Wow! I can only imagine what your second question would be… thanks again for your great, factual and insightful reporting. Keep MAGA south of the border… or is it too late based on your previous report on polarization? Curious on your thoughts…
Thank you Justin for a great dispatch. I was just bemoaning on Monday why “really great”reporters weren’t at PP’s press conferences. Now I get it. A sad state of affairs. The medium is the message.
Have to agree that pp is not trump and agree he s running up a very big debt to some paranoid powers . I do not see him controlling a mob in any way. They let him carry their Tims. He ll get chewed up and replaced when those powers feel more secure. And I shudder to think who they might pick, with the world on the verge of a fresh war. Who is pulling strings from behind the scenes?
It seems the Prime Minister and the Liberals agree with you about negative ads. I do not see much positive coming out about the governments' many accomplishments, and I say this as a non supporter of the Liberals in happier times. They have to start tooting what they ve done right. It s a lot. They re staying mum. A wily old Communications DG once told me the rule is: Tell em what you re gonna tell em, Tell em, Tell em what you told em.
She accomplished a lot in a no good news portfolio like DIAND back in the 90s.
No one is following that directive today.
I am not taking issue with you because you re one of the voices who tell the truth but isn t it a testimony to the deteriorated media coverage these days that you need to host a private forum to get your messaging out there? The Big Lie is prevailing. Growing. My point is that the truth isnt getting presented much at all, never mind enough to counter the lies. People are infused with lies on facebook, X and every streaming vehicle and whatever else folk use. I play a personal whack a mole turning him off. He just keeps popping back up.
I d love to see a Bob Stanfield or Joe Clark Conservative in charge again. Hell I d vote for a Diefenbaker as my grandmother proudly did if it turned the tide away from neo fascism. O Toole might be on the right track personally, but he couldn t get elected.
I wonder what it will take to turn voters back to sense. I probably won t live that long. But I m very glad your voice is out here, wherever you get seen and heard.
Thank you for your reply. I am grateful you are doing what you re doing and I hope more people get to hear you.
Another great dispatch. I have been thinking as to what could be useful approach to reporting on issues that are dismissed by many political representatives using rhetoric, canned, or nonsensical commentary. Unfortunately my ideas only work in a long form content and so not in the social media ecosystem we have.
Essentially, here is the proposed approach. first state the content of the initiative or proposal. Provide references as appropriate. Seek points of view from different segments of society. Seek expert views and explain why they are experts. Then using a well framed open ended question about the issue ask each political representative the same question and share their actual words. Invite the listener to reflect.
I recognize that this is too long and requires significant effort and associated expense. However I truly believe that most of the problems today defy black and white answers and require reflection by the general population.
I am constantly impressed by your efforts in this direction. Keep up the great work.
Unrelated but related, currently reading, “Blood” by Dr. Jen Gunter, very interesting work.
Her motivation for writing the book ( 462 pages) was the concerning proliferation of wacky “medical content” on the web re women’s health specifically related to menses. Her “Final Thoughts” ( page 14) explain the Illusory Truth effect- people are predisposed to conflate repetition and accuracy. “It is believed to be related in part to processing fluency which is the ease with which humans can digest a piece of information. If we have heard or read something before, it’s easier to process ( and accept) when we are exposed to,it again”.
Fertile field for MSU ( making stuff up) for our soon to be PM/ PM in waiting.
Cannot imagine him on a world stage and the composure needed to formulate a truly thoughtful and
I have followed politics and journalists in print, tv & internet decades now.
And I have seen exactly what you said so well to the point I rarely listen to any of the leaders of the their party because as you said, they shy away from the answer and either repeat their stance or belittle the journalist/ reporters.
Thank you for again for the clarity with your incredible writing in this increasingly frustrating state of affairs.
Now my question, is what we can do about it. The far right have managed.
This is line that Trudeau uses a lot
"This Is Not Who We Are As Canadians”
Has run its course.
This whole thing is who we are and thank you again Mr Ling for making sense of all this dangerous kerfuffle.
You say.........At a time of dwindling resources, we need to move away from cover politics-as-sport and towards more thoughtful conversations on problems and policy solutions. But it would be foolish to think that if mainstream journalists did better, Poilievre would ease up. ...He has some good policies and solutions( I m paraphrasing because your format won t let me back to find the exact quote).
