He also laments the PM, celebrities, sports teams are going over they, the journalism elite heads to get message out. He especially hones in on PM Harper.
But there are other attacks on journalism of which few citizens are even aware. And they are insidious.
Professional sports teams, actors, musicians and others are now trying to wrest control and copyright from the news media on everything from concerts to cricket matches. A worldwide trend is emerging in which sports and entertainment promoters try to control what is portrayed, how it’s distributed and who owns it.
At music, entertainment and sports events, photographers are being presented with written demands for prior approval of their pictures and for ownership of those photographs. Many news agencies are simply boycotting public events rather than sign away their rights.
And that means people might not see coverage of the rock show they attended or the hockey game they cheered. But it’s not just greedy promoters who are trying to manipulate the media in ways never attempted before. It’s happening in politics, too. Too frequently, the prime minister’s official media corps is covering events from which conventional journalists are excluded. A full-fledged media machine is growing in the prime minister’s office, paid for by the taxpayer and designed to burnish Stephen Harper’s image.
Prime ministers have always had photographers. But now, independent journalists are prevented from covering stories in the public interest. This is something new and worrisome for those who value our basic freedoms.
Well duh... he can't trust "you know it alls" to report honestly without some sort of smear.
In the comments section at the end of the piece, a commenter hits the nail on the head.
I must disagree with the comments of our esteemed editor. If reporters and, especially editors, would just report the story and not try to couch the news in certain ways to match their biases, then it would have been a good year. I challenge all editors and reporters to self-identify their political affiliations so that we can properly judge their "stories" on their merit. "
Amen to that. That's why the public is increasingly getting turned off and resorting to alternative news sources. Your credibility is shot.
You guys blew it last summer on Wafergate, bodybags, H1N1, etc,etc. We aren't buying what you are selling anymore.
Climate-gate the biggest story in ages. Where were you? You have been asleep at the switch. The biggest story in years. Instead what do you pathetic journalists focus on, the overblown story about Afghan prisoners that the general public doesn't care about and Tiger Woods.
If it weren't for the blogs, radio guys like Dave Rutherford, Charles Adler, Roy Green we would be totally oblivious to the issue. Although, I must say Lorrie Goldstein from the Sun Chain and some in the National Post did a pretty good job making the public aware. Heck a person even had to go international media like Russia Today for info. Pathetic!
So MSM, wake up, give us the public what we are looking for, fair and balanced and just the facts. Not some spinned and manipulated garbage to drive an agenda.
Like this: Then the lie was exposed.
2010 could be a better year for you, just stop the spin and the bias. You might be suprised, you might get some of us back.
The fact is the media in Canada in their zeal to promote left wing causes have forced the Canadian people to seek other sources of news. The blogs are seeing increased readership, Fox News is being viewed by more Canadians hence advertising by CBC, CPAC and Shaw Cable on that network. As indicated when something is reported on for the 100th time Canadians push the remote button or move on. Wafergate was a perfect example. Ad nauseum coverage accusing the PM of all manner of thing. Then what happens it is exposed that a news paper conspired with supposedly the Liberal party to fake the story. No one apologized. Life just went on. The H1N1 was another issue. The media took up the fight with the opposition parties to try and destroy the credibility of the Minister of Health and the government. In the end it turned out to fizzle. There is ample evidence that the media in Canada has lost its way. Why would Harper give the media the clubs to beat him with. That's not logical. Leger and his ilk will whine and whine but the fact is Canadians could care less about the media and their so called right to know. Its all b.s.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find incredible is that the writer contends that all of our news is coming from the PMO and yet, we see headlines about everything the government and Stephen Harper are doing wrong.
ReplyDeleteFunny that the PMO would do that.
Does the writer think we are stupid?
"What I find incredible is that the writer contends that all of our news is coming from the PMO and yet, we see headlines about everything the government and Stephen Harper are doing wrong.
ReplyDeleteFunny that the PMO would do that.
Does the writer think we are stupid?"
Alberta Girl, exactly! Where does one find this so called news that Leger refers to that is coming from the PMO? I would like to know. The only place I can find it, is at the CPC website and the Prime Minister's website. Certainly not in the mainstream headlines.
The MSM self identifies themselves as progressive - what does that mean? Anyone who has a slightly different view of the news is regressive? Pablum for the masses, when the informed public wants red meat. The media should be scrutinizing all political parties, positions and actions. The media selective filter is clogged with navel lint. Cheers.
ReplyDelete