Keeping it Real…

First let me differentiate between the actual reporting and the editorial commentaries that followed Federal Election Debate #1 en francais .. because I found them quite different.

The basic reporting I heard on the radio, saw on television and read in most on-line and printed news reports was quite fairly done, in my view.  Canadian political reporters are, for the most part, good reporters …  accurate, competent and try very hard to truly reflect what actually happened at an event.

However, my criticism of what I believe to be a growing right-wing editorial slant in the mass media was reinforced today, hours after the French debate.

I hadn’t even had my first cup of coffee this morning, when at 7:42 a.m., I heard Philip Till on CKNW,  in conversation with Global Television’s Ottawa reporter Hannah Thibedeau (sic).  I found Thibedeau’s synopsis of Gilles Duceppe’s fine performance and Stephan Dion’s improved presentation (in his own language, of course) to be perfectly accurate.

But Till, a former full-time reporter …  now morning program host for Corus Radio’s top Vancouver radio station … nicely fulfilled my pre-debate media predictions here Wednesday.

Only Harper came across as a “statesman”, proferred Till.  I predicted the mass media editorialists/commentators would say Harper would emerge as a “leader”.  (See paragraph 5 in my piece below).

And, Till added, Harper seemed as “comfortable” in French.  (My exact predicted word in paragraph 5 .. LOL).

Clearly, in my opinion, words and offerings that would lead listeners to a more sympathetic view of Harper than any of the other candidates.

The coverage in The Province was a disgrace: a weak shallow piece under the headline ”Leaders forced to act polite”.   (Even the headline writer apparently could find nothing in it more substantial!)

Amazingly,  Liberal Leader Stephan Dion’s ideas or proposals for Canada were not quoted at all .. nada … nilo .. gournisht .. even though he came up with the only new announcement during the whole debate: a five point economic plan that would pull together Canada’s economic, business and political leaders within 30 days of being elected.  

But it was Barbara Yaffe’s piece …  and its placement … in The Vancouver Sun I personally found most interesting ..and most disappointing.

“Under Attack, Harper keeps his cool” shouted the Sun’s Front Page headline .. again, I believe,  reinforcing the “comfortable theme” ..and even his portrayal as a ”leader”.

Further, the rest of the article and its placement I think was most significant!

Almost all of the SIX paragraphs that appeared on the front page under the large headline dealt with Harper … Liberal Leader Stephan Dion and  NDP Leader Jack Layton  weren’t even mentioned;   Green Party Elizabeth May was quoted as thinking Harper is “autocratic” … but also “a good father” whose kids are “lovely”. 

And, on the front page, there was this about Harper:  “But he succeeded in never losing his cool and addressed the other leaders on a first-name basis, consistently appearing more statesmanlike (AHA!!!! .. that’s me reacting   than combative. The Conservative leader returned time and time again to his party’s campaign theme — that Conservatives are best able to manage the Canadian economy during economically troubled times. He pointed out repeatedly that his government has acted judiciously, balancing the federal budget and reducing the GST, personal income and business taxes.”

Free front page advertising for the Tories, in my view. 

Almost any media analyst will tell you Front Page is where it’s at!!! That’s what people read, and often re-read while standing at the bus stop, in line at the supermarket, or on theirs and others’ desks at home and/or at the office.

And if you wanted coverage of Dion or Layton, even poltical junkies who followed to Page 4 for the rest of the story, would continue to have been disappointed.

Because on Page 4, as the The Sun article continued, there was yet another mention of Harper reminding Quebec voters it was his government that passed a Commons motion recognizing Quebec as a nation and giving the province a voice at UNESCO.

But you didn’t get to Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe until paragraph 8 on Page 4′s continued article .. that’s 14 paragraphs into the story, and Dion until paragraph 13 (how appropriate!) .. 19 paragraphs into the story and only three paragraphs from the bottom of the article .. AND with only this mention: “ Stephan Dion, whose Liberal party has been doing poorly in polls, performed ably but did not score any dibilitating hits on Harper.”

Not a mention of Dion’s new economic proposal here either nor any other proposal, idea or criticism of Harper put forward by the Liberal leader on any topic.

And the NDP’s Layton fared even worse: not a thing he said, advocated or proposed was quoted at all in the article.

Overall even more one-sided pro-Conservative coverage than even I had predicted.

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