51 Replies to “Today?”

  5. David Akin is right about this: “PPG members tend to follow a narrative or thread of a particular story over the long haul and will ask questions based more on historical context than the questions he receives from reporters where he’s traveling.” It’s so true. PPG reporters – like Terry Milewski – use question time to advance their own “stories”, and to hammer whatever narrative case they’ve been recently making to the Canadian public, usually something about how dastardly or wrong or pig-headed or mistaken one of the PM’s decisions is.
    But then, in his very next sentence, Akin writes “PPG members tend to seek nuance and information that goes beyond the ‘talking point'”. Huh? Isn’t seeking “nuance” that “goes beyond the talking point” kind of the exact opposite of “(tending) to follow a particular narrative or thread” based on “historical context?” – in other words, the opposite of what the PPG does?
    I don’t believe for a second that the PPG is seeking nuance, I think they’re advancing the narrative of their own “reports.” Watching and reading the PPG’s hyperventilation on the census issue, for example, it’s hard not to conclude that the media are just covering themselves, in a reporterly equivalent of log-rolling: they write an anti-Conservative story that sounds like it’s straight out of the Liberal war room, and then they feel justified covering the “story” because it’s a story, and then various columnists (just read National Newswatch on an average day) start talking about the big story that’s a story because it’s such a big story. It doesn’t matter ithat the non-journalists in the country could give a rat about the census story, for example, until the media hammers on it nonstop; the views and concerns of actual Canadians are always parked by the curb while the OPG and * execute a big Siberian cluster-hug to decide what the “story” is that is of concern to “Canadians.”
    Phantom is right that the PM would answer more questions (and, I suggest, we’d get better questions) if he wasn’t dealing with a *pool* of reporters who get together to decide what questions will be asked. It would be better if every reporter had his own question, and then there was some sort of random draw to determine who gets to ask a question on any given day.

  6. What profession is he referring to?
    Journalists, especially column writing journlists can not truly be called professionals.
    To be a true professional you must have a widely accepted educational standards that are reviewed and approved by learned peers that allow you to practice your craft.
    These educational standards are known to the public and recognized and trusted by the public.
    Doctors have such standards which is why they are considered professionals, as do lawyers, dentists, nurses, real estate brokers, accountants and engineers.
    What educational standards do journalists have?— ZERO.
    REAL professionals also have ENFORCEABLE codes of ethics that are also peer reviewed. A breach of such ethics can mean censure by those peers and the loss of practice for an offender. This contributes to public trust.
    Do journalists have such an enforceable code of ethics? Absolutely not! They have a farcical ethical code that acts as nothing more than a public relations ploy and set of minor, easily ignored guidelines.
    Real professionals have peer reviewed standards of skill that must b met before an individual can practice their craft. This goes hand in hand with the educational standards.
    Do journalists have such benchmarks of skill? Again, no.
    Even tradespeople like carpenters, plumbers, electricians, machinists and other technologists have more ethical and educational requirements than journalists even though they do not use the term professional. They choose the term journeyman, or technologist to describe their level of achievement and skill.
    Journalists like Wells love to cloak themselves with word PROFESSIONAL to elevate themselves and serve their inordinately large egos. However, they refuse to adhere to any of the responsibilities that come with being a true professional.
    Wells, a professional? Please. What a sick joke.

  8. John@12:59 AM,
    Well said.
    Journalists like to call their trade a profession, but it’s a trade, maybe at best a craft (they certainly trade their ethics and craft the slant in their stories, don’t they?)

  9. Journalism is closer to art than anything else. They interpret reality and present the interpretation in a form they hope others will enjoy and buy.
    Lots of people consider themselves ‘professionals’ if they do something that earns money.
    “The word professional traditionally means a person who has obtained a degree in a professional field. The term professional is used more generally to denote a white collar working person, or a person who performs commercially in a field typically reserved for hobbyists or amateurs.”

  10. Posted by: john at August 7, 2010 12:59 AM
    Setting aside a polemic about “professional”, would you really like that the journalists have “standards”?
    Being a journalist is mostly talent.
    Schools are there to make those that study journalism “the same”. That is why most of them are socialists. To no surprise, it is those independent journalist that are attacked for not following the narrative (viz journalist).
    The only standard journalists should have is to have finesse to be readable and make sense, other than that the field should be “free for all”. The readers would have more information to make conclusions about a particular subject.

  12. David Akin is getting annoying. For example, what does “partly for no other reason” — So, David, is it “partly” or is it “for no other reason.” This is from his piece in the Sun today on “Terrorist play prompts political debate.”

  13. I’ve read the linked articles (and the links from that) about three times and still don’t understand why this is a story or why Wells is so worked up. Someone asked a question which the pool didn’t approve and that’s ruined poor Wells’ “profession”?
    Meanwhile over at the Grope and Flail the commenters are hyperventilating about this non-story being clear evidence of fascism.

