Entitlements of a Lazy Media
February 15, 2006 · By Peter Rempel
American Media: Deeply disturbed that Dick Cheney waited 48 hours before informing the press of the hunting accident he was involved in. Cheney should have dropped his rifle and hunting cap and sprinted to the nearest media scrum. And so we get reporter after reporter whining at length:
“Vice President Cheney shot a man in the head on Saturday, and 21 hours later you had to be looking at the Web page of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times to find out about it….If the vice president’s office was “working,” it was working awfully slowly. They didn’t even let McClellan know until 6 a.m. Sunday morning, 12 hours after the hunter had been “peppered.”
Following up on this new sense of entitlement, Canadian reporters have taken to complaining that the new government has been unwilling to provide the press with it’s daily slab of meat (from Gloria Galloway, the single member of the Carol “Doh!” Jamieson fan club):
“In more than a week since his controversial cabinet took the oath of office, Mr. Harper has made few forays into the world of cameras and digital recorders.”
Galloway then goes on to list Harper’s public appearances over the course of the past week: five in total. Now to me five appearances in one week means one for each working day. But that’s not enough for Galloway, and her expert opinion is dutifully confirmed by another expert: Peter Donolo. Who was, in case that name rings a bell, a Liberal staffer for most of the 1990s.
There’s a reason that five media appearances in a week is not enough. And that reason is: Members of the media press gallery suffer from attention deficit disorder:
“In the six weeks until MPs return to the House of Commons, the Opposition and press gallery members will be looking for ways to occupy their idle hands. And while Mr. Harper works on his Throne Speech, prepares legislation and receives briefings, the news generated in his absence is unlikely to be positive.”
So just to be clear: the absence of news in Ottawa will not dissuade the Ottawa press gallery from writing stories about the news. And since the prime minister is not providing daily meat for the press gallery to chew on, it’s likely that those stories will be negative (or, as Galloway impishly puts it, “unlikely to be positive”). And doesn’t Galloway’s story itself substantiate this?
UPDATE: Also see Thomas Sowell’s Spoiled Brat Media
Someone was shot. That is an investigative matter. I worked at Police HQ. You listen to what goes on on the dispatch, wired to your belt. Every night, incident after incident. Are you saying someone being shot is not a matter for police investigation? That’s not what our RCMP would say, vice-president or not. How do you know what happened, until its thoroughly investigated? Are you saying if it had been you or your neighbor, we could really look into this, but if its a VIP you just can let it go? I don’t think so. In my experience, if someone isn’t forthcoming, there’s a reason for it.
John, Rempel isn’t insinuating any of that. The police were notified right away, and considering Cheney has law enforcement personel with him at all times—the Secret Service—it’s not like he’s going to get away anything like you are suggesting.
Rempel is right on with this searing critique of media “entitlements”. In an era of 24 hour news coverage and reality tv, many in the news media act like dancing monkeys, expectant of the banana being thrown to them simply because they’re such glamorous, but undoubtedly earnest, entertainers in “what’s going on in the world”. The whole story about a Cheney cover up is ridiculous, a completely disengenuous reportage of what actually happened.
The Canadian news reports on “Harper’s disastrous first week” amount to pretty much the same inflated hype over nothing much.
Seeing as how once again the actual point has been missed, I will lay it out for you. The problem was not with this one event about Cheney mistaking his friend for a quail, it is simply an example of the larger problem the media has been having with this administration. The problem being that the Executive branch of the US government continously feels that they are above the law. They do not view themselves as accountable to anyone. They do not feel that they have to justify their actions, etc. In China this would be standard practice, this is not acceptable in the United States. For more information on this, visit the “internet” and read any US news story over the past 5 years…
“The problem being that the Executive branch of the US government continously feels that they are above the law.”
Who are you to speak to how the Executive branch of the US government “feels”?
“They do not view themselves as accountable to anyone. They do not feel that they have to justify their actions, etc. In China this would be standard practice, this is not acceptable in the United States.”
What on earth are you talking about? The Bush administration is an elected government and presidencies are elected every four years. And yes, they still watch their polling data between elections.
Any half wit knows that a US President has far less power, far less ability to cover things up, within the US than say a Canadian PM in Canada. In the US there is a clear separation of powers between the Executive, Legislative, and the Judiciary, and if a President wants to accomplish his mandate he has to be able to co-operate with and respect both. And if scandals like Watergate, Iran/Contra, Clinton’s impeachment, or even Abu Grahab tell us anything about American politics, it’s that the spirit of liberal democracy is alive and well in America. Your understanding is both ignorant and cynical, based seemingly on conspiracy theory naiveness.
And thanks for the research advice on “the internet”, but maybe you should start with actual books; hone your sense of good judgement a little more, becoming a little less dumb.
I thought that the Cheney thing was just a good lead-in to the discussion of the Canadian media. When you actually think about what Galloway has written about the responsibility of the prime minister to put on a daily song & dance for the media, it’s pretty unbelievable.
Georgie - are you off the wagon again? What on earth do you not understand? Seriously, you don’t seem capable of understanding simple concepts. Any half-wit who follows the news can easily figure these things out. You continuely reply with non-sensical posts. Perhaps politics just isn’t your thing.
And by the way Georgie, if you honestly believe that the current US Administration made it to office 100% legally, then you are seriously a lost case. Lay off the kool-aid there freeman.
Georgie, I’ve been noticing on other articles on this blog that your personal comments are becoming down-right vicious. Surely you’re better than that. Step up to plate and leave the nastiness behind - that is simply pathetic, low-life, and degrading for yourself. You simply prove my point over and over that conservatives are incapable of actual discourse and have to resort to name calling. Sad.
