If there’s one thing I learned from my eight years covering Parliament Hill it’s that the squeaking wheel DOES get the grease. And I’m not just talking about squeaking MPs, fighting it out for federal funds to be spent in their riding.
I’m talking about the REAL squeaking … so loud it resonates in the halls of power, captures the attention of cabinet ministers and draws the focus of the Prime Minister and all those huddled over the billions at the Treasury Board.
I’m talking about the media … hordes of reporters who bring to the Hill the LOCAL and PROVINCIAL issues important to their readers, listeners and viewers back home.
And virtually all of them these days come from newspapers, magazines, radio and tv. stations in Ontario and Quebec! Or network Ottawa bureaus chasing “national” stories … ie the view from Central Canada. And in both official languages too!
Oh, there may one or two reporters or columnists from the Maritimes, Saskatchewan and Alberta posted to the Hill. BUT they are overwhelmingly outnumbered by their counterparts from Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City … working in every media field, pushing THEIR agendas to politicians several times and in several ways every day.
But WHO really covers now specifically for B.C. ??? Which media pushes BC’’s interests? BC’s issues? BC’s agenda? Please tell me … who???
When I arrived in Ottawa, I was amazed to find it was almost unheard for a BC reporter to regularly be recognized to ask a question at a Prime Ministerial Press Conference: we were considered just an adjunct of the CTV network bureau, and the network reporters (ALL reflecting the Central Canada agenda) were always recognized and asked their Central Canada “national” questions.
When they failed to recognize me …even though I was one of the earliest to arrive and put my name on the question list FIRST … as the press conference ended, I shouted out to Prime Minister Trudeau “How about a question from the West?”
He was so startled , he stopped and took my question. But I was warned afterwards by a press gallery executive member that if I shouted out like that again, I could lose my Parliamentary Press Gallery accreditation card.
“Go ahead” I shot back, ” take away my card for just trying to ask a question for B.C. Make me a hero out West.”
At a meeting later, I explained to the gallery executive, Yes, BCTV was a part of the national CTV network, BUT I informed them I was there to represent just BCTV and BC and our questions and issues had nothing to do with CTV’s.
And I told them we had every right to ask questions, just as CFCF Montreal’s reporter did, and CFTO’s Toronto reporter did and TVA French Montreal’s reporter did.
We won that battle (Hey Gord, where’s my Order of BC just for that! LOL!!!) ..and from then on… BCTV got our chances to question the P.M. and everyone else at press conferences ON BC ISSUES … still not equal to the Central Canada media, of course … but at least we could get SOME questions in too!
In fact, I’m proud to say many gallery members came to quite enjoy my questions and often used the answers they generated in the stories, giving BC issues a larger audience.
Having a media presence on the Hill is as good as gold for a city or province. Because it keeps their issues to the fore, as government officials are pressed for interviews, cabinet ministers are repeatedlystopped and asked about them … and even the P.M. is kept more aware by the constant pressing and presence.
So, of course, as part of my job when I was in Ottawa. I pushed BC issues big time! All the time! And hopefully it had an effect. After I returned to the Coast, we had Mark Schneider there and then Mark Miller, keeping up the presence and the pressure.
But afteer Global took over BCTV, the BCTV Ottawa bureau was shut down … and what we started getting here, from my vantage point, were mostly just the Global “stories du jour” on “national” issues sent out to all Global stations.
Maybe the odd “clip” on a BC issue if we could get someone to ask the question, but there was … and is .. no comparison to the impact of having a BC bureau right there.
The Vancouver Sun also had Peter O’Neill there for years, keeping BC issues front and centre. But he later moved to run the CanWest European bureau. So who pushes or questions BC issues in Ottawa now?
The fact is BC is paying a heavy price in Ottawa because BC media have no real presence anymore on Parliament hill these days.
Wire and network services just don’t do enough; BC MPs’ voices are often just blowing in the wind on BC issues down there, almost never quoted or even noted on the Hill; and even occasional visits by BC officials, cabinet ministers and the Premier can disappear from Ottawa’s consciousness before their planes even touch down when they return home.
