Friday, November 09, 2007

The not-so-hidden agenda at the Star - Updated

Update: Star front page here (H/T Norman Spector).

More here: PM to Cities - Drop dead. Nice.

* * * *

Really interesting story going on behind the scenes at National Newswatch.

This morning a story from the Toronto Star was posted on National Newswatch with the headline, "PM tells cities to drop dead."

I couldn't believe my eyes! When I clicked on the link the story came up with a different headline - Harper rejects financial aid for cities, as it is now.

I assumed that NNW had gone decidedly to the left.


A short time ago, National Newswatch posted an explanation at the top of the page:

Some people seem to think that NNW tourqued a headline to a Toronto Star story posted this morning. The headline, "PM tells cities to drop dead" was taken directly from the source and not invented by NNW. Please see the headline in Google's cache for the exact headline as it appeared! Pease forward apologies to NNW - you know who you are!

Obviously some people were as shocked as I was, but National Newswatch insists that the original headline was indeed "PM tells cities to drop dead", and proof is provided via a screenshot of the google news link.

So if anyone was upset with National Newswatch this morning, please direct your anger to the Star.

National Newswatch remains one of my favourite resources for current, unbiased news.


* * * *
Update! Steve Janke's onto the trail... We'll get some answers now!

National Newswatch has posted a link showing that the Star has used the "Drop dead" phrase before.

Not very professional, folks.


Unambig weighs in as well.

Caveat - Our 'Professional' Media. Great images. Well done.

Halls of Macadamia - You wanna see leftwing media bias?

SDA - Now you see it...

Meanwhile, back at the polls...


* * * *

Sunday Update: Hooray for Thomas Walkom! - Jonathan Kay.

Kay praises the Star columnist, who has the audacity to state the following:

He may not be giving Toronto everything it wants or needs. But he has not told it to drop dead either.




41 comments:

OMMAG said...

What has the Red Rag published that was anything but intended to promote their blatant socialist views?

They need a hammer and scickle on their masthead!

Anonymous said...

I also couldn't believe it when I saw it on National Newswatch. I knew there had to be an explanation. The Toronto Star went way over the line this time. I don't know what's worse - the actual headline or trying to cover it up. Wow! whatever happened to journalistic responsibility and integrity? Talk about a hidden agenda! Hey Travers, this is a mighty unCanadian thing to do and it goes against Canadian values. I'm sure you'll mention this little mishap in your next rant.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Yeah, the story itself is bad enough.:

Harper's reply: Don't bother asking.

That almost looks like a quote.

The problem is that this is supposed to be a news article, right? Not an editorial. This one goes beyond the pale.

Anonymous said...

Blew me away when I saw it at the variety store this morning.

My first thought was that Harper would not use that kind of language and certainly not in front of his dear supporters in the press.

I couldn't believe the headline - I guess the arrogant gatekeepers at the Star are right out in the open with their incredible bias now, which could be a good thing.

If their readers gave it any thought, that is.

I should buy a copy to keep.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Caveat! It's actually in the print copy?

I should buy a copy to keep.

I was thinking of running out to pick up a copy too, but then I decided that I didn't want to fund propaganda.

Anonymous said...

Lamestream media outlets have become great employers for fiction writers, perhaps the striking Hollywood writers have taken part-time jobs?

Anonymous said...

TangoJuliette sez:

10,000 cuts. Covering McGuinty's "fed-bashing" B.S.

This is a classic case of "...men with pens...in the streets of our cities...being 'creative' and higly biased with the presentation of their version of 'their truth'...sinister men...with pens...torquing reality...making things up....'cause they think that their Liberal friends are the only ones eternally entitled to govern [and pillage] this land...for their own librano benefit..."

Pravda on Yonge. Telling it thier way. Just because they can.


tj

t.e.&o.e.

Catch you all back here next week.

Anonymous said...

this from a paper that they give away free at gas stations and craft fairs.

Really quite telling of what they think their readership has for brains.....and it's not pretty folks.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

perhaps the striking Hollywood writers have taken part-time jobs?

Good one. It would be hilarious if this wasn't such a serious issue.

Anyone with a brain who picked up that newspaper today and read the whole article would be able to see for themselves that the PM never said any such thing.