And Hitler made the trains run on time.
I hate to think of you as disingenuous but Oh Justin Ling, can you be letting journalism off the hook to report the actual danger? Journalism that was gloriously free if multi sided in my young Boomer days and has become owned, decrepit, dim witted, one sided. Published voices don t even start at the middle these days, they just veer right, off to the horizon.
The one thing that is our front line defense against populism and any other isms taking over the hearts and minds of the country? Mustn t put a dainty toe outside the Boundaries of Objectivity? Do journalists today even know where those boundaries are? They ve moved so far right from my day that the CBC actually seems to think it s still a bastion of liberal thought. It must always be on guard to counter with actual far right justification?
You, the smartest guy in the room, and the voice I hear from Youth, is ignoring false equivalence?
Nothing will stop pp s boundless ambition except an informed and voting public. And for that we urgently need big doses of truth where the public eyes and ears are. Old style media has lost that game already and you professional communicators might be the only ones who can help find them before it s too late and bloodshed leads the way.
Not following the logic. Or do I have it wrong? You seem to be saying that he is behaving differently that other politicians, behaving differently from his own predecessors. And yet, still, treating him differently would be "partisan"? Do Liberals also have to disrespect the press to the same degree before you'd act on it?
The article didn't mention the other aspect to this "presserjacking" (My new word, based on "carjacking"; like it?). The politician is casting every journalist as an Enemy of the People, to be deliberately disrespected; PP gained accolades for spitting in a journalist's face, basically, that apple video was kind of gross to watch, for a neat-freak - accolades because those followers cheer when journalists are put-down and sneered at.
You seem to have gone down to that cold, windy presser to hand him free material to be sliced and diced to his own usage, yourself used as a prop-villain. Would you really do that twice? Why would anybody?
Wow! I can only imagine what your second question would be… thanks again for your great, factual and insightful reporting. Keep MAGA south of the border… or is it too late based on your previous report on polarization? Curious on your thoughts…
Thank you Justin for a great dispatch. I was just bemoaning on Monday why “really great”reporters weren’t at PP’s press conferences. Now I get it. A sad state of affairs. The medium is the message.
Have to agree that pp is not trump and agree he s running up a very big debt to some paranoid powers . I do not see him controlling a mob in any way. They let him carry their Tims. He ll get chewed up and replaced when those powers feel more secure. And I shudder to think who they might pick, with the world on the verge of a fresh war. Who is pulling strings from behind the scenes?
It seems the Prime Minister and the Liberals agree with you about negative ads. I do not see much positive coming out about the governments' many accomplishments, and I say this as a non supporter of the Liberals in happier times. They have to start tooting what they ve done right. It s a lot. They re staying mum. A wily old Communications DG once told me the rule is: Tell em what you re gonna tell em, Tell em, Tell em what you told em.
She accomplished a lot in a no good news portfolio like DIAND back in the 90s.
No one is following that directive today.
I am not taking issue with you because you re one of the voices who tell the truth but isn t it a testimony to the deteriorated media coverage these days that you need to host a private forum to get your messaging out there? The Big Lie is prevailing. Growing. My point is that the truth isnt getting presented much at all, never mind enough to counter the lies. People are infused with lies on facebook, X and every streaming vehicle and whatever else folk use. I play a personal whack a mole turning him off. He just keeps popping back up.
I d love to see a Bob Stanfield or Joe Clark Conservative in charge again. Hell I d vote for a Diefenbaker as my grandmother proudly did if it turned the tide away from neo fascism. O Toole might be on the right track personally, but he couldn t get elected.
I wonder what it will take to turn voters back to sense. I probably won t live that long. But I m very glad your voice is out here, wherever you get seen and heard.
Thank you for your reply. I am grateful you are doing what you re doing and I hope more people get to hear you.
Did Levant make the donation or is it tied up in the courts, Hah…
Another great dispatch. I have been thinking as to what could be useful approach to reporting on issues that are dismissed by many political representatives using rhetoric, canned, or nonsensical commentary. Unfortunately my ideas only work in a long form content and so not in the social media ecosystem we have.
