Good morning, British Columbia ... and may the sun shine upon the progressive voters today!

Yes, TV is dominant, and has been since the 1960s. TV news is highly manipulative on many levels, from lighting and colours to selective editting, which was the real key to the Bob Skelly rubout of 20 years ago.

I find it kind of hard to accept that Tom Barrett could have written this article without mentioning that in BC, within the overall dominance of TV, there is the singular dominance of BCTV and Tony Parsons. With the recent reshufflings of the CTV and CanWest/Global empires, shares may have altered somewhat. But Parsons is still the single most prominent face by which TV news is delivered to BC voters, a kind of super-Cronkite with a 70% or better share of households taking their cue from him. As an example of his overwhelming currency, if you look at the Citizen's Committee's STV video, it's not hard to see a close resemblance between their cartoon anchor and Parsons.

Back in the 1970s Tony Parsons, when he was still the regional CTV reporter, used to make noises that were vaguely favourable to Dave Barrett. That continued on for a few years after he became the The Anchor.

But sometime around 1980 he began to shift his attentions towards the Socreds, and it has stayed there ever since, gliding effortlessly across the floor to the Liberals at the time of the 1991 election, when Parsons was featuring as big news some nitely push polls showing that the Liberals were going to come from zero to government in one big shot.

It wasn't just Gordon Wilson's debate performance in itself that propelled the Liberals from 0 to 17 seats, it was Parsons treatment of that performance, plus the contrived polling data. It was really just his 1986 Bob Skelly rubout performance in reverse, promoting someone to an outrageous degree rather than slamming them.

In this election, in the last few days, BCTV has been reporting as news a teacher strike that everyone knows is pure, raw unadulterated invention. If Ernst Zundel can be charged with spreading false news, why not Parsons? I guess the police and Crowns are too afraid of how it would be portrayed on BCTV news, and well they should be.

Tom Barrett & Budd Campbell: Many thanks.

And didn't I hear (or was it a mere hope?) that B.C.T.F. has launched a civil suit against Gordon Campbell over that bit of false advertising?

False advertising is one thing. But if it's done deliberately, for the purpose of a benefit, surely to Ratzinger, that's in the criminal code of Canada? If it isn't, it should be.

You're right: if Zundel (who promoted hate based on false information), then why not CanWest? CanWest not only published false information, but informed B.C. Liberals ahead of publication, making it a maximized, premeditated assault for the purpose of a benefit.

Call me naive ... but I just cannot believe that this is legitimate in Canada in a post-Trudeau society.

Media is a direct tie in. Why do you think Liberals used so much of our money running an early election campaign on TV this past year ?? Then the deep pockets of business stepped up for them running ad after ad making sure, that the "weak minded" are brainwashed into buying that the all this havoc pushed on the province was for our own best interest. Liberal leaning Canwest was right there the whole time...when TV wasnt enough they hit radio and all the papers they bought up in the province as well. Sure NDP has been using media as well, but in no where near the same proportion. Its all vote brainwashing in one format or another. Well..I DID do my homework and didnt buy all this Liberal crap for one day of the miserable term they have been in office. Off to polls to deliver my kick at Campbell. Then off to one of my 3 low paying jobs Ive had to take to be able to eat in the " new era ".

While it'd be a stretch to define BCTV or Global's misinformation as spreading hatred, it's support for El Gordissimo is definitely biased. From the coverage of his crocodilian tears following the Maui debacle to the hornswoggle attributing this so-called grand economic recovery to Liberal cut and slash anti-poor, anti-elderly, anti-environment, anti-labour policies the BC news media has been remakably unobjective. Vote NDP - NO DRUNK PREMIERS!

I think it's parents more than media who influence political opinions. I was married to a socialist. We divorced. I raised two daughters. I am conservative. My girls didn't read or whatch TV on political subjects. They were however forced to listen to me. They are now both conservative. I am very happy about that. Canwest Global had no influence, unlike the obvious influence they seem to have on BC Mary.

