Sunday, March 04, 2007

Editorializing the news

Am I just getting paranoid, or is there some blatant bias going on here?

Now please keep in mind that the following article in listed in the Toronto Sun under News; not Comment or opinion: Sikh MP battles 'smear campaign'. Reporter Ajit Jain tells us of the brave face that "the youngest Liberal MP" Navdeep Bains is putting on in spite of Stephen Harper's apparent bullying tactics.

This is the paragraph you need to read very carefully:

We all know how Harper got up in the House of Commons and started reading from a report in the Vancouver Sun that the Liberals were opposed to extending life of two sunset clauses in the Anti-Terrorism Act to protect Darshan Singh Saini, Bains' father-in-law, who reportedly is on the RCMP list of potential witnesses in the ongoing Air India criminal investigation.


Is that really what the article reported? Or did Kim Bolan simply list some facts, and let the reader draw his or her own conclusion?

We don't even know exactly what spin the PM was planning to put on the article anyway, because he was shouted down by an obviously well-orchestrated howling chorus of self-serving, sanctimonious Liberals. However, I don't see Reporter Jain mentioning that little tidbit.

So, if you're outraged about this, please consider voicing your opinion.

Letters to the editor can be sent to: editor@tor.sunpub.com


Monday Update: Rachel Giese's column (Harper's a Bad Boy) is even worse, but at least it's an opinion column. She's obviously anti-Harper and pro-Gore. Hard to take first thing in the morning.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Joanne
the liberals want to make this a hot topic " Baines" this and abortion and same sex marriage
don't fall for their tactics
everyone has moved on
there will be no interest in the investigation topic unless something big is uncovered the liberals have managed to divert attention away from the investigation
Florence

wilson said...

MSM is presenting the
'coverup for the father-in-law' like it's a fact.
(the Basi thing is in the news too)
So what's the readers take?
A smear job, or a fact?

Libs could have nipped this in the bud, (Bains should not have voted) but chose instead to use it to paint PMSH as a meanie.
Which opened up the issue 'ethnic bloc voting during the Lib leadership race'. (hard to NOT connect those dots)

molarmauler said...

I dunno, it wasn't the greatest column for me. Too much suck up and not quite enough pity.

Next column Bains should get his mommy to write it. Maybe it'll be a little better balanced.

Anonymous said...

It seems to me that for people who claim there's no connection and there's a smear campaign going on against family, there sure are protesting muchly. Do you plan to sue for $10 million? I hope not. :-)

It might be an idea though, because then there would have to be an investigation, and the facts would come out. They couldn't really sue PM Harper for what they "thought" he was going to say.

So, they'd have to sue the Vancouver Sun, and Kim Bolan. It begs the question why they aren't taking their outrage out on Kim Bolan??? Perhaps because it's manufactured????

raz

Erik Sorenson said...

I'm ahead of you. At exactly the same time as you we posting this article, I was pushing the Send button:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To: editor@tor.sunpub.com
Re: "Sikh MP battles Smear Campaign", Ajit Jain, Mar 4/07

What is a fluff piece like this doing in your newspaper? PM Harper was
beginning to quote from the Vancouver Sun article, but was immediately
shouted down by boorish Liberals like Bains. Now they express fake outrage
at what Harper didn't say? Pull the other leg.

If Bains thinks he's been
slandered, let him sue the Vancouver Sun. They wrote the "slurs" he
complains about, not the PM. And Bains should not give up his day job if
this is an example of his best acting ability.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Just an example of what you can write to the editor. May not have any effect, but nothing ventured --- nothing gained.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Erik - Fantastic letter!! Thanks for sharing. I'll be watching for it.

Well done.

Anonymous said...

I was waiting for the part where Jain actually cites the article or produces the Hansards from Parliament , after all , the ATA was attacked for assuming a guilt
based on what someone may be thinking or planing to do.

Typical Liberal irony and hypocrisy.

Anonymous said...

Is that really what the article reported? Or did Kim Bolan simply list some facts, and let the reader draw his or her own conclusion?

honestly, who are you kidding? people dont just write articles for the sake of sharing mere facts -

Just like people don't evade a question by quoting an article relating to something totally off-subject -- only for the sake of quoting an article.

Concerned said...

Thought I'd toss a letter of my own to editor. Probably fall on deaf ears though.

