Duffy and Harper

[ClusterFreak]

Unbelievable. Mike Duffy really outdid himself this time. Just had Harper on and they had a nice, warm, fuzzy, cozy little chat. Duff didn't even bother lobbing softballs at him, it was more like Nerf balls!! One little 'scuse me' question about a new batch of Conservative ads going after some NDP candidates in BC, you know just to offer up the illusion of Duffy's impartiality. Other than that, the two of them chirped away back and forth. Duffy even spoon fed him some warm apple sauce with cinammon regarding Senators giving Mulroney a hard time in years gone by, before changing their tune once the Liberals' got in power. Harper responds with "Yup, your right Mike" a couple of times. How charming. I guess that's Duffy showing once again how he won't be 'intimidated' and will ask the 'tough questions' as a journalist.

Pure advocacy journalism. Nothing but. Utterly shameful.

[glarius]

1. I saw the bullshit "interview" too!

Perhaps someone should inform the CRTC....Isn't there some rule against journalists being advocates???

[IntravenousDemilo]

2. I left a message on Mike Duffy's voicemail,

asking him if he and Stephen would please get a room, because I'm sick of watching them neck in public, and until then, could he at least attempt a pretense of impartiality?

[ClusterFreak]

3. ROTFLMAO!!!

:rofl:

[jackbourassa]

4. The media are pissed at Martin

They're angry about the bullying tactics by his staff. They want Harper to win.

[daleo]

5. Harper and the media have always had a touchy relationship

If what you say is true, they haven't seen anything yet.

Personally, I think the corporate heads are keeping a tight rein on mainstream journalists, and that is who wants Harper to win. Why not? There are big tax breaks to be had, bigger even that what Martin has done.

[AX10]

6. The corporatization of Canada is similar to what has happened...

in the US.

I must say that your media is just as vile and right wing as ours.

[daleo]

7. Largely true.

It is mostly the population's reluctance to embrace right wing cultural causes that makes our media seem somewhat less right wing. The presence of the CBC and a few other voices helps too.

[AX10]

8. Could you name which sources you see as being:

right leaning
left leaning
balances/moderate

Thank you.

[daleo]

9. Well, I am not an expert, but here's a few:

Newspaper
Canwest papers (includes canoe.com I think) - right leaning
National Post (associated with Canwest?) - very right leaning
Globe and Mail - right leaning, but some alternative viewpoints permitted on op/ed page

TV/Radio
Global tv (associated with Canwest I believe) - right leaning
CTV - right leaning
CBC (public broadcaster)- fairly balanced, although some would claim leaning a bit left

Magazines
Maclean's - used to be somewhat balanced, but hard right I hear now
This Magazine - left leaning, or used to be anyway (if you can find it)

That's about it offhand. The free alternative weeklies in the bigger cities (I have See and View) are kind of left leaning. I can't think of much else right now. I hope someone else responds that has a better knowledge of the situation in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, etc.

[glarius]

11. I agree with everything you say except that the CBC

is, in my opinion, truly fair and balanced...I get angry at them sometimes, wishing they would favour the left to balance out CTV and Global, but of course they are doing their job properly, by being balanced. I think those who say they lean left are the right wingers who are so used to the other two networks and think anything other than that kind of reporting is leaning left....

[daleo]

13. Yeah, the CBC is right down the middle

Same with Newsworld. They have some provocative documentaries that some would say lean left, but as you say, people who always tilt to the right see straight up as tilting to the left.

[glarius]

12. Actually, I was really surprised to see the way CTV became a blatant

advocate for the right wing Harper. Before this election started I had thought of them as fairly balanced. The CBC has always been top notch. They truly are fair and balanced. Global is right leaning also...

[V. Kid]

10. Yeah, Duffy is annoying as hell...

He reminds me of those ridiculous American talking heads that Stephen Colbert parodies on his show. He consistently gets his facts wrong, is always on wrong, or rather right (wing) side of things. Pretends to be asking tough questions as you say, yet only does them in one way, and gets actual facts wrong anyways, so it doesn't really matter. And then has little digs at certain geusts, he's such a twit. Why he even has a job I don't know, but frankly these pundits are annoying as can be, and I sure as hell hope '24' hour news shows like this go the way of the dinosaur, cause I can live without CNN, and if CTV wants to go that way, I can live without them too.