Harper flubs public display of affection... and it's OUR fault?
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Can't see the 'ShareThis' icon? Reload your page view by pressing Shift and clicking Refresh at the same time.The members of the always self-important blogosphere elite are up in arms. Up in arms because we -- the people who actually have things like standards, ethics and critical thought -- are covering the story of yet another case of children-used-as-props by a politician.
CTV.ca reported a story on Tuesday about a staged photo op which saw Prime Minister Stephen Harper fumble his way through a public display of affection for his nine year old daughter Rachel as he saw her off for school.
Reported CTV :
"Harper twice leaned in as though he was going to give young Rachel a peck on the forehead, but then settled on a one-armed squeeze and two quick pats on her shoulder before she dashed off to the playground."
You swear CTV was prying on private family time when you read the comments of some of the readers of the story :
"This is not even newsworthy. Does the media not have anything better to do with its time?"
"Now we are analyzing how Harper walks his kids to school in the morning? This is getting ridiculus (sic), how is this a news story."
"Are you people kidding me??? I hate journalists. Media makes me sick!"
To address the questions and queries of the masses (in order):
1) Yes, the media does have better things to do with our time, but we are in the middle of an election campaign... and some reporters are assigned to follow a single politician -- and their every move as outlined on the campaign agenda -- for the duration of said campaign.
2) How is this a news story? It's a news story because those who are in charge of spin -- the flacks and handlers who are responsible for stage managing every teeny-tiny detail of a campaign -- MAKE this a news story. They put it on the day's agenda of things that the media is invited to cover. Then, when the happy little photo op goes horribly wrong because people like Mr. Harper are inept at showing public displays of affection in front of hordes of cameras (and that's not a knock on Mr. Harper -- I too would be completely inept at making a public display of affection in front of hordes of cameras), water carriers for the party do their part by calling shame on the big bad media.
3) We're not kidding you. Don't hate. Love. Day old chicken salad sandwiches make me sick... if the media bothers you so much, maybe you should be going to the doctor to have your tummy checked. Would you like a lollipop with that?
If you're looking for the Cliffnotes... here they are.
> Use children as political props at your own risk.
> Using children as political props is a story in itself.
> Mr. Harper's handlers should have known that this was going to go badly. While I have no doubt he is an "ordinary Joe", he just can't pull it off on cue.
> It's our job to tell these stories. If you don't like these kinds of stories, too bad. Back off - we're doing our jobs. Maybe you should do yours as the voting public and tell your politicians you want platforms and policies instead of staged public displays of affection.
**Rant Mode Off.**
John Himpe is the Program Director of News Talk Radio.
Comments
What differnece
What difference would it make to tell our politicians anything as they never listen anyways, only promises that are broken
When is that 'fixed election date' again?
It is mostly fools who think politicians actually care about the poeple.
Vote not for the one that can do the most for you as this leads to government dependancy, vote instead for the one that will do the least TO you as this is the safest vote for a citizen of any country.
okay john, in your opinion
okay john, in your opinion Harper comes out of all of this smelling as sweet as a spring daisy, but do you really think that hasrper, as controling of the media as he is, didn't okay this photo op first??
yea, it is your (media's) fault
John what you "liberal" media types just don't get, is Canadians don't all march in the perfect little "liberal view" line. We each come from different cultures and back grounds. We each handle different situations differently.
And WE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF THE MEDIA TELLING US HOW TO THINK!!!!
Did that stick John?
We want you to report on the situation, not tell us how to feel/think, etc. We are tired of news articles starting with "Canadians should be embarrassed..." Learn how to report the 5 W's and stop pushing your views on us, then we might start buying papers, listening to radio, or watching TV news casts again.
And yea, it is the Liberal teaching in the journalism department’s fault you think this way. So I don't blame you personally. It is also why you will never understand it. It is also why current “Old media” is failing and may never recover.
Bottom line, you hate the
Bottom line, you hate the media when they say or do things that don't agree with your view of the world. Change the name Stephen Harper in the above writing to Jack Layton and you would be kissing the author's neo-con backside.
We definately need tougher
We definately need tougher journalism. Reporters should be all over this campaign (and all news/issues) like hungry sharks. It's not about being "liberal", it's about reporting the facts - good, bad or ugly.
