Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

BTC: Upon further review

by Aaron Wherry on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 2:17am - 16 Comments

Forget that bit about Dion appealing for calm. That’s what it looked like from eight feet back. But up closer (and to a national audience) it sounded a bit different.

Tags: Decision Day, Election Watch, Stéphane Dion, We're with Dion

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D

I certainly can understand his frustration. He basically points out what many of us have been saying for months: that CTV is biased in its coverage of the Liberal party.
dan in van

It’s more than mere bias; the station and its editors breeched an ethical code by backing from its word in what was a controlled situation to score cheap points and become part of the story.
While they’ll likely suffer nothing for it, every member of the media now has lost credibility and respect.
T. Thwim

Dan: I’m watching CTV for a few more days yet, just so I can get the names of their frequent advertisers. Then I’m writing them explaining that so long as they continue to provide their business to a station so divorced from journalistic ethics, I’ll continue to provide my business to their competitors.
Ti-Guy

Whatever happened to that post by Andrew Potter about Mike Puffy and his journalistic breach of ethics?

It’s not considered good blogging form to disappear posts. It’s also journalistic malpractice, but I suppose we’ll just have to resign ourselves to that. It’s not like anyone is paying for any of this, anyway. Even the ad revenue will start drying up once it’s realised that most of us have advertising blocked with our browsers anyway.
stephen

I will say it again, Dion is a big boy and could have handled that situation in a totally different manner. He made a mistake…expecting reporters to cover up for something that is releavnt is asking them to go against nature.

For all of the handwringing, the Cadman tape has Harper commenting freely after he says “this isnt for publication right?” and the reporter agrees or doesnt disagree.

I think both things are relevant. Camera or tape recorder on means everything is on. How many times do people have to learn that lesson.

Essentially, if Dion was a real grown up he would take it and roll with it. The public will makes its own judgements on its relevace. He made a silly mistake, the question is was it because he was tired or because he really isnt ready for the job.
Andrew

I don’t think CTV will find too much sympathy for being shafted by Dion/Liberals. Harper has shown that contempt for the media and differential access are apparently accepted practice.

Given their behaviour (or at least tacit approval of the behaviour exhibited by their journalists, since there was no apology), they deserve it.
http://carnewsandviews.com jwl

“The last one I want to speak first (to) is CTV — you understand that?”

Is Dion trying to give the CTV crew a lesson in questions that are difficult to understand? Let the CTV crew see what it feels like?

It’s sour grapes on Dion’s part. He will go to his grave believing CTV cost him the election when all it did was show unedited footage of Dion in action. Does Dion expect all journalists to have his back or are they allowed to show what he’s really like?
Ti-Guy

I think “journalists” are suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. Or the younger, idealistic ones are being suppressed by their jaded, doddering editors who have simply given up even pretending that they’re responding to the public interest.
stephen

Ti-Guy

Responsing to the public interest?…do you mean what the public are interested in or whats best for them?

Reporters respond to what their editors want or let them do.

And isnt it a bit of a conceit to assume that any reporter who reveals something negative about the Liberals isnt acting in the “public Interest”?
Ti-Guy

do you mean what the public are interested in or whats best for them?

“Public interest” is a fairly well-understood concept. It is about providing people with the information they need about issues of common or substantive import. I realise that in a consummer culture, people think reality itself should simply respond to what they want or think they want, but that’s not what I’m talking about.

And isnt it a bit of a conceit to assume that any reporter who reveals something negative about the Liberals isnt acting in the “public Interest”?

Depends on the substance of the issue as it relates to common interest and democratic governance. CTV’s actions are the equivalent of catching Harper farting…I wouldn’t have given it much credit for doing that either, not that the media would ever be so impertinent to do such a thing.
http://battleofontario.blogspot.com Don

I like how the report has to add in the word ‘(to)’ so we understand.
john g

There is no way CTV decided to run that clip on their own. Our media just doesn’t do that when it’s the Liberals who stand to be humiliated. That’s been proven time and time again. Think of any other time when the media has ever run with any little gaffe (i.e. not the sponsorship scandal, that was too big to hide) that would be embarrassing to a Liberal. It just doesn’t happen.

I’d be willing to bet that someone in Liberal HQ asked CTV to run it for the express purpose of fatally wounding Dion.
Andrew

john g, that’s a ridiculous idea. It hurt the party more than Dion (the lost votes are worth $$$).
john g

Andrew, the few lost $$$ are nothing compared to what they’ll experience if they let this guy stick around. They all know it.

The race had gotten too close, but there was still no chance the Libs would win; and they couldn’t risk Dion winning 85 or 90 seats and using that “success” as a base to try and keep his job.
john g

All I know is, this better be the last time I hear the media complain about Harper using the RCMP to keep reporters away.
jcl

Wow….just….wow….the Liberal apologists never cease to amaze…