"There is no such thing, at this date of the world's history in America, as an independent press You know it and I know it. There is not one of you who dare to write your honest opinions, and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in print. I am paid weekly for keeping my honest opinion out of the paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for similar things, and any of you who would be so foolish as to write honest opinions would be out on the street looking for another job. If I allowed my honest opinions to appear in one issue of my' paper, before twenty-four hours my occupation would be gone. The business of the journalist is to destroy the truth; to lie outright; to pervert; to vilify; to fawn at the feet of mammon, and to sell his country and his race for his daily bread. You know it and I know it and what folly is this toasting an independent press? We are the tools and vassals of rich men behind the scenes We are the jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities, and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes."
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--John Swinton, former chief of staff, The New York Times, in a 1953 speech before the New York Press Club

"We are grateful to the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time Magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promise of discretion for almost forty years... It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subject to the bright lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto determination practiced in past centuries."
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-- David Rockefeller, in an address given to Catherine Graham, publisher of The Washington Post and other media luminaries in attendance in Baden Baden, Germany at the June 1991 annual meeting of the world elite Bilderberg Group.

PS More then one Canadian Politician has attened these meetings the information is out there!

"We are going to impose our agenda on the coverage by dealing with issues and subjects that we choose to deal with."
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-- Richard M. Cohen, former Senior Producer of CBS political news
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"Our job is to give people not what they want, but what we decide they ought to have."
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-- Richard Salant, former President of CBS News
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Off Topic?

About The New World Order...
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"The individual is handicapped by coming face to face with a conspiracy so monstrous he cannot believe it exists."
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-- J. Edgar Hoover, former head of the FBI
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"Every child in American who enters school with an allegiance toward our elected officials, toward our founding fathers, toward our institutions, toward the preservation of this form of government. all of this proves the children are sick, because the truly well individual is one who has rejected all of those things and is what I would call the true international child of the future."
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-- Chester M. Pierce, Harvard University psychiatrist, at a 1973 International Education Seminar, as quoted in "Educating For The New World Order" by B.K. Eakman
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"The CFR [Council On Foreign Relations, New York City] is the American Branch of a society which originated in England and believes national directives should be obliterated and one-world rule established. I know of the operations of this network because I have studied it for twenty years, and was permitted in the early 1960's to examine its papers and secret records... I believe its role in history is significant enough to be known."
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--Dr. Carroll Quigley, Professor of International Relations, Georgetown University Foreign Service School, Washington, D.C., author of the epic "Tragedy & Hope", advocate of one-world government and personal mentor of President William Clinton (who acknowledged Professor Quigley during his 1992 presidential inauguration speech)
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"We shall have world government whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World government will be achieved by conquest or consent."
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--James Paul Warburg, Chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations, 1921 - 1932, before the U.S. Senate, February 17, 1950
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"To achieve world government, it is necessary to remove from the minds of men, their individualism, loyalty to family traditions, national patriotism and religious dogmas."
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-- Brock Chisolm, former Director of the World Health Organization
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"The main purpose of the Council on Foreign Relations is promoting the disarmament of US. sovereignty and national independence and submergence into an all powerful, one world government".
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-- Chester Ward, Rear Admiral and former Navy Judge Advocate 1956 - 1960 and CFR member for 15 years

New Era?

Call it what you want but know in your heart and mind that it isn't democracy folks. Polls and news-bites, waaaaaaves of information dispensed by minorities - convinced they know what's best in an ultra-complex world - blanketing the public are as poisonous to democracy as Nova Scotian tar pits are to housewives.

And over the leechy comments made to tinker with Christian voters at the Globe & Mail article that was maxed on posts: only sick people tinker with Christian voters. Since when was it unethical to vote NDP? NDP values are in tune with the spirit of Christ by a long shot in comparison to Liberals-n-.co who manage our affairs with everything but a heavy heart.

Pondering how great the honor, responsibility, and importance of public service is isn't the kind of think that makes a guy like Gordon Campbell tear up, being pinned and publicly humiliated for driving drunk while on vacation is.

You can be in my dream if I can be in yours.

B Dylan

ursus Have a touch of respect for the function of the article comment and discussion system. Your intensions are sketchy...

