Bubble Boy North?

FrameItBabyFrameIt
InfoDomVille

In the past I've been quite critical of Bell Globe Media's senior political/gossip columnist.

But in her column in yesterday's Globe* Jane Taber actually took a real shot at Little Stephen (although she had to quote the heebie-jeebieized Western Standard to do so):

In the latest issue of the right-wing Western Standard, Mr Harper, in an interview entitled, "I've got more control now", criticizes the left-wing ideologues" in the official Ottawa media. He says those ideologues in the press gallery are dictating the rules for the majority of members.

{Snip}

"I'm free to pick my interviews when and where I want to have them," he (Harper) says. "They say if I don't do it their way. I'll somehow gain more control over my media relations. Well, I've got more control now." He said that the media's intransigence may be the gallery's undoing and it may be a good thing. "I think if we can break that up in any way that it is helpful for democracy."

Scary.

Three things.

First - Notice the framing. Anybody that doesn't give Mr. Harper a free ride is painted as an ideologue. This is emerging as a well used Luntzian Theme that is designed to cut-off any legitimate investigatory journalism at the knees.

Second - Check out the obfuscatory Orwellian doublespeak in which subverting a central tenet of democracy (ie. a free press) is actually 'helpful' for democracy.

Third - Remember this story to see if Ms. Taber is willing to stand on principle or if she caves and jumps at the next chance for an 'Access of Evil' interview. That said, good on her for telling it like it is this time around.



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*No link: behind the subscription wailing wall
*Whoops:In the first iteration of this post I confused the Weekly Standard with the Western Standard which, of course, is kinda like mixing up David Frum with, well, David Frum. Anyway, thanks to A. for noticing.


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