As an average working non-political Canadian, what did my husband see of the election campaign last week? The six o'clock news tidbits, and what was printed in the papers. He did not even go to my blog, he thinks blogs are just silly, and are not worth reading. I expect he is very typical of the average Canadian voter. The media knows this, and they are using this to their advantage.
Have you noticed how some media sites are very selective on which articles allow comments? Have you noticed how articles getting unfavourable comments for the Conservatives stay open for 600 comments, but one's with favourable comments are shut down very quickly? How articles you want to comment on, like the Green Shift, almost never allow comments? Wonder why that would be? Some articles even show that comments have been posted, but when you click to read them, they have all mysteriously disappeared.
The average Canadian doesn't pay attention to all this, only us political junkies. The bias is sometimes very subtle, but it is there. Remember that most people only scan the headlines and maybe read the first line or two of an article. Here's some examples.
Headline is positive, but what's with the "days of negative media coverage"? You see, they are admitting that they have been providing negative coverage, and they can't understand why the polls are still going in the Conservative's favour. Is the negative media coverage planned? You think?
White on black writing beside a picture of PM Harper and Laureen. We are doomed!!
Are positive polls a problem? With that head scratching picture, the PM sure seems thinks so, or that's the perception the media wants to portray.
Targeting Canadians?? Scary!!
Mocks Harper?? Wow, tough guy Dion. Dion is going to make a deal with BC, and he is mocking PM Harper? I'm impressed. Not!
All those examples were from only one news source, imagine how many others I could have found. The average Canadian doesn't care about puffins unless the media makes it an issue. Seems to me that the media is MAKING the news lately, not just reporting it.
Media bias?? Oh, you can bet on it. As long as we let them get away with it, ad revenues will keep them going.
Where is the article about Liberal MP Thibault calling the Prime Minister a pig? Buried deep in the coverage of the election. Taber: Spinning out of Control. It's not a headline, it's on Taber's blog!!! So puffins make headlines, but a Liberal MP calling the PM a pig, not so much.
Really, the bias of the media is totally disgusting. I'm not saying they shouldn't have covered the puffin, but how about equal headlines for the pig??