"But Parsons is still the single most prominent face by which TV news is delivered to BC voters, a kind of super-Cronkite with a 70% or better share of households taking their cue from him. "

Actually, it's closer to 50%. Still a sizable margin.

As influential I would argue, is Bill Good, with a 6pm slot on CTV (regularly second in 6pm news ratings) and CKNW in the morning.

I think waht Ursus shared is completely is relevant to the article. One idea links to another when thinking and reflecting. Are you the moderater? (a genuine question, not sarcasm)

I remember years ago reading a little book "The Hidden Persuaders". And, so for years have been at least somewhat conscious of being manipulated.

Right now on Rafe, Preston Manning is promoting STV which he did last night on CKNW and probably will on the Good show as well.His primary argument is 'some people (the east) think you're too stupid to figure out the STV, so vote for it.
STV might pass now because they are really working the rightwing base that was suspicious of it. If it does get in, and the NDP also get in it won' t be a disaster. If it passes and the Libs win, we're completely done.
Talk radio in the US, a most disgusting, hate filled exercise, for the most part has had a great role in the crisis we're in in North America.
It's really terrible because it's a tool to spreads lies with no accountability.

I'm not surprised, however, to hear that in BC we are less likely to be swayed by the media. lol We know that game.

Tom Barrett said:

...and Budd Campbell referred to a "Bob Skelly rubout". Are you guys serious? Are you attributing his '86 flameout to the media?

As much as I dislike the media in this province, I think his failure can be laid squarely at his own feet. The die was cast in the infamous news conference, when he "...ate too many tulip bulbs"

That was without a doubt one of the stupidest things I've ever seen a politician, (of any stripe), say.

Skelly dug his own grave...he didn't need any help from Tony Parsons.

I am of the opinion that my posts address the media perfectly, putting aside all the rhetoric look at what is happening in Ottawa and Victoria, are we or are we not as a Society being manipulated by the Media and Corporate Lobbyists, people like Tom d'Aquino? Pollsters tell us what we are concerned about Nationally and Provincially yet Governments do the opposite and continue to be re-elected? Go to the following web page and select more news for some interesting reading!

http://www.ceocouncil.ca/

I agree with deeby and in particular because I met Skelly twice. Once to photograph him for a business magazine and I was present when Harvey Southam interviewed him and the second time when I photographed him for campaign posters and brochure promotion. I spent a whole day with him. There was something tragic about the man that he withheld and covered up with a cold passionless demeanor. There was something about his past( perhaps someone here has a clue)that prevented him from giving his 100%.

As for Tony Parsons being such an influence we must not forget that the older Cronkite type anchors are in their way out in the US and probably in Canada, too. Perhaps those older than 50 watch those network channels in Canada, but the younger people, as we have seen, depend on the internet and on those mini-tabloids that litter our city streets. It is my belief that that Canwest is simpy preaching to the converted.

Another story that I would like to know more details about is how precisely Vander Zalm was chosen to represent the Socreds. I was assigned to cover (photographically) the Socred convention in Whistler and I was there when I saw Edgar Kaiser come in through a side door. Many say he was the man who annointed Vander Zalm. Remember that at the time the powerful white executives of corporations called the shots. I was present once at a meeting (to take photographs) of several forest product tycoons which was held in one of the Bentall buildings. Harvey Southam was there to cover and write the story. He was privy (through his connections) to meetings that "normal" reporters never had access to. I distinctly remember Ron Longstaff saying, "Who are we going to appoint as Chancellor of Simon Fraser University?"

never heard of media monopoly? Guess why? Media monopoly.

http://adbusters.org/metas/psycho/mediacarta/

``The power to control information is a major lever in the control of society. Giving citizens a choice in ideas and information is as important as giving them a choice in politics. If a nation has narrowly controlled information it will soon have narrowly controlled politics.''
-Ben H. Bagdikian, The Media Monopoly

http://www.mega.nu/ampp/media_bias.html#metatop

now get your asses out there and vote!