So what was the point? To sell newspapers? To spread a subliminal message to tired commuters as they marched towards their busses and trains?

Anonymous said...

the news choice of of lemmings everywhere.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

the news choice of lemmings everywhere

Ha! That's for sure.

The Star's credibility has reached a new low today.

Anonymous said...

Commies cheat to win because they cannot win by playing fair. (real conservative)

Jeff said...

anon said,

this from a paper that they give away free at gas stations and craft fairs.

i think you've got the star mixed up with the post.

the star is the most read paper in canada.

Anonymous said...

Yes, it was indeed on the print copy. I saw it in a newspaper box.

As has been explained by others, the wording exactly mimics a famous headline from NYC in 1975, which said:

Ford to City: Drop Dead

I guess the Star didn't get the memo to bash the damn Americans today, instead it flattered them (by imitation) and used a US cultural reference.

Good heavens! That teapot might, might, might spill.

Hahahaha! ©

Anonymous said...

Annon to LS: Drop Dead

Anonymous said...

Annon to LS: Drop Dead

That sounds like a threat, anon 4:20. That does cross the line.

Should we get a court order to the Blogging Tories to get their records for who was on this site at 16:20 on November 9, 2007?

Retract your statement.

Anonymous said...

The sad thing is no one seems to be able to read the Constitution. Section 92 subsection 8 clearly states that municipal institutions are the responsibility of the Provinces. This whole 1 cent crap of Miller's would be unconstitutional. The only thing Miller should be doing in lobbying the provincial government since he can't balance his own mess. Yes I understand about the federal spending power too.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Mark - You threw me off there for a minute. Ah yes, talking to the substance of the article. Quite right.

L.S. - If you are feeling threatened, I'll blow away Anon's comment.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

the star is the most read paper in canada.

That only tells me there are a lot of lemmings in Ontario.

'Most read' doesn't mean 'most credible'. There are a lot of shlock tabloids at the grocery store checkout that seem to have a wide reading audience too.

Anonymous said...

right, the most read because they give them away at gas stations and craft fairs. I'd never actually pay for it. Actually, I've started refusing them at the gas station. They sit in my car unread until the end of the week...then I line the guinea pig cage.......ha, would a guinea pig be a relative of a, wait for it.....lemming?

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Yes, Anon. They're both rodents anyway...

Boy I hope my sister isn't reading this. She is a Star subscriber.

Anonymous said...

the star is the most read paper in canada.

Despite reading it regularly, my cat is quite conservative.

KURSK said...

I don't think anyone would construe'drop dead' to be a threat..but if you are thin skinned perhaps it can bruise a delicate psyche..

I love comrade Miller though..he actively campaigns against the conservatives, then buddies up to them when he needs a handout..

Same with the lefties who vote for him..want more? Vote conservative.
Where have all the liberal promises got you over the years?

Toronto waterfront anybody?

Anonymous said...

Joanne,
Sorry, I've been busy, yes it was in the print edition. Unbelievable.

I have a picture at my blog if you want to clip it or whatever.

http://caveat.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2007/11/9/3344591.html

I bought the paper, should have taken my camera to the variety store instead.

It kind of fit in with my rant about the insufferable media type who was on The Agenda last night, poo pooing the intertubes. There's a link to that too if you can stand the guy's overweening arrogance.

I wonder if tomorrow's headling will be 'PM to TO Star: Get a Life lol

Anonymous said...

Sorry, I don't know how to do links here.

It's the first post.

Anonymous said...

I don't think anyone would construe'drop dead' to be a threat..but if you are thin skinned perhaps it can bruise a delicate psyche..

Go to RT's, kursk, and I will taunt you more effectively there. Here I will simply call you a silly bunt.

Anonymous said...

caveat:

<a href="http://url.com">blue text<a>

will show as:
blue text

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Caveat, I gave you a link at the end of the main post here.

L.S. - Go to RT's, kursk, and I will taunt you more effectively there.

That invitation should come with an age-appropriate warning.

Anonymous said...

L.S. - If you are feeling threatened, I'll blow away Anon's comment.

It's sufficiently rebuked.

That invitation should come with an age-appropriate warning.