The "news" isn't about Harper and his child - the real news story is, in your own words,
"It's a news story because those who are in charge of spin -- the flacks and handlers who are responsible for stage managing every teeny-tiny detail of a campaign -- MAKE this a news story."
It's only a news story if you report it. You are the gatekeepers, not the spin doctors. Reporters were there - why waste that time with a planned photo op? Why not use the opportunity to ask some tough questions and ignore the fluff? If they respond, you have a real news story. If not, well, that is an even better news story.
Commentaries are fine as long as the facts are reported first so everyone is on the same page, otherwise commentaries are nothing more than opinions that have no value in journalism.
Journalism does has standards and ethics - start using them, or don't they teach reporting at Journalism school anymore?
You say it's only a news
You say it's only a news story if the media reports it...
When they don't show up, they're then accused of having a bias for not having covered every waking second of the as-scheduled Harper Campaign.
We're damned if we do, and we're damned if we don't.
Either we cover it all, or none of it... and if you're going to put a photo op with a politician's kid on the day's agenda, expect it to get the same attention and scrutiny as any other stop would along the campaign trail.
I don't believe Mr. Harper is a bad man or even a bad father... I think he has bad handlers who miscalculate the best possible light to put their candidate in. Want to give Mr. Harper an opportunity to shine in a family-centric photo op? Have them eating out at the neighbourhood Swiss Chalet... or in the park on a family day out. But don't ask him to stage something as special as a display of emotion between a father and a child. It's just not in his genes to mug like that for the cameras. (And, as a result, I have to respect him for that...)
- John
I didn't say don't show up -
I didn't say don't show up - show up but ask the questions - take control of the story. Heck, if I was a reporter covering that photo op they'd have to drag me away kicking and screaming because I'd insist on asking the questions (and I'm not even a reporter). I've never been one to just politely stand by the sidelines and take direction or have a handler set the agenda - they want me to show up and report the story? Then do it on my terms. They don't want me there because I won't play by their "rules"? That's a much bigger story. Either way, I'm getting a story.
Example: One of your reporters (I apologize that I don't recall her name) reported on Elizabeth May's stop in Saskatoon. Okay, that was fine, but what your reporter missed was May's statement that the rail line would be funded "by increasing (?) the GST...". Suddenly, *that* was a story, but there was nothing more about it...a missed opportunity.
I just believe we need much tougher journalism - you *are* the gatekeepers. Example: You can delete my post if you want, or keep it, or edit it, or do whatever - since you have editorial control. You have that power - start using it with issues that really matter.
Supply and Demand
OK, everyone take a step back and think.....
I would rather have the media report every stupid annoying thing and let me choose what I wish to see/read. That is better they the media picking and choosing what I get to see.... even though they do it now to an extent.
As for the crap that gets reported and put in front of us. Guess what. We, the public, want it. Not all of us, but enough that it makes business sense to do. Give the majority of the people what they want and they will pay for it. If the majority of the people ignored this report, it would fade away. Next time, ignore it again and it might fade away for ever. But we don't..... we keep talking about it.... good or bad, we talk about it. And that is what makes the media folk money.
And while I am ranting on what the public wants....I can't wait until people that buy the lulu clothes realize that they don't make you look like you exercise (unless you do), they make you look like a sausage. But the so many people want it that they store keeps expanding.
What am I trying to say, I have no idea.....
Media Bias
To the commentor under "yea its the medias fault", THANK YOU FOR SAYING WHAT MOST OF US ARE THINKING. To John H and all the media out there: WE DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK ---IF YOU ARE A REPORTER, REPORT THE FACTS AND LEAVE THE "COLOR" OUT OF NEWS STORIES. Yes, this is a blog and this is your chance to state your opinion but STOP WRITING YOUR OPINION INTO YOUR NEWS STORIES. STICK TO THE FACTS AND LET LISTENERS/READERS DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES.
I suggest all journalists need a reminder of what it means to write strong, quality news stories. The crap you are writing now(with those biased lead headlines)are embarassing and downright unprofessional.
Quality journalists are hard to find.
Three points. 1) Stop
Three points.
1) Stop yelling, it doesn't make your point any more convincing.
2)Adding opinion to a news item helps it sell, its as simple as that.
3) This is a blog, not a news report. Blogs are about opinion.
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