Does the media influence the voter, of course, that's what they exist for, to manufacture consent and ensure that the elites get their way.

alexwh

I believe that when the media monopoly, when it is not content to simply make it's opinions known, but is prepared to lie about, or distort facts, in support of it's agenda, does have an influence on the decisions citizens make. It is why, although I disagree with most of what the Liberals have done, my anger is directed more to the media than to the Campbell Liberals.

John Swinton was an interesting character but not so interesting as to be able to make a speech in 1953. He died in 1901.

Stump says:
"Actually, it's {Parson's share} closer to 50%. Still a sizable margin.

As influential I would argue, is Bill Good, with a 6pm slot on CTV (regularly second in 6pm news ratings) and CKNW in the morning."

Sizable indeed, and loyal and trusting to the point of extreme credulousness. Bill Goode may have some numbers, but nowhere near the same loyalty, or the same immense power to influence public opinion. If Parsons smiles slighly as he mentions the name of a party of candidate, their vote goes up. If he frowns gently, they are doomed.

Parsons is know for his control orientation, not allowing the NABET people to have any hand in writing copy, and purging his newsroom every few years to keep people on their toes and to lower salary costs by hiring a new crop of younger reporters.

A study of the media in BC politics that is not a study of Tony Parsons, is not just incomplete, it's necessarily wrong and misleading.

deeby says "Skelly dug his own grave...he didn't need any help from Tony Parsons."

Ridiculous. No one would have seen it were it not for TV, and no one would have seen it repeated dozens of times on TV were it not for Parsons, and also Cameron Bell, the nominal chief of news, before he fell out with Parsons.

of course the media influences the electorate. they always have and they always will. but to beat the dead canwest horse ad nauseum is completely naive and immature on the part of the left, as it is when the right and the western standard flog the cbc. they're equally liable, 50% of the damages to each party.

Much enjoying your input, ursus.

I agree, Tom Hawthorn, John Swinton is an interesting character and it seems he uttered that quote closer to 1880. He was managing editor of the NY Times during the civil war. Scottish-born, he learned typesetting in Canada before moving to the United States. One of the great defenders of labour and freedom of the press - though his quote shows how rare he believes that is). More on him on:

zeppscommentaries.com/History/swinton.htm

"Parsons is know for his control orientation, not allowing the NABET people to have any hand in writing copy."

Unionized workers are represented by CEP at Global, as they are at most other unionized media outlets in Vancouver as well.

Can you substantiate any of these assertations?

"I believe that when the media monopoly, when it is not content to simply make it's opinions known, but is prepared to lie about, or distort facts, in support of it's agenda, does have an influence on the decisions citizens make. It is why, although I disagree with most of what the Liberals have done, my anger is directed more to the media than to the Campbell Liberals."

I believe you may want to rethink who you're mad at... and whether your giant conspiracy constitutes the simplest and most likely reason for the way things are.

So I can feel the groundswell gain momentum..

If the NDP prevail today then the righteous intelligent people of BC will have prevailed but if the Liberals prevail the hapless moronic nitwits of BC allowed themselves to be manipulated by the "corporate controlled mainstream media"

Just a thought for you to consider tomorrow morning...maybe if the intelligentsia in the left had a little more respect for the people that vote they might gradually find their parties receive more votes, god forbid even enough eventually to take power.

duh, where did all these Liberal voters come from....not the boardrooms in downtown Vancouver.

I know what would work, do away with the secret ballot, good union people could cast their provincial election vote at their workplaces under the watchful eyes of their union locals.

might diminish the amount of traitorous Liberal voting by union members

Whew, glad the experts figured that one out. I never would have.

6 years sans-tv and counting....

There are 4 senior liberal aids in front of the courts today. Our premiere is a convicted felon, we are selling of crown assets like drunken sailors. We had the office of the finance minister raided by RCMP and we appointed Mr Walls in charge of children and families while being invested for fraud. Gee I wonder if the media has an impact, how does this compare to a porch Reno in which Clarke was acquitted. Or a so called teachers strike that may happen sometime in the future, maybe but we're not sure yet. Even the CBC is on side, the left needs to get in and break the media open, stop complaining and just bust it open, In Germany the UK and France they have major left wing papers funded by big labor. Why on earth don't they have it here. Just to get a different perspective out their, we have these neo con rags playing such a role, this is a very scary time for media concentration and its only getting
Worst if we don't break it open.

