion on his ongoing feud with the press in Ottawa. He stated, paraphrased, that "reporters who want to ask questions should have the right to ask us those questions." I take issue with this statement, coming from Mr. Harper, in particular.

The Office of the Prime Minister of Canada is requiring journalists and reporters to register their names to have the right to ask questions, and the Office is daring to exercise their apparent right to deny the right to ask questions for certain reporters — and yet the Prime Minister says that each and every reporters who wants to ask a question, should have that opportunity? He appears to be addressing the public out of one side of his mouth, and barking orders to his Office out of the other.

 

[Vicious]

RE: Harper says national

If the only way a journalist can build a news story is by asking questions at a staged press event, they aren't really journalists. Well maybe they are couch-pototo journalists.

I'm pretty sure a smart journalist would be able to ensure that the PMO want's to comment on a news story.

 

[Semperfi_dani]

RE: Harper says national

Perhaps what the real issue here is that smart journalists need to figure out how to get the story. Obviously they will hit a brick road going to the PM...but surely there are other avenues they can go down?

I am obviously concerned a great deal...but alas..when election time comes...the media will remember this and we will see how easy it will be for the conservatives to get their message out.

 

[BitWhys]

Re: RE: Harper says national

considering Harper's the one saying the media is biased and refusing to talk to them its really not all that tough to figure out who is having the hissy fit.

You can believe that if you'd like.

If this is anything more than a short term thing some folks are gonna lose their jobs. The media will have to find a way to get there questions answered. Those that figure out how to do it first will prosper those that don't will be reporting cat-in-tree stories for the local cable access channel.

meanwhile back in the real world and contrary to what you think the national desk job is not expected to stovepipe what the government says. their job is to fill a column. they don't need The Hairplug to do that in fact the good ones will enjoy the freedom. you can't be accused of ignoring something if there's nothing there to ignore and what precious little there is can be picked up by a camera man without worrying about getting scooped.*

*that's why they walked out on him. they really didn't need to be there.

 

[Vicious]

Re: RE: Harper says national

meanwhile back in the real world and contrary to what you think the national desk job is not expected to stovepipe what the government says. their job is to fill a column. they don't need The Hairplug to do that in fact the good ones will enjoy the freedom. you can't be accused of ignoring something if there's nothing there to ignore and what precious little there is can be picked up by a camera man without worrying about getting scooped.*

*that's why they walked out on him. they really didn't need to be there.

On this we agree. If they walk away and write about something else harper will be forced back to them on his knees. Either that or enjoy getting his message out his way. It is a passive agressive power struggle.

I do hope one day a journalists job will be more than filling a column but that is an accurate assessment of the state of media these days.