On Parliament Hill, the media IS the message. And with all the local media cuts and cutbacks, and our virtual media disappearance from Parliament Hill, BC is paying a real price for our lack of presence.
Maybe some of our MPs down there or the CRTC (lots of luck!) should ask the private networks about those cuts and lack of presence when they talk about the importance of “local” television.
And before the CRTC even CONSIDERS giving private networks MILLIONS from cable revenues, maybe they should make them put their bucks back, where their mouths used to be.
Harv Oberfeld
8 responses so far ↓
1 Crankypants // Oct 5, 2009 at 7:51 am
You are completely correct with your views on this subject. The majority of the public get their information via television and the printed media. If our information is being gathered by people that have no vested interest in our province then the odds are very good that all we will get is information pertinent to the centre of the universe, Onatrio and Quebec.
Unfortunately consolidation of ownership of the media in general has created this situation. The conglomerates that now control the media are much more interested in their bottom line than delivering meaningful information to their customers.
The federal government has a responsibility to all of Canada, not just central Canada. One cannot expect reporters that are based and answerable to a portion of our country to deliver pertinent information to the rest of the country. Each province and territory have their own specific issues. Take for instance the missing sockeye salmon this year. Would a reporter based back east and only reporting for all of Canada really care or just consider it an area specific problem and best ignored?
Unfortunately Canada is really two provinces, Ontario and Quebec, and ten satellites. If we allow the MSM to be controlled by these two provinces then we will never really be a nation and nothing but a bit player on the world stage. We, and I include all of Canada, deserve better.
(Response: Amen! h.o.)
2 DMJ // Oct 5, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Full agreement and I will take it one step further. Lack of a BC voice may fuel the demands for separation out west.
It won’t be tomorrow, but maybe in a few generations where the bulk of BC’s population being immigrants, with no connection with the rest of the country, may opt to say “Adiós” to Canada.
The failure of BC’s mainstream media to give BC a presence back East and become lickspittals for politicians may have disastrous consequences in the coming years.
I once had a girl friend in Germany and on a visit in 1983, the thought of German reunification was a taboo subject, was never going to happen. Fast forward to 1990. on my last visit, I still have clear memories of clapped out Trabbies (Trabants) littering the autobahns where newly unified East Germans drove the dreadful things until they died and just left them.
Never say never.
3 Ruaridh // Oct 5, 2009 at 4:57 pm
In the nature of a federation, provincial interests nominally are defended by the provincial government of the day. Absent any serious attention by the MSM, the present provincial government is a supplicant to the federal treasury – after all how much Olympic debt can one province carry ?
The one thing one can say about Quebec, is that it is at great peril that any politician or media outlet defines Quebec interests in terms of the federation. We can learn a thing or two.
4 Norman Farrell // Oct 6, 2009 at 3:43 am
The point you make is important and demonstrates why we are badly served by national media networks. Regional issues are not national issues, unless you live in southern Ontario.
Shall we see a book edition of “Western Voice from the East,” a collection of Oberfeld survival stories from the Ottawa Press Gallery? Keeping it Real already provides many great anecdotes and I bet there are plenty more.
(Response: You’re right..it is important, and we’re on the back burner there too often because of it. Thought about a book , but to do real personal history would take a lot of detailed research work .. and if I named names of people and companies …and told everything I know and have heard them say and watched them do, I’d probably get sued. I can neither afford that nor would want to spend so much of my retirement in court. So I just pass some anecdotes along here, when an issue triggers a memory, for my friends and regular readers to hopefully enjoy. h.o. )
5 Henri Paul // Oct 6, 2009 at 9:39 pm
For behaving like any other business that doesn’t replace its front line staff and workers Candwest is now paying the price, and deservedly so, its a well known fact when you let your top talent go, either by retirement or resurrecting ,etc, dismissing the continuity of this talent (which they have) time and time again failure is destined to occur, apparently the old adage of you only get out what you put in , is beyond the grasp of reality for some business people.