Ridiculous?...right back at you there Budd!

You seem to be blaming a TV news crew and anchor for showing up at...a press conference (gasp!), and then reporting the fact that a political leader vying for the highest office in the province told an exceptionally bad joke, bordering on racist.

I repeat, Skelly didn't need anyone's help to look foolish....

deeby claims that I "seem to be blaming a TV news crew and anchor for showing up at...a press conference (gasp!), and then reporting the fact that a political leader vying for the highest office in the province told an exceptionally bad joke, bordering on racist."

That of course is not what I said and it's not the point, and deeby knows that. The point is not that the press conference was covered, it's that Skelly's nervous stumbling, which lasted ten or fifteen seconds, was repeated endlessly over the next few weeks on BCTV, to the exclusion of nearly all other film clips. It's the selective editting, plus the endless repitition that create intentional distortion.

Stump says that "unionized workers are represented by CEP at Global, as they are at most other unionized media outlets in Vancouver as well." My mistake, it was once NABET, and I hadn't made the transition. The point is that Parsons doesn't want the union having any more influence in his newsroom than necessary. That my explain his distaste for the NDP.

Thanks for the correction TomHawthorn and Lynn, I lost the original quote and in a hurry I did not take the time to check the dates etc on the first one I found on the net! :)

I agree with others here who have suggested that we need a "left leaning" media here. Prior to the recent election in the US, Air America radio took to the airwaves, and they were unabashedly supporting, and supported by, the Left. Their reasoning was and is straightforward: if the Right has it's own media, then the Left better have one, too. Complaining about the media bias, while doubtless justified, isn't going to change anything. Countering the lean to the right with a lean of our own, will.

Sparkyboy wrote:

I totally agree. I'm tired of hearing people blame the media for their political fortunes. Quoting media magnates who blow their own horns doesn't prove they are powerful -- it proves they are self-promoters (of course they want people to think they have control over what their readers/viewers think).

As for the so-called media monopoly: if the "left" wants to create a newspaper or other media outlet, they can go right ahead -- nobody's stopping them ... the question is whether enough people want to read it!

Moreover, isn't it ironic that, on a left-leaning news source like the Tyee, some are suggesting that there are no left-leaning media?

You don't solve a problem of right-wing bias in the media by introducing a left-wing bias ("two wrongs don't make a right"). This was the American 'solution' (only the other way 'round) after George Bush almost lost the 2000 Presidential election and, while it may have provided employment and stroked the egos of people like Rachel Marsden, it did nothing to inform the American people. If we split our media into left-wing camps and right-wing camps, where is the majority in the middle supposed to get the facts/truth and what hope is there that the political ideologues on both 'sides' will gain even a shred of perspective? While Canada is only 18th on the list of countries with the most free press, there is a reason why the Americans are down at number 22 (Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index). Let's not go there!

Of course the media shapes our thinking....
There is absolutely no doubt that brainwashing exists in the media to the extent that would put Joseph Geobbels (WW2 Nazi Information Minister) to shame. Fox News may be the biggest perpetrator the world has even known.
The media even tries to justify it by declaring that it is all part of the competition for viewers - truth or not.

Today I googled a 21 Feb. 1999 article in Vancouver Province by Rafe Mair. I was looking for background on Sam Bawlf, once a Socred Cabinet Minister, who had been actively advising Premier Glen Clark on the merits of getting into the Fast Ferry project.

Then I looked at B.C. Free Press (haha) for the same period.

Holy Ratzinger, I had forgotten the depths to which the Socred/Reform/Alliance/Liberal(haha) media could sink and still find oxygen. And that was the background out of which the 2001 B.C. election played itself out.

Damn right, the media seduced and bamboozled British Columbians to the tune of 77 to 2. It's a miracle the Campbell group didn't get 89 seats.

Looks to me like Tom is still looking for a job with the major media.