Essentially, here is the proposed approach. first state the content of the initiative or proposal. Provide references as appropriate. Seek points of view from different segments of society. Seek expert views and explain why they are experts. Then using a well framed open ended question about the issue ask each political representative the same question and share their actual words. Invite the listener to reflect.
I recognize that this is too long and requires significant effort and associated expense. However I truly believe that most of the problems today defy black and white answers and require reflection by the general population.
I am constantly impressed by your efforts in this direction. Keep up the great work.
Unrelated but related, currently reading, “Blood” by Dr. Jen Gunter, very interesting work.
Her motivation for writing the book ( 462 pages) was the concerning proliferation of wacky “medical content” on the web re women’s health specifically related to menses. Her “Final Thoughts” ( page 14) explain the Illusory Truth effect- people are predisposed to conflate repetition and accuracy. “It is believed to be related in part to processing fluency which is the ease with which humans can digest a piece of information. If we have heard or read something before, it’s easier to process ( and accept) when we are exposed to,it again”.
Fertile field for MSU ( making stuff up) for our soon to be PM/ PM in waiting.
Cannot imagine him on a world stage and the composure needed to formulate a truly thoughtful and
constructive response to questions asked of him.
And now I know the rest of the story.
I have followed politics and journalists in print, tv & internet decades now.
And I have seen exactly what you said so well to the point I rarely listen to any of the leaders of the their party because as you said, they shy away from the answer and either repeat their stance or belittle the journalist/ reporters.
Thank you for again for the clarity with your incredible writing in this increasingly frustrating state of affairs.
Now my question, is what we can do about it. The far right have managed.
This is line that Trudeau uses a lot
"This Is Not Who We Are As Canadians”
Has run its course.
This whole thing is who we are and thank you again Mr Ling for making sense of all this dangerous kerfuffle.
I love your analysis and your take on the Polievre "circus." I was amused to read another journalist's take on the same media conference and PeePee's comments: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/poilievre-transgender-danielle-smith-conservative-1.7106503
You say.........At a time of dwindling resources, we need to move away from cover politics-as-sport and towards more thoughtful conversations on problems and policy solutions. But it would be foolish to think that if mainstream journalists did better, Poilievre would ease up. ...He has some good policies and solutions( I m paraphrasing because your format won t let me back to find the exact quote).
And Hitler made the trains run on time.
I hate to think of you as disingenuous but Oh Justin Ling, can you be letting journalism off the hook to report the actual danger? Journalism that was gloriously free if multi sided in my young Boomer days and has become owned, decrepit, dim witted, one sided. Published voices don t even start at the middle these days, they just veer right, off to the horizon.
The one thing that is our front line defense against populism and any other isms taking over the hearts and minds of the country? Mustn t put a dainty toe outside the Boundaries of Objectivity? Do journalists today even know where those boundaries are? They ve moved so far right from my day that the CBC actually seems to think it s still a bastion of liberal thought. It must always be on guard to counter with actual far right justification?
You, the smartest guy in the room, and the voice I hear from Youth, is ignoring false equivalence?
Nothing will stop pp s boundless ambition except an informed and voting public. And for that we urgently need big doses of truth where the public eyes and ears are. Old style media has lost that game already and you professional communicators might be the only ones who can help find them before it s too late and bloodshed leads the way.
I greatly fear that battle is lost.
Not following the logic. Or do I have it wrong? You seem to be saying that he is behaving differently that other politicians, behaving differently from his own predecessors. And yet, still, treating him differently would be "partisan"? Do Liberals also have to disrespect the press to the same degree before you'd act on it?
The article didn't mention the other aspect to this "presserjacking" (My new word, based on "carjacking"; like it?). The politician is casting every journalist as an Enemy of the People, to be deliberately disrespected; PP gained accolades for spitting in a journalist's face, basically, that apple video was kind of gross to watch, for a neat-freak - accolades because those followers cheer when journalists are put-down and sneered at.
You seem to have gone down to that cold, windy presser to hand him free material to be sliced and diced to his own usage, yourself used as a prop-villain. Would you really do that twice? Why would anybody?