So why is the premier so mad at CBC?

[HeresyLives]

So what did CBC do this time, to incur the premier’s wrath?

On February 3, the CBC Radio Morning Show convened a media panel comprising Bob Wakeham, formerly of the CBC, Peter Jackson of The Telegram, and host Jeff Gilhooly, to discuss fallout from the premier’s heart surgery story. During that panel, Wakeham spoke about the premier’s divorce. It was not referenced in any sensational manner; Wakeham merely pointed out that media have been perhaps too circumspect in not covering this story.

However, the premier seems to think that such discussion is “irrelevant” and “hurtful,” and this apparently is why he is boycotting CBC. Never mind that the offending comment was not part of news coverage; it was unscripted, and came up during a live guest panel. Does the premier want CBC to control stuff like that? Has he really thought this through, or is he acting on impulse again? Furthermore, the premier is not a journalist, and should not presume to tell the editors at CBC what is “irrelevant”. The editors decide that.

http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=329533&sc=88


I was unaware Danny was getting a divorce, altho I presume Newfoundlanders know about it, but it may explain Danny's hostility on a lot of things over the past few years.

[Spazito]

1. The link isn't working for me...

I get an error message from the telegram site.

[HeresyLives]

2. I just tried it, and it's working.

http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=329533&sc=88

Try putting it in your browser title...or you can check The Telegram in St Johns, NFLD with the article title being 'Another Boycott of CBC' with the author being Geoff Meeker.

Edited to add: National Newswatch has been featuring it as a lead story, so they may be a little overwhelmed by all the hits.

http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/

[Spazito]

3. Thanks for the second link, that worked fine for me...

Williams is coming off more and more like a whiny, immature, self-absorbed asshole and over more than his 'choice' for surgery. Very interesting article to read, thanks again for the link.

[HeresyLives]

4. Good! Well going thru a divorce

would be stressful..so maybe that explains a lot of unnecessary fights with a fellow-Con PM?

And possibly the surgery in Florida too. Maybe he figured people wouldn't notice his wife wasn't around, I dunno.

[Spazito]

5. It is his over-the-top reaction to ANY coverage that I find ridiculous...

The stresses I get, it is the lack of understanding he seems to have, whether deliberate or otherwise, that the media has a right to cover him and not just on his terms. He is no longer merely a private citizen, he voluntarily gave that up when he chose to run for election in as Premier yet his skin is inordinately thin on any coverage that goes beyond that which he wants.

Boycotting the CBC because he is unhappy someone said something on a panel is ridiculous and, it seems, a pattern of his before the 'stresses' he currently has.

As to the unnecessary fights, Williams knows the feds are not popular with Newfoundlanders so it is to his electoral benefit to be seen to be in conflict with them, it is merely optics, imo, as opposed to being based on any real principle.

[HeresyLives]

6. He's popular in Nfld tho.

But Cons generally don't like media coverage I've noticed. Harper won't even talk to the press, much less answer questions, and we all know his MPs are duct-taped. :)

It's 'news management' by the govt, and I wish the media would stop going along with it.

They flew to Davos with Harp, at their own expense, and then were only 'allowed' 3 questions. Apparently if you try to ask more, you're 'off the plane' and out of any future consideration.

Why do they let him get away with that?

[Spazito]

7. Very true re Cons not liking an independent media....

who might ask an 'inconvenient' question instead of merely regurgitating the propaganda being put out by the Con government. "Why do they let him get away with that?" is a very good question. When a government or even an individual politician refuses to deal with the media unless it is on their terms, the media should simply put them on ignore, report the issues from the parties that are NOT boycotting and at the end state the government or whomever is boycotting this news organization so no comments from them are available.

The Cons need the media, the media does NOT need the Cons but our current media seems to have forgotten what their REAL job is, sadly.

Edited to add: re Williams' popularity in Newfoundland, I don't think this latest issue, that of his choices re surgery will negatively affect his popularity to any significant degree, it might even enhance it because, from one perspective, he is being a 'maverick' politician which they seem to like aka Smallwood's popularity even after he sold out Newfoundland re joining Canada.

[HeresyLives]

8. Totally agree.

Since Harper made it plain he didn't want to be covered at Davos, they should have taken him at his word and covered the other leaders and speakers instead. At least that way the public would have learned more about an important get-together instead of the endless spec on what Harper 'might' be thinking by columnists, that we usually get.

A few weeks of ignoring 'managed' press releases, and covering other parties instead would smarten him up right quickly.