(Response: Exactly … and newspaper sales may be dropping, partly because of the weak stories we get from Ottawa on BC issues..but the truth is Global’s ratings are even higher. But a real news organization should fulfills its community obligations … including fighting for BC back East, and not just go after ratings and $$$. Old BCTV was really successful at bringing those two together. h.o.)
6 Powell river persuader // Oct 6, 2009 at 10:06 pm
A voice from the west, “what you talkin about Willis”
Maybe at one time we had stronger voices from BC,maybe news divisions closed,but as I remember we have been getting the short end of the stick forever,in fact I would gather that we have been getting our fair share of federal money, we are definately getting more in financial terms today against your era or even before.
I don`t give a rats ass what the media talks about in central Canada,the big crime in BC comes from media here in this province looking a blind eye to the corruption,theft,lies, cronyism…….
But as for BC media coverage, we are the laughing stock of Canada and it`s not the public laughing at us…it`s the mainstream media laughing at our current crop of bootlickers…Baldrey,Smyth,Palmer, Kirk Lapointe,Patricia Graham,Bill Good…Sean Leslie…..
What does it take to get one`s media credentials torn up and shredded, the media should have to pass basic ethical test or some sort of proffesional standard……Until the bought and paid for media are weeded out it will never change.Anything for a steady paycheque eh Harvey?
(Response: You’re partly correct. BC does get a better share of the fiscal federal pie than decades ago… and I know many won’t like this, but that actually began under Paul Martin and his Liberals, continued by Harper and the Tories. But you are wrong when you say we get “our fair share”. No way! From everything I’ve seen Quebec and the Maritimes still get MORE than their fair share. And Quebec gets it a lot faster too! Not to mention power and influence. As far as Canada laughing at our reporters… that’s a figment of your imagination. Name one article or commentary criticising them back East. Sure many here are critical but don’t just make it up that they’re the laughing stock across Canada, because it feels good to say it. And you also miss a big point:it’s not just about money… the lack of BC-attached reporters in Ottawa hurts us in many other ways. For eg. who is pushing the issue down there for our fair seats in the Commons, the Senate? Who has made an issue of a bill now before the Commons that would require ALL Supreme Court judges to be bilingual, expert enough to hear Supreme Court legal arguments in French .. thereby eliminating almost all BC judges .. but supported by ALL three Opposition parties and I hear some Tories too (after those Quebec votes)? When you have no one there in the media constantly raising YOUR issues or YOUR points …. your citizens just wake up one day and find things expanding Quebec or Ontario’s power were passed .. or improving BC’s role were dropped … without much of a peep. h.o.)
7 Henri Paul // Oct 7, 2009 at 12:41 am
Henri Paul said in part , Oct 6, 2009 at 9:39 pm
either by retirement or “resurrecting ”
Resurrecting ,well Harv maybe in 3 days Canwest will pull it off.
It was restructure, I intended to say, my spell check is about a bright as me, 25 watts.
(Response: Your point was still a good one. h.o.)
8 Wilson // Oct 7, 2009 at 12:54 am
I think we got some good people still in the bus. but there is only so much you can do with a shoestring budget and a half assed (I mean half staffed) newsroom. Oberfeld was wise to get out when he did. Good luck getting out with a pension to the next generation of reporters who will most likely end up with an Asper sized kick in the ass and a not so golden handshake.
The whole media world is going down the shitter and what comes next who the hell knows. The internet media is all well and good but that doesn’t pay the bills and most do this as a hobby. Good on Oberfeld for sticking around for us ol’ dinosaurs to still get some balls with our reporting.
I want to cheer when I see Global going down the shitter but I can’t ‘cause I know there are too many people that will end up career less. Not jobless; they will find other jobs but not doing the news. Things that just make you want to say shit……
Leave a Comment
CAPTCHA Code is needed.