I see this every day all day long—not just on CTV Newsnet but of course on the state-run media as well, and on all other liberal mainstream media: they invite a guest on—purportedly for some “news-y” purpose, but in actual fact, as one can easily tell from the questions posed and the manner in which the interview is conducted, the purpose is not “news”, per se. It’s to provide a soap box for one lefty or another or a group of them, to enable them to advance their liberal-leftist or socialist or feminist (etc) cause—their agenda.
This is done because that way, the network (all Canadian networks are liberal mouthpieces in everything but name) can advance their own agenda by proxy. They don’t have to do it themselves this way—they simply invite people on to do it for them. As such, they can pretend they’re neutral and objective. One has to be rather uninformed and unexposed to actual fairness and balance in media, as nearly all Canadians are, to believe these mainstream liberal media folks are in any way neutral and balanced. Canadians do believe they are. So they are successful in that regard, if that’s what you call “success”. But in actual fact, these people are really so liberal, even THEY don’t know how liberal they are anymore. They just think they’re normal—and so do Canadians in general.
(An easy way to prove this is to watch Fox News Channel, and experience it for a few hours or a week. Most Canadians are shocked out of their gourd. They’ve never seen anything like this kind of balance. They find there is actually another way to see things—not just the left countered by the further left— but that there is also a “right” and “conservative” viewpoint, and no, not necessarily another “red Tory” or “progressive conservative” view—an actual conservative view—and that it’s not “bizarre” or even remotely “Nazi-like”).
Here’s one tiny and absolutely typical Canadian media example—it may not be the best example I come across today, but then I’ve only been up for a half hour or so and have only had three sips out of my morning coffee.
CTV Newsnet (all news, all the time) channel, and its “news” anchor Kate Wheeler introduces a guest for an interview. This is ostensibly done to inform us about the day’s news or current events. He’s a youth delegate at the U.N. conference on climate change, taking place in New York right now. (Just for interest sake, readers may want to click here and read my blog entry from yesterday about how state-anchor Suhana Meharchand also popped one of these folks into her similarly transparent agenda-driving-fest disguised as a “news” interview yesterday with former PM Paul Martin who was—you guessed it—advancing his and Bill Clinton’s agenda).
I don’t know how these youth “delegates” are chosen to represent Canada, but it’s becoming clear to me that it has everything to do with membership in one of the left-wing special interest groups who control the left’s environmental religion and freak-out industry’s mailing list—or that of their teachers’. This fella was representing a group called the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition—which I can only guess is a totally neutral group because Kate Wheeler didn’t say any different—you know, the way they do when they dare to have a Fraser Institute spokesman on. Oh wait—hey what do you know: I went to their web site and they’re clearly an advocacy group totally committed to exactly what the Harper administration is not: which is the sacred Kyoto accord and taking immediate action on climate (…stop all the talk—the debate is over!) which all sounds exactly like all of the liberal-left’s talking points in every way. Shocka.)
First question: Not a question. “Tell us what you hope comes out of this summit…”, thus exemplifying the soap box theory I’m advancing.
The youth delegate named CJ gladly informs us at some length that the U.N. is the only place to talk about this stuff (Kyoto etc), “based on science”, and the place to “take action”—not just “more talk”. This, at the U.N. …Yup. He said that with a straight face. Apparently he has been educated in public schools in Canada. On the other hand he wants all the talk to stop, and for action to happen now, based on science, and again, not just “more talk”. So we’re left puzzled, and, I guess he hopes, muzzled.
Next question: Not a question. Kate Wheeler informs us and him, with a smirk, (and I quote): “Well Canada doesn’t have a great, uh, reputation or record, in this area, what particularly would you like to see Canada saying and doing?” (Thus exposing her abject bias and lack of any objectivity, as a NEW ANCHOR. I guess they have opinions and do editorials now.)
And he tells us more of his well-memorized rhetoric—which happens to be exactly not what Prime Minister Harper is saying we should be doing, but rather what Layton’s you’ve got to be kidding party and the “Green Guru” Stephane Dion says. “We need to get serious about what’s necessary and what’s possible…. and there’s a lot more that we could be doing!” he educates us.
Next question: Not a question. Kate Wheeler simply provides him with more soap box real estate. She says one word, and I quote: “Like…?” (This is designed, of course, to enable him to continue telling us what we need to do since this is going so well.)
C.J., almost surprised by the good interview he’s having, happily advises us: “Adopt much more stringent targets…. bring the U.S. into the Kyoto protocol…. ”
It goes like this for some time. She keeps prodding him to tell us more, and he keeps responding, uninterrupted by any bothersome questioning.
The news anchor Kate Wheeler then thanks him by encouraging him with these words: “Well keep it up! And good for you. Thank you.”
Thus another bit of information is provided for Canadians. And if you never watch Fox News Channel (as one of few example of media which provides an alternative world view), you’d scarcely know there’s another point of view.
UPDATE
Not moments after I hit ENTER on this blog entry, coverage of Clinton and his agenda.
PTBC was founded by Mr. Johannesen in 2000.
Contact Mr. Johannesen about this article using this form. Please refer to article's title.
FOLLOW @JoelJohannesen ON X!
- Say something. - Friday October 25, 2024 at 6:03 pm
- Keep going, or veer right - Monday August 26, 2024 at 4:30 pm
- Hey Joel, what is “progressive?” - Friday August 2, 2024 at 11:32 am