Did you just insult kursk? That almost sounded like vintage tiguy style "Isn't it past your bedtime?"

Haha!

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Did you just insult kursk? That almost sounded like vintage tiguy style "Isn't it past your bedtime?"

It's code for 'Mom, don't go there'!

Anonymous said...

It actually gets worse. I tend to ignore the Star but I just looked below the fold.

Right under the picture is:

'Darkness again and a silence' - analysis
Bottom headline:

'Ottawa to grab scooter from veteran, 86'
That article is about VA, this guy is a dangerous drive apparently, whatever, but you get the implication.

On the right is a little box explaining that 'today's headline' is copied from a New York Daily News headline about Ford to NYC in 1976. Whatever. That's under 'history'.

What is going on over at the Star? Have they finally cracked?

Most bizarre front page I've seen in my life.

LS, thanks for the lesson!

Anonymous said...

Most read newspaper in Canada?? What does that mean? I guess to the Star and its supporters it means this: a household buys a paper and the Star assumes everybody in the household reads the paper at least once. That is not believable. (real conservative)

Anonymous said...

I prefer non-fiction to the Star....

Anonymous said...

Red Tory feels threatened,

that's funny.

Hey Red, why not use your real handle here?

Aren't you tired of using your "liberal supporter" alter ego???

Anonymous said...

as regards The Star being the 'most read newspaper in Canada'; well I guess in the past I have been a contributor to that stat ... but, no more.
As we always say, in an election 'EVERY vote counts' ... well Toronto Star, in the printed media 'EVERY withheld toonie counts', and I for one, will be withholding mine. Yup, no more Saturday Star (or weekday either) for me. I can no longer stomach your B.S. Hopefully, many others will see your 'rag' for what it is, and do the same!

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Good for you, Dave. Hit 'em where it hurts!

Caveat, if that little box is supposed to 'explain' the headline, then they're really reaching.

So, with that kind of logic I could put out a newspaper saying anything I want in the headline, and as long as I 'explain' it in a tiny box somewhere, that somehow rescues the legitimacy of the rag? I don't think so.

We may be lemmings, but we're smarter than that.

Anonymous said...

The Federal Government has a fund available to all the Provinces to be used for infrastructure projects.
It is based on per capita.
The fund is 33 billion.
Some Provinces have already taken advantage of this fund.
Why hasnt McGuinty?
Or has he?

Joanne (True Blue) said...

The Federal Government has a fund available to all the Provinces to be used for infrastructure projects.

Lee, I had a link to that somewhere but I can't find it just now. McGuinty wouldn't commit to whether or not he would use the money as it was intended, which is his prerogative as Premier. The PM is giving the premiers the responsibility of good fiscal management as part of his program of less control from Ottawa. Unfortunately that means that only provinces with sound fiscal management will benefit. Obviously this will impact Ontario negatively.

Anonymous said...

I hadnt seen that part, Joanne.
What i did read is that this fund is meant to be a partnership, that is to say that the Provinces and-or Municipalites must share in the cost.
I guess the Provinces are used to taking money from the Federal Government and no matter what the original intent, they spend it as they want.
We have seen this problem in B.C. in the past, whereby funds intended for health were spent in other ways.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

I guess the Provinces are used to taking money from the Federal Government and no matter what the original intent, they spend it as they want.

That is my understanding too - that the provinces are supposed to fund the cities with a portion of what they receive from Ottawa.

Anonymous said...

TangoJuliette sez:

"TorStar -- Most read paper in Canada?"

Most widely distributed, I'll grant you that. Two major Universities and on Communiuty coll/ in my wee Ontario town. EACH and EVERY building on all three campuses, with the sattelite locations, loaded with hundreds of very large shelves of stacks of TorStar. Estimate that thousnads, if not tens of thusands of copies of this publication are ignored and wasted, daily. And I suspect that this scenario is duplicated on campuses across the country.

Why?

I'm guessing that their claimed "circulation" numbers are highly inflated this way. It also lets them charge much higher and greatly, falsely inflated lineage rates for advertising.

Smoke and mirrors kids. And the citizens, thanks to the democratization of this AlGore invention, the internet, are coming to understand the nature of the B.S. of much of the left.

tj

t.e.& o.e.