May 24, 2006
YOU'RE NOT ENTITLED TO BE BOTH ADVERSARIAL AND MOLLYCODDLED:
Journalists stage boycott of PM's press conference (ALEXANDER PANETTA, 5/24/06, CANADIAN PRESS)
About two dozen journalists walked out on Stephen Harper yesterday after he refused to take their questions, the latest chapter in an unseemly spat between the Prime Minister and members of the national media.Parliament Hill veterans described the scene of reporters boycotting a prime ministerial news conference as a first.
It resulted in Harper being forced to make his announcement on aid to Darfur to a small handful of reporters, photographers and camera operators outside the House of Commons.
The impromptu boycott was the latest move by journalists in their ongoing tug-of-war with Harper over who controls news conferences.
He's not being nice to them so they refuse to do their jobs? Nice to see we don't have the most immature press corps in the Anglosphere. Posted by Orrin Judd at May 24, 2006 8:10 AM
In a way, this is more straightforward than the kabuki dance in D.C., where the big media folks attend all the press conferences and then tape or write snarky pieces using selective information while pretending there's no anamousity whatsoever in their stories. By walking out on Harper, the Canadian reporters leave their readers and viewers with no doubt about where they stand in their relationship with the new PM.
Posted by: John at May 24, 2006 10:03 AMIf Harper were smart, he'd go to the people - talk radio, etc. and make his announcement.
Make the point he doesn't need gatekeepers and he should call them that.
Posted by: Sandy P at May 24, 2006 10:36 AM