To the Editor,

Do your writers and/or editors not check the facts of what your paper publishes as reliable news?
Did you print this article and seriously not expect to be called on it?

I watched the events live as they unfolded. Apparently the person who wrote this piece did not. Where does he come up with the statement:

“We all know how Harper got up in the House of Commons and started reading from a report in the Vancouver Sun that the Liberals were opposed to extending life of two sunset clauses in the Anti-Terrorism Act to protect Darshan Singh Saini, Bains' father-in-law, who reportedly is on the RCMP list of potential witnesses in the ongoing Air India criminal investigation.”

This is a complete fabrication by extrapolation, and has absolutely nothing to back it up in fact.
If you check the actual record, you will find this to be true.
Mr. Harper was shouted down with feigned indignation by the Liberal Opposition for something that had not even been said.

Your title “Sikh MP battles 'smear campaign'” leans highly toward miss-leading and sensationalism.
The alleged “smear” never took place except in the minds of those who profess to see the future.
And the term “campaign” does not fit the facts either.
campaign (plural campaigns) - a series of operations undertaken to achieve a set goal; as, an election campaign, a military campaign, an advertising campaign
The only series of operations undertaken that I’ve seen is the one being perpetuated by the Liberals themselves.

Respectfully
------------

Anonymous said...

concerned,

you're either naive, delusional or just well...probably not stupid.

The question given to Harper dealt with his appointment of judges --- right?

What did he bring up instead?

He brought up the air India bombings, Mr. Bains, and his Father in law - (quoting an article).

it doesn't take a harvard graduate to figure out what his intentions were

Anonymous said...

and btw, your're right to toss away your letter to the editor.

you only gave a single sided view - entirely missing the first half of how expression of disspointed by the opposition came about.

I wonder why you're conciously failed to bring that part up.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

entirely missing the first half of how expression of disspointed by the opposition came about.

What?? Translation please.

Anonymous said...

the media won't let "bully" die we need to take the high road even though we know Dion is DANGEROUS
Florence

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Florence, you are so right. Harper needs to be seen to be doing whatever it takes to 'make Parliament work'.

He needs to let Baird, etc. do the 'attack-dog' stuff, and stay calm, focused and dignified.

PM Harper, if you want any more advice, I'm here. ;)

Anonymous said...

on garth turner's blog someone is using dangerous as a label for The Rt. Honorable Prime Minister Stephen Harper
let's not go there
let's concentrate on what our policy is and plans for the future
and hope they find something big with the liberals and air india
and continue to one up the opposition in question period
Florence

Anonymous said...

a la Giese...."Mr. Harper -- how do I put this politely? -- has never seemed that interested in making friends in the House, or in playing nice."

Oh my...how arrogant. I'm sure that PM Harper rushes to the news to read what she writes on a regular basis.

Rachel Giese is a bad columnist (better title than the one she chose)

She's not someone I read on a regular basis, Joanne, but I skimmed the article because you pointed it out.

raz :-)

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Yes, I agree, Florence. I stopped reading Garth's blog for the most part, after he referred to a Christian group as the Taliban.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Rachel Giese is a bad columnist (better title than the one she chose)

Raz, I blew it! That would have been a perfect title for a post. Oh well. Next time I'll check with you first.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

And speaking of Garth..

Anonymous said...

Rachel Giese is a bad columnist (better title than the one she chose)

Raz, I blew it! That would have been a perfect title for a post.

...use it Joanne.

Don't know if you read the article on National Newswatch about Chretien, and Bill Clennett. (sp?)....if you scroll down, you'll see that famous picture of Chretien trying to "strangle" the heckler. ha ha....that's much more of a concern than ruckus in the House of Commons.

I often think that if there were no cameras in the House, that the rapport would be better (it could be worse too though). Most of the crowd in there plays to the camera. Correction.....all of the crowd. It's like having free air time for their own party's "attack ads."

However, Rachel Giese says that the PM sets the tone. I'm not sure about that, considering that Dion starts Question Period with the first assault....er....I mean, question.

All I know for sure, is this. If I were PM Harper, I would probably not have as much decorum as he does, having to face 3 bozos lead their parties in opposition. I'm sure by now, that I would have been kicked out of the House by Peter Milliken, who by the way, sleeps in the same bed as Alexander MacKenzie King....and, wasn't he the guy who saw or spoke to spirits???

In Canada you say??? Pity.

raz :-)