While I couldn’t agree any less with what Jason C and Frank Wiley have to say, I do agree that this George Freeman guy is way off the mark with the personal attacks (calling them Dumb/SOBs/Morons/Idiots). It simply looks like these guys have you on a leash and you’re lashing out like an enraged beast. All of you should find a different blog to continue this. But George, be the bigger man and stay away from the nasty personal attacks - while I don’t agree with Jason C and Frank Wiley’s point of view, they come across with a lot more dignity than you do at this point.
The media feels entitled in a free society where their leaders are elected and accountable to the public to report their doings; like shooting someone in the face… This is typical of the Bush administration, that’s what the media is lamenting about. Apparently this is how the White House is spinning this;
The Vice President is standing by his decision to shoot Harry Whittington. Now, according to the best intelligence available, there were quail hidden in the brush. Everyone believed at the time there were quail in the brush. And while the quail turned out to be a 78- year-old man, even knowing that today, Mr. Cheney insists he still would have shot Mr. Whittington in the face. He believes the world is a better place for his spreading buckshot throughout the entire region of Mr. Wittington’s face.
Regime change starts at home…
Just so everyone is aware, Rob Tipple, Daniel Lestor and Jason C are the same person. How do I know this? As admin for this weblog I can view the IP address of all the commentators and guess who shares the same address. Yup, you guessed it, Rob Daniel and Jason all
This is the level trolls will often go to warp and manipulate the debate.
Pathetic isn’t it?
What a suprise.
Hmmm, you mean posts 6 through 10 are all from the same horse’s ass? And this from a guy intent on criticising the inherent wrongness of writing too much. :-)
Right on!!! Glad to know at least he was agreeing with me!!! However, I do question the legitimacy of Greg’s claim. Anyone can say they are the “Admin” of a weblog. Because I can’t seem to trust anything on this blog - who says Greg is any different… this sounds like an attempt to discredit his/their messasge (is greg really simply “George Freeman” on a different computer with a different login??). Perhaps I’m just playing the devil’s advocate but back on MIRC I used to pretend I was the admin because it was fun to see how people reacted. This webblog just lost what little credibility it had left. All of you have some explaining to do - Greg, Jason C, Rob Tipple, Daniel Lestor.
Frank, get lost. I’m tired of your drivel.
Losers!!!! Actually we’re two different people here at the high-school library. Frank - you’re on your own buddy. Good luck. Thanks to our research on this website, my poli-sci paper will be entitled “How Conservatives use blogs to warp their message” (3000 word minimum)
As for Greg - if you really are the “Admin” - simply delete our posts. Isn’t that how conservatives deal with desent?
Georgie - nice dealing with you. You will be given a nice place in our paper - about how Conservatives use nasty words instead of actual discourse. Don’t worry, I’ll only be paraphrasing you as some of that shit was pretty harsh. Sounds like you’ve been tossing the salad a bit too much and are simply lashing out at people.
I didn’t write anything too terribly harsh, not any where close to what annonymous contributors to the Western Standard say these days, anyway. :-)
But I’m always happy when I can leave an impression on young flowering minds (emphasis on the “flowering”), destined for complete failure in life in about 10 years time. Maybe then will they appreciate what girly men they were in their green and salad days, when the consequences of their own actions in the real world were minimal, when in the vanity of their youth they forsook common sense for a pedantic love of Google.
Send the paper to us when you’re finished, we could all use a good laugh.
You guys really are a bunch of simpletons. Why would I delete your comments, your ignorance and incompetence is a glaring example of the quality of left-wing/liberal discussions/opinions. The more drivel you spew the more our positions are reaffirmed.
Now run along children, the grown-ups are talking…
“…here at the high-school library. ”
What another suprise.
I’m not sure which is worse… the fact that these were high-school kids messing around with you, or the fact that you guys are still arguing with them and calling them names. Greg - give it up, you got duped by some kids, no need to attempt to justify anything else at this point. I bet George Freeman feels like a real man having called them sons of bitches simply because he didn’t agree with their point of view.
By the way George, look up what “tossing the salad” really means. It has nothing to do with greens or salad. lol.
On being a “real man”, I can’t say I can distinguish any particular feeling to it. I just am what I am. :-)
I didn’t call them SOBs simply because they didn’t agree with me, rather I was minimally hoping to insight their anger. When someone is too stupid to carry on a reasonable conversation, unwilling to recognise the handicap of their own ignorance, it seems worth while to insult them, make them angry, and hope they either feel motivated to better defend what they are saying or shut up about it. This is made all the more worth while when the person you are insulting is a sanctimonious loser, routinely availing of his/her fall back position of condescending self-righteous indignation.
“Green and salad days” refers to youth and inexperience in the ways of the world, innocence you might say. Quite distinct from “tossing the salad”, don’t you think?
Mmmmmmmmm, saaalad.
Ok, I can understand the ignorance of those fools - they’re immature highschool students with nothing better to do.
What’s your excuse Frank Wiley?
Excuse for what? Knowing more than you? That comes naturally with an education and a fair and balanced look at the issues which leads to all my factual conclusions.
LOL - a bunch of high-schoolers got the best of you greg - suck it up and move on with your life.
Frank, you haven’t demonstrated that you know anymore than anyone, only repeating the same nonsense. You behave like a troll—although I don’t know that you really are one—by insisting on exercising your own stupidity, living a denuded second-reality that none of us are willing to join because it would demand forsaking common sense first-reality.
Why don’t you come on over to the world of common experience and explain why it is that you think what you think, willing to admit when you are wrong? Your only alternative seems to be a lonely self-assurance in your own “factual conclusions”, denying that “facts” require interpretation because of a lazy unwillingness to think critically, and thereby destined to get booted by Greg for being such an idiot.
Freeman - get a life. You’re off your rocker and get a little more informed about life. What you read in the Calgary Sun is not always the whole story.