Positive Proof of a Cross-Canada Campaign by CBC Headquarters to Discredit Harper’s Image
June 17, 2005 · By Max West
[Update: We've added audio links below. They're mp3 files, which you can download or play online if you have an audio program like MS Media Player or WinAmp.]
Yesterday we provided evidence of a coast-to-coast CBC campaign to keep a hostile focus on Stephen Harper’s image. We showed you short excerpts from introductions to two separate interviews on opposite coasts in which similar unsympathetic comments about Harper’s personality were repeated under the guise of news about his “image makeover.” It’s a story the media themselves created – there was no Conservative announcement of any image makeover– to keep a negative focus on him, and now the CBC is torquing it mercilessly across the country.
But perhaps you thought it was just a coincidence. Maybe it was just an accident that two CBC interviewers in cities on opposite sides of the continent used similar insults in introductions with the same consultant to torque the same story. Well, today, we spent some more time on the real story behind the CBC campaign, and here’s what we found.
In Saint John, NB, here’s the more of the introduction from Gary Mittelholtz, host of the local drive-home program, “Mainstreet,” on June 16 [this contains the excerpt we reported yesterday; the quote begins at the point we began recording; all quotes are verbatim]:
… Harper’s summer of fun; great big barbeque plans to show Canadians his lighter, gentler side. But how much hope is there for a man who’s typically described as aloof, icy and arrogant? We’ve reached Bernie Gauthier. He’s with Delta Media, that’s a company that helps business leaders and politicians improve their public image. Bernie, good afternoon. So what do you think of the Conservative party’s latest strategy for their leader, here?
Listen to the mocking tones (requires audio player) with which Mittelholtz pronounces the words “lighter, gentler side.” The contempt in the man’s voice is beyond belief. But in his defense, he probably thought his Toronto bosses were listening.
And today, we recorded Jody Porter , the host of “Voyage North” in Thunder Bay, ON, interviewing the overworked Mr. Gauthier. Here’s her introduction, from the beginning:
Putting the party back in Conservative. Earlier this week, the conservatives announced Stephen Harper’s summer of fun; great big barbeque plans to show Canadians his lighter, gentler side. But how much hope is there for a man who’s typically described as aloof, icy and arrogant? To answer that question, we’ve reached Bernie Gauthier. He’s with Delta Media, a company that helps business leaders and politicians improve their public image. Mr. Gauthier, good afternoon. So what do you think of the Conservative party’s latest strategy for their leader?
Well, at least Porter delivered the lines written by Toronto headquarters without obvious contempt. But otherwise, most of the italicized words by Porter are identical to those by Mittelholtz .
So can there be any doubt that local CBC outlets are following precise instructions from Toronto about exactly how to keep the story alive? It’s proof positive that they were following a script from headquarters.
Meanwhile, for those of you who thought that the CBC is a diversified, regionalized network that cares about your local autonomy – well, you’re fooling yourself. Everything about the CBC is controlled tightly by Toronto. Sure, it’s the people’s network: it’s of the people (of Toronto), by the people (of Toronto) and for the people (of Toronto).
And why is the CBC so keen to keep the story of Harper’s alleged “makeover” alive? Yesterday, we told you the answer inadvertently offered by Bernie Gauthier. He explained that the focus on Harper’s image will cause everyone to see everything he does in the summer as contrived and insincere, part of the artificial effort to change his image. If he’s caught throwing a ball with his son, or anyone else, the hostile media will just repeat the story about his “image.” It’s a set-up – and we’ve seen it before.
But if you don’t believe Gauthier, here’s what columnist Don Martin said this afternoon in an interview on the local Ottawa CBC radio outlet. (Yes, we listened to way too much CBC radio today — but take it as proof that we know what we’re talking about. And thank us for the immense sacrifice.) Here’s Don Martin on Harper’s summer prospects:
Everyone’s going to be looking at every barbeque and saying this is just Stephen Harper being a phony baloney, flipping burgers because he’s been told by his image makers that he has to do it.
That’s right, Don, and that’s why the CBC has you on the air talking about it. But even Martin, who’s a better than average Hill reporter, tried in this interview to sell the press gallery’s spin that this “makeover” was announced by the Conservatives.
But that’s just not true – all the party did was announce Harper’s summer tour. Everything else is based on leading questions fed by the media to unwary Conservative MPs. Reporters on the Hill asked seemingly innocent questions about what some of his MPs thought of the leader’s image, and then they invented the story that the party had officially announced an image makeover. But that’s just another falsehood intentionally invented by the media (and dutifully repeated, by the way, in interviews coast-to-coast by consultant Gauthier — but that’s probably what they told him).
Don’t ever forget: We’ve seen this game from the Ontario media before. Remember how they mocked Preston Manning’s image when he first went to Ottawa? And when he tried to play along by changing his appearance, remember how they just mocked him for that too?
And with Stockwell Day, one stupid story about him back home on OK lake on a jet ski, and that’s all you’ll ever here from the Ottawa media about him again. Day’s mistake, like Manning’s, was to get sucked into their game – it was fixed against them from the beginning.
Different leader from the West; same sleazy game. The game in Ottawa will always be fixed against Westerners – the latest episode is just more evidence of that permanent reality – so Westerners should just quit playing and come home.
Not sure if a agree with your overall thesis, but this is a good theory. Whether they do in on purpose or not is hard to prove. You have definately proved that CBC is not regional and that some copywriter in HQ writes all the stuff.
Good points about the media spin, its a sneaky way to set up the story.
The question is, how does one overcome this?
You overcome “this” by getting rid of the CBC - the rot is too deep in this leftie organization to do anything else, the question is how will this ever be achieved granted the incestous relationship the CBC has with the Libs?
MB: How can it *not* be on purpose, if it’s directed from Toronto? Not everything is fed to the local outlets — they’re allowed to cover trivial things and local events on their own. It’s only the things that headquarters really cares about that get force-fed to the regions — which proves that the CBC bosses really care about making sure that Harper’s personality is slandered from coast to coast.
The main problem with this article isn’t with your evidence of negative Harper coverage, but rather you’re complete failure to show that Harper’s press is more negative than Dion’s press.
The CBC has ripped Dion’s image since he first began and all of their supposed “left-wing” supporters such as former conservative strategists also bash Dion’s leadership and image. Your historical references simply omit how former Liberal leaders were presented. They have revealed every glitch, every flaw, every negative piece of press. The weak Liberal establishment was exposed thoroughly on the National; worse than on CTV.
Your article would come across as more sophisticated if you could relax your obvious political bias.
The CBC is accused of being left-wing by conservatives, and right-wing by Liberals, but it is neither. They report both good and bad things for every party.
I don’t trust the CBC for a minute due to a personal experience. I was asked if they could interview me for a radio program over a project that I was working on. I agreed, and they would get back to me when it was all ’set up’. A few weeks later, they got back to me and said (I quote) “We are ready, but before we do the actual interview, we want you to know that we have scripted the dialogue, and have fictionalized it.”
I said, “What?? By ’scripted’ you mean to say that you have written out what I am supposed to say? And by ‘fictionalize’ you mean I am supposed to say things that are not true?’”
To which she replied, “Yes.”
I said, “I cannot agree.. ” and we ended our discussion.
Ever since, I never take at facae value what I hear on the CBC.