Just Not ready

[donlever]

Honest question 5th.

Why do you think the bevy of recent history and current street protests (or closing down thoroughfares for morning prayer in the street) that are a major nuisance to City dwellers gets less media coverage and zero political or police put the hammer down than the truckers did?

Not being coy or crass.

Just asking.

[5thhorseman]

Weren't the trucker convoy actions an order of magnitude greater in terms of its' "nuisance" than other protests to which you're referring? Disrupting trade between Canada and the US in the billions of dollars. Disrupting sleep of Ottawa citizens for several weeks; people sleeping in parking garages to get away from it. What's the worst that prayers on the street have done?

I would say public perception also plays a part in newsworthiness. The vaccine mandates had the general support of most Canadians so watching news about the convoy was engaging. People like to see police actions in the news. Similarly, I think many people are supportive of the Free Palestine movements (though maybe not the actions of protesters) due to Israel's genocidal actions, so it doesn't get the blood rising as much.

As an aside, the question of media coverage is getting more difficult to gauge these days. We don't all sit down at 6pm to watch Tony Parsons on the News Hour. More than 50% of Canadians have cut cable so unless they open their CBC or CNN streaming app, they get their news from other sources now. Probably a lot of it is whatever Google feeds them. Personally I see the Google stuff and the rest I get turned on to by this forum plus two others that are more investment/macro-related, so are more focused on American/World news. All these forums have posters from both the left and right, so hopefully a good cross-section.

[Topper]

I'd say the earlier rail blockades by aboriginals were a bigger issue.

Trucker convoy publicity was because it was framed as an election issue and a direct reversal of previous policy. Recall "they travel alone in their trucks, have minimal social interactions ... we need to keeps goods flowing...."

There was a far more interesting case before the Supreme Court this week. Groups are fighting the Federal Ethics Act. For now, decisions made by the Ethics Commissioner can not be appealed to the Courts. They can only be appealed to the Prime Minister.

The case centres around the WE scandal where the Ethics Commissioner found Justin did not violate the Ethics Act. How does anyone appeal that to the Prime Minister when the decision involved the Prime Minister?

Do citizens have the right to appeal to the Courts and have the Courts be the final arbiter of the Law.

In a broader sense, this case extends to a whole series of Government Bodies that have been set up with limited or barred appeals to the Courts (ICBC?), and several Provinces have joined the case on the Federal Goverment's side.

From reports I've heard, the Courts had several issues with the Governments case.

One part was the above mentioned WE case as an example. The government argued that ultimate recourse would be in the public domain, criticism in Parliament by the opposition and finally at the ballot box. That moves a legal decision out of the legal process and into the political process.

It will be fun to watch.

[donlever]

Thanks 5th.....well stated and appreciate the response.

I am not going to comment on Israeli genocide or Palestinian (Hamas) aggression other than to say, in simple terms, they both suck.

Magnitude I get with respect to public disruption.

The Covid thing is done...not going to beat a differing opinion on all that to death.

I still think a 2 way level playing field is not in place and reaction at Senior Government levels, be it Federal, Provincial, Municipal or otherwise is a by-product of narcissistic political motivation as opposed to democratic process.

You have said you'd like me to state an opinion at times.

I'll say this....if one is using Google, Wikipedia, CNN, CBC, FOX - whatever MSM platform is in play - and buying in to what they see and read without some deep thought and analysis I believe - IMHO - they are selling themselves short of what represents reality.

Rhetorically here as an example.

Why is what is happening in Iran not front page news?

[Topper]

Because very little if any info is getting out of Iran

[donlever]

Yeah...I get it...but what I can see and dig up the media sees at least that and still nothing.

Journalism used to be a proactive, get to the bottom of shit, inform the masses trade...

Now it's soft like Canucks Hockey.

[Cornuck]

Keep in mind that "journalism" budgets have been cut dramatically, and there just aren't the resources like back in the day. Add in that's its all about clicks and eyeballs.

Then there's the 50%+ of the population that just doesn't give a shit.

It's harder each year to find unbiased*, yet well researched articles on any topic.

*Yes, every story will have some bias.

[donlever]

Understood and I get it....yet with digital availabilities the ability to report should be so much easier than say, 1969 Vietnam....

[Cornuck]

Was watching "Cover-up" the other night. Seymour Hersch uncovers the Mi Lai Massacre while chatting with junior staff at the pentagon. Compare that today where the media is effectively banned from it now.

[Topper]

News reporting has descended to regurgitating news releases.

Some years ago I signed up to get BC Gov News Releases emailed to me, how else would I have known that Jan 15th was Black Excellence Day if the Premier, Ministers and Deputy Ministers hadn't issued a joint statement and it was emailed to me.

These news releases end up verbatim in the press.

Look how much is available on the Ukraine war through various online sources compared to what we hear on the news. There are regular reports of troop movements, aerial photos of recent damage, even some footage of strikes from both sides.

One of my earliest news memories was of the scorecard on the wall behind Walter Cronkite listing the daily injured then dead for the three teams, American, Vietnamese and Vietcong.

[donlever]

Freedom of the press.

...the media serves as the publics eyes and ears ensuring the whole remains informed....

Yeahno.

Sad.

[Topper]

Has anyone brought up that Freeland is barred from doing business for or with Canada for two years after leaving as an MP?

What of Harjit Sajjan, once Defense Minister under Trudeau, now involved with a defense contractor in the Arctic.

[donlever]

Like who, Rex Murphy?

...all legit writers who died, died.

Isn't Freeland in bed with Zelensky now...I haven't been paying attention.

[Megaterio Llamas]

Because very little if any info is getting out of Iran

Especially since the Russians started jamming Starlink terminals to help the Iranian government get a handle on things.

[donlever]

Saw a post from a woman on u/g socialz a few days back, allegedly from within Iran, that parroted a need to stay vigilant as the RG was literally going door to door confiscating all tech gadgetry....