The war on Fox. Does Canadian media tend to lean one way?

[JoleneandJoel]

Hey, I follow a bit of all the political stuff in the states and I thought that the war on fox was an interesting story. I was just curious how people find Canadian media. Do you find that it covers the political spectrum evenly? Does it favour certain political parties over other ones? Are there things left out that should be reported on? I'm not sure really where I stand on this. I think that media in Canada has a tendency to lean left however for the most part I think it's fairly balanced. Do we need media that is more right wing to represent other views?

[Mr. Personality]

I don't buy a "war on FOX" for a second. FOX shows have been spewing anti-FOX / Republican stuff for years. Not FOXNEWS, but the FOX network.

As for Canadian media, our networks will inevitably side with the Opposition.

[steven lloyd]

Hey, I follow a bit of all the political stuff in the states and I thought that the war on fox was an interesting story. I was just curious how people find Canadian media. Do you find that it covers the political spectrum evenly? Does it favour certain political parties over other ones? Are there things left out that should be reported on? I'm not sure really where I stand on this. I think that media in Canada has a tendency to lean left however for the most part I think it's fairly balanced. Do we need media that is more right wing to represent other views?

I guess that depends on what you consider “left-leaning”. Other than the CBC and small independent stations, the vast majority (all?) of networks in Canada (as the United States) are owned by monopolistic corporate conglomerates (definitely right-wing). If their media stations are presenting any left perspective I really have to give them credit. Despite Ned’s misguided suspicions, I personally can't imagine the boardrooms of these companies typically described as a hotbed of discussion promoting socialist or left-wing thinking.

[steven lloyd]

As for Canadian media, our networks will inevitably side with the Opposition.

If only. That’s why when you see coverage of a protest attended by professionals, academics, housewives and trades people, all you see on TV is the wigged out radical with orange hair and a spike through his nose. The corporate controlled media has been fooling people for a long time.

[Rwede]

If only. That’s why when you see coverage of a protest attended by professionals, academics, housewives and trades people, all you see on TV is the wigged out radical with orange hair and a spike through his nose. The corporate controlled media has been fooling people for a long time.

Nope. It's the left putting their best face forward.

[Homeownertoo]

Does Canadian media lean left? Is the pope Catholic? I assume the question is rhetorical.

As someone who worked in newspapers for more than quarter-century, here and abroad, I'm frequently amused by the public's perceptions of the media.

For example, SL has a thing about large-scale capitalism that sometimes distorts his analysis and observations about issues, media included. His observation about TV coverage of protests is a good example. He attributes it's focus on 'wigged-out radicals' to some kind of corporate agenda to ridicule opposition, or left-of-centre viewpoints. (As if any such emphasis was needed.) No, TV news, seemingly by its nature, is drawn to trivial, 'hey Martha' type stories, and masquerades low-level celebrities as journalists. TV news generally is of such low quality that it is a waste of time. The word 'dreck' comes to mind, which is why I rarely watch anything outside The News Hour by Jim Lehrer and CTV newsnet. CBC's quality is above average, but it is relentlessly leftwing.

Contrary to SL, the politics of major Canadian newspapers almost always reflects not the corporate ownership but the politics of the journalists who populate them, and most journalists are centre-left. The only (minor) exception is the National Post, which retains the conservative stamp put on it by founder Conrad Black. But then he was not only the owner but also a journalist in his own right. He tried, btw, to shift Southam newspapers left. The Ottawa Citizen, Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal moved a little to the right (became more balanced), but the overall impact was minor, and all major Canadian dailies today, with that one exception, have a centre-left or left-wing slant (Toronto Star). This is reflected in how the issues are covered but more importantly in what issues are covered and what are not, and the language in which they are written. Read the news and comment pages of the Vancouver Sun and you would think the major issue in Canada is homelessness and that the largest group in society is the natives, both issues are so extensively covered.

Another issue worth discussing is how so many journalists today are captured by their constituencies, the beats they cover, and have transformed themselves into propagandists for the people they are ostensibly covering. The lack of balance in stories is often painfully evident. Education-related stories, for example, are often written in the dense bureaucratic language of educators. Environmental reporters almost by definition see themselves as part of the environmental movement, and shamelessly pimp for David Suzuki and Al Gore. I attribute this in part to a creeping professionalization of journalism (most recent journalists are products of J-school mills) and a desire to be seen by those they cover as being on the same professional level.

I could go on but I think I'll leave the field for others to take up now.

[mrj222]

CTV/Global is the fox news of Canada. I cant stand their flashy graphics with the 'intense' music dun dun dun NEXT (smashing sound) on global 'a fireman save's a kitten from imminent death in a tree'. Give me a break just tell me the news the real news without your pro corporate bias.


I try not to watch the news anymore and just read it on the CBC website. A lot less bias there for the most part.

[steven lloyd]

Give me a break just tell me the news the real news without your pro corporate bias.

Our media doesn't have a corporate bias.



homeowner does have a little love-thing about large-scale capitalism, however, that sometimes distorts his analysis and observations about issues, media included.

[c2c]

You might want to read the article in the following link:

http://www.canada.com/news/slapped+broa ... story.html

[RR24K]

Here's Canada version of Fox. http://www.canwestglobal.com/brands/default.asp

[Mr. Personality]

As for Canadian media, our networks will inevitably side with the Opposition.

If only. That’s why when you see coverage of a protest attended by professionals, academics, housewives and trades people, all you see on TV is the wigged out radical with orange hair and a spike through his nose. The corporate controlled media has been fooling people for a long time.

Maybe I'm talking provincially. Federally is a bit trickier, as much of the coverage comes from CBC.

[Homeownertoo]

Give me a break just tell me the news the real news without your pro corporate bias.

Didn't you just read the post by our resident expurt ? Our media doesn't have a corporate bias.



homeowner does have a little love-thing about large-scale capitalism, however, that sometimes distorts his analysis and observations about issues, media included.

Too bad you don't understand the process by which news is selected and presented. I think that, as one involved in it and making those decisions hundreds if not thousands of times, I do have some such understanding.

[Homeownertoo]

Here's Canada version of Fox. http://www.canwestglobal.com/brands/default.asp

Not even remotely.

[mrj222]

Here's Canada version of Fox. http://www.canwestglobal.com/brands/default.asp

Not even remotely.

They arent quite there yet but they're working on it.

[Big ned]

Steven, if you think all corporations lean right you are sadly mistaken.
Jeffrey Immelt is about as far left as you can get. He is the CEO of GE which also controls the licensing for NBC and MSNBC. They are so in bed with Obama and administration it is embarassing. You seem to have some sort of bias that anyone who is successful in the arena of corporations has to be conservative.

In Canada, the CBC out of necessity is leans a little towards the ruling government, however, since the Liberals were in power for so long there were many liberals appointed to the CBC and even now they have a slight liberal tendency. Most of the other news sources are fairly balanced I would say.