Interesting article appearing in this week’s Hill Times, with another plaint from mainstream media about why they can’t talk to the PM. Allow me to quote an excerpt:

The PMO issues-management unit, whose job it is to get on top of breaking developments even before they break, was meeting every morning at 6 a.m. The schedule was so gruelling one of the young staffers complained to another he was going to bed at 9 p.m. each night, adding “and I’m not 80 years old.”

Liberals in the Opposition Leader’s Office, meanwhile, were beginning their daily strategy and tactics meetings at 8:30 a.m. as swine flu developments dominated Question Period. The comparison of schedules demonstrates the intensity of discipline that now envelopes Harper and his staff.

Actually, to be fair, another article elsewhere in the Times points out that the OLO is currently in a state of flux, what with the introduction of a new chief of staff and a laying off / replacement of people among the rank of file. So communications discipline among this group isn’t going to be prominent just yet.

But back to the original article: here’s a bit that I find particularly revealing:

Nelson Wiseman, a prominent commentator and political scientist at the University of Toronto, says the press gallery and the media have caved. “Why are you putting up with these shenanigans?” the feisty Wiseman asks. “I thought the media was going to be a bit tougher.”

NDP MP Thomas Mulcair agrees. “He’s trained you guys,” says Mulcair. “A lot of the media will behave now, so they’ll get a minister on their show. Otherwise, they won’t get a dog biscuit. They control access that way, and the basic question is: Are the media going to start asking the questions that have to be asked?”

Did you notice the understated accusation of — well — collaboration in Mr. Mulcair’s statement? I did. The implication is that the media aren’t trying hard enough to do what they’re “supposed to do,” which is help the Opposition get the government in trouble.

Which isn’t really the media’s job at all. The job is to inform the public about all efforts to hold the government accountable, and it will take a direct hand only if it thinks the Opposition can’t. And when you have Opposition leaders like Dion and Iffy, then you’ll appreciate Mr. Mulcair’s apparent frustration. When Opposition and media work together, it’s about coincidental goals, not a continuous relationship.

Yes, Harper’s changed the relationship between media and government, but in a way not easily appreciated. What’s happened is that the media have now gotten used to Harper’s habits, and have realized that the “good old days” when one phone call to an “anonymous” staffer can start up a good story are now over.

In a way, that’s refreshing. It’s forcing the media to look to other venues for sources of news (note Kady O’Malley’s parliamentary committee visits — that’s a valuable addition to the media methods of covering Parliament). It’s getting them away from the “he said / he said” approach to journalism, by getting them to consider what will actually jolt the government into action, rather than simple Opposition accusation.

And most important of all: the MSM’s illusion about their place in the political sphere has been shattered. Government has realized that they have other venues to get their message out, apart from the MSM filter, and the idea that the MSM could potentially be cut out from that message pipeline has got them rattled — particularly in a world where circulation and viewership are falling due to content dissatisfaction.

Has Harper really tamed the media? Nah. He’s just gotten them to do their job in a different way that isolates the Opposition, exposing their shallowness. Getting the Opposition to work right — now that’s going to be a real challenge.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 05:31 and is filed under Harping, Media Watch. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.