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Thursday, December 04, 2008

Dear CBC,

Remember when I said that you speak for the governing party? That was just a joke, and not even a very good one. I was taking an easy shot at Fox News. I didn't mean for you to take it seriously.

The political craziness is driving me nuts, and you're not helping. I don't need to hear reports about Tory "messaging" or "communications plans". Please, spare me.

It is becoming incredibly obvious, even to stupid people, that almost all of politics is just theatre. That's how much you're screwing up. The issues are real, and the differences of opinion are real, but the crap you show us on TV exists only for the cameras. And the parties only do it because you lap it up every time. We know that the real work happens in committees and closed-door meetings. When the MPs are singing "O Canada" lustily in the hallways, it's not REAL. Question Period's not real. These are stunts, and you keep falling for them. The last thing we all need is for the media to start reporting on the party's "messaging". You only get a pass on this if you're funny or ironic. You are neither.

There's plenty of real news this week: you don't need to choose to report on the stupid stuff that doesn't matter. We might have a new prime minister soon: isn't that interesting enough? Doesn't it make the "No To The Coup" buttons seem ridiculous in comparison?

Oh, and it appears that the comment sections of your website have been hijacked by people who work for the parties. I thought I should let you know, just as a courtesy.

7 comments:

Chris Windeyer said...

A-freaking-men.

Jackie S. Quire said...

I'm at work. So I feel like I HAVE to write this :P

Last I remember (and I'm serious about the remember part... I've not had TV for months, and am only getting back into TV news), CBC wasn't the only news organization that aired politico stories. So does CTV, and Global for that fact...

Were you just using the CBC as an example? Or do you really think the MotherCorp is so much more guilty of this than the others?

Megan said...

I think I respect the CBC more than the others, to be honest. I choose to get my news from them instead of CTV or Global. I do hold them to a higher standard.

But I bet that CTV and Global are doing the same stories. I haven't seen them because I haven't looked.

Gifted Typist said...

Reporters and news gather organizations are playing into the hands of Tory spin docs. They salivate and repeat the "messages." The CBC too. And arm-chair "strategy deconstruction" by political panels and reporters interviewed live now takes the place of digging further to get the scoop.

Jackie S. Quire said...

Ugragh.

I'm starting to understand your disgruntled NNS commenters.

It seems I've entered into one of those "everyone thinks they're a ____" professions.

Sorry GT, this isn't about you, it is more about everyone thinking they can do my/our job better.

Well the Tory's have spin, so do the Lib's the NDP.. the Bloc...hell even the Greens have spin.

So people, if you think you can do better, please do. I need the time to lay down, because I'm getting dizzy from all the spinning.

Megan said...

Ha!

You're right: all of the parties have a spin. But I think most of my readers honestly appreciate the media: many of them are current or former journalists.

Post-mortems show that we care about the craft and the final product, not that we hate it.

Anonymous said...

I'm terrified that there won't be such a thing as real journalists in the future. Only bloggers. This is the era of everyone thinking they're an expert on everything. Every thing.