  15. Lev, No I will NOT “set aside” a polemic about “professional” as you so easily dismiss this.
    Wells and other journalists wrap the word professional around themselves like a flag and try to set themselves apart from others who practice free speech by perpetuating some myth that their opinions are somehow more valuable & trustworthy because THEY ARE NPROFESSIONALS.
    When you examine what professionalism truly means they are anything but.
    Still they want to have it both ways. On one hand they want to elevate themselves over others who exercise free speech by calling themselves PROFESSIONAL but when challenged about responsibility they backpedal.
    Mind you double standards are nothing new for this bunch.

  16. Paul should not apologize for his outburst. He should pile it on hard.
    Don’t get me wrong, I think Paul is pretty much a blowhard whose main talent is an ability to pump out volumes of copy on a regular basis.
    But what is missing in journalism in Canada, is polarity, and criticisms between those who make up the MSM here.
    Where is the debate within the MSM. It takes place between the 10 and 20 yard lines, instead of between the 30’s. As such there is no real debate, just varying perspectives on the same point of view.
    So dig in Paul, grow a set of balls and name some names and pick some fights. Maybe, hopefully someone will drop the gloves and respond and we can get some good fisticuffs going and see some real debate within the media.

  17. Lev. 141 am
    The long & short of it is: When a doctor says to me “I’ll do my best to heal you”. I believe him because he has taken great pains to prove his professionalism and faces censure if he doesn’t practice professionalism.
    When a lawyer says”I will do my best to represent you well”. I believe him for the same reasons.
    When a journalist says “This is the truth – trust me”. He faces no similar censure and has done nothing similar to the others to prove his professionalism so why should I trust him?
    Because he CALLS HIMSELF A PROFESSIONAL?
    Not good enough.

  18. Journalist are professionals, in that they get paid for it. You know, like hockey players or prostitutes.

  19. djb, please do not equate journalists with the trades.
    I’m a tradesman. A technician in electronics and a technologist in mine engineering. I had to work hard at both those certifications. I have to continue to work hard to keep the electronics certification. The mine engineering has fallen by the wayside since it is a rarely used skill in the Navy……….lol

  21. Yes it should read, “my vocation is being vandalized by idiots”
    And that sentence I would agree with. But that is nothing new, it has and always be thus. But apparently only those in the vocation are allowed to point it out, when others do, well thats a different story.

  22. Do they really have to pull down professionalism by applying it to themselves?
    What’s professional about a cabal of gossip mongers who spend their time tinkering with the facts to manipulate opinion?

  24. Freedom of the press, also signifies freedom from the press if one so chooses. Nothing in Canadian law requires us to cooperate with, or subject ourselves to interrogation from, the press. Anymore than we should be required to involuntarily submit personal information on a survey.
    Especially these days when the press is no longer “the citizen’s friend”. If the press is not in the service of the paparazzi and the tabloids, then it is probably in the service of identity politics. “Just the facts, m’am” probably died about 20 years ago.

  25. A few years ago, Kate started calling Wells “Mr. Poopy Head.”
    I forget why, but I miss that. Can we start doing it again? Mostly it’s just fun to say.

  26. Poor little Paulie, sad he couldn’t ask the burning highly intelligent question that the unwise old owlie from ctv craig olivier got to Zing Harper with. These pathetic clowns are as someone already stated, professional as a street walking prostitute complete with their own pimps, Mcleans/Grope and Fail etc. Never buy a paper, and encourage others to get their news from blogs and online news sites. Oliver should retire with no dignity making sure his room in the nut house has a door to the left of him, because that is where his wonky eyes are always darting.

  27. The Libtard Urnalists should by hyperventilating they’ve given us a peek into how they work together as a unit. Poor Dears sound like they think they are the cool kids and get to decide who gets to ask the MP questions. I consider our current crop of Urnalists to be nothing more than paid mouth pieces of the Liberal Party their little Media cabul only reinforces that MSM is Liberal Media.

  29. Another paper thin ego in the Kanukistan journolist has a hissy-fit over a PPG scrum about the non-issues the PPG tribe have pimped into pseudo scandals over the summer recess – oh my!
    This is what passes for news in in our frozen journalistic wastelands.

  30. If the MSM press wants my support back, then they need to start hounding Harper on the issues that are important to me. Eg.:
    “Mr. Harper, why don’t you abolish the Human Rights Commissions like so many Canadians have demanded?” “Why are you not listening to Canadians where the Human Rights Commissions are concerned?”
    Followed up with the news headline: “Stephen Harper is a fascist — he will not abolish the fascist Human Rights Commissions!”. If the MSM does that, I’ll stop blogging, will renew my subscription to the Globe and Mail again, and will probably go back to voting Liberal in the next election…

  32. Wells went idiot a long time ago . . . too much time in the Ottawa bubble and he thinks he’s smart & important.
    He’s just another legend in his own mind.
    And a waste of oxygen.

  33. Paul Wells’ profane outburst is entirely appropriate. I say the same exact thing when I see stuff like that.
    Which is why I don’t have cable and why I don’t listen to radio or buy the paper.
    Idiotarian journolistos reading these comments, take note: if you depend on me and people like me to buy your output, you are going to starve.
    Starve faster, please.

  34. “Poopy Head” reminds me of another good old zinger of a shaggy story:
    A Republican president calls a special White House news conference to make two historic announcements: first, that American researchers have discovered the common cure for all cancers and two, that teleportation of a human being has just been successfully completed for the first time in outer space between two secret American spacecraft 100 miles apart.
    During the long explanations, MSM questions and experts answers, a puppy belonging to the president’s daughter wanders in through a door left ajar. After sniffing around, it does a dump on the rug and goes over and sits beside the lectern.
    Which item leads the MSM evening news and next morning newspapers?
    Wiki-Waki definitions:
    “Puppy Sh*t On The Rug Story” – biased MSM determination to thwart favourable or neutral coverage of their perceived political enemies.
    Ex: “Wal-Mart might have expected their disaster donations would get good coverage but we hit them with a puppy sh*t on the rug story.”

  35. I watched about 8 minutes of CBC yesterday while sitting in the Barber Shop. Lots of folks waiting to get haircuts and everyone laughed at the amazing ignorance of the group of reporters who sat babbling about what they don’t like about Harper/Baird.
    It is truly embarrassing to me as a Canadian that we actually pay to have crap like the CBC presents on the airwaves.
    There are medical miracles out there to help
    sick folks like those we watched on CBC yesterday. I think it would take a miracle, but maybe that would not be enough?

  36. For starters Mel …. tell your barber to change the freekin channel…..
    But on the topic of a freelance fool bleeting about his “profession” getting sh@t upon ….. he has a diaper leak in his own pants.
    Good tag on that one K

  39. Melwilde,
    They speak like that, essentially gossip, because they perceive it as THEIR workplace. So they get upset and comment on everything from the temperature of the airconditioning, to the colour of the new chairs to who the new office manager is.
    Problem is, it isnt their workplace. Notice the difference between a Parlaimentary reporter and say a reporter covering a business, or even a foreign correspondent.
    Most hgave been there too long, havent covered other governments and know each other and the subjects of their coverage far too well.
    As spector suggests, the foreign service regularly shifts staff so they dont “go native”. Similar problem. Most of them need to retire, or become columnists/pundits (most actually are) and stop pretending to be observers and reporters. Craig Oliver stopped being a reporter about 20 years ago. Fife still is sometimes. Wells, I generally like…and like doesnt mean agree BTW, but he does generate some decent insight (relatively speaking) Most of the other “Deans” have long outlived their usefulness and their jobs could be easily fulfilled by reporters of much less cost.

  40. We’ll see if this is a one-off from Wells or if he will grow a pair and name names. If not,”Mr. Poopy Head”, would seem fitting.
    Worth the read is Rex Murphy’s column in the National Post today: “Finding a quarrel in a straw”. It’s a real gem and spot on.

  41. How many of the reporters, journalists, anchors etc have come on the scene that were not there in the heydays of PET. That is where their loyalties are and they have not realized that we as a Country have moved beyond that man. And, it is becoming more apparent that his ideas, charter, etc were the wrong thing for our Canada today.

  42. Speaking of Paul Wells throwing a hissy fit because he isn’t Mark Steyn – Steyn has been missing from the last three or four issues of Macleans. Does anybody know what’s up with that?

  43. John, your explanation of what is a “profession”. Very well said, but I’m afraid that’s just conventional self-serving boilerplate. Propagandistic stuff and nonsense.
    I haven’t read the book, but I rather lean toward Jane Jacob’s thesis in The Coming Dark Age: that one of the key factors is the collapse of ethics in the so-called “professions”.
    I put about much faith in “codes of ethics” in the “professions” as I do “mission statements” in large corporations, or “platforms” in politcs. NONE.
    Real Estate brokers? LOL+.

  44. Posted by: Herman at August 7, 2010 2:02 PM
    According to Steyn’s website, he’s been on holidays since July 5.

  45. Journalism is not a profession, still less a trade. It is an activity, which can rise to the level of a business if done in a businesslike way.

  47. Journolism is not a profession, nor is it a craft (any schmuck can put out their crap), nor is it a trade (tradespeople are somewhat consistent in their work, journolists are the opposite).
    That any of the PPG gallery or MSM think this census joke is a vote loser (eeks EKOs’ Graves thinks he has a self-fulfilling prophesy) reveals their poor judgement, as Rex Murphy opines:
    http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/Finding+quarrel+straw/3371493/story.html
    Here’s hoping the “opposition” actually thinks they have a prayer in the next election, and pulls the plug. That’s what I read into PMSH’s remarks on that question from Oliver; yes, he did answer the question by saying he didn’t agree with his premise – guess he wasn’t sufficiently scared that their support had plummeted.
    An opposition forced election, with Ignatieff’s fantasy that he can decide coalition/minority details after results in, will likely give PMSH his coveted majority government.
    IOW not shook. I for one hope they go for it.

  49. Mr.Poopyhead… Hilarious… Although, for once in my life I agree with Mr. Poopyhead, the PPG are idiots, dangerously so… The PPG didn’t get to spin their all negative narrative and had a collective hissy fit. The Poopypants Press Gallery. LOL.

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