Scrum Wars: The Prime Ministers and the MediaThe image of the scrum -- a beleaguered politican surrounded by jockeying reporters -- is central to our perception of Ottawa. The modern scrum began with the arrival of television, but even in Sir John A. Macdonald's day, a century earlier, reporters in the parliamentary press gallery had waited outside the prime minister's office, pen in hand, hoping for a quote for the next edition. The scrum represents the test of wills, the contest of wits, and the battle for control that have characterized the relationship between Canadian prime ministers and journalists for more than 125 years. Scrum Wars chronicles this relationship. It is an anecdotal as well as analytical account, showing how earlier prime ministers like Sir John A. Macdonald and Sir Wilfrid Laurier were able to exercise control over what was written about their administrators, while more recent leaders like John Diefenbaker, Joe Clark, John Turner, and Brian Mulroney often found themselves at the mercy of intense media scrutiny and comment. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 58
... Empire to add his signature, but he did write formal letters to the British government noting his objections. These would be helpful later on. His first general election as prime minister was about a year away. He knew that Brown and ...
... Empire.11 Thanks in large part to his ability to manipulate and slant the news, he turned a potential disaster into a triumph and beat Brown and the Globe — in this round at least. George Brown was a large man, over six feet tall and ...
... Empire, the Conservative Party organ in the late 18805.17 More often, John A. received harsh and critical treatment by Globe writers, representative of the journalistic style of the era. He was condemned for his handling of Louis Riel ...
... Empire, and a love for cricket and horses. In Toronto he studied law with John Hillyard Cameron, a leading Conservative politician, and was called to the bar in 1862. For a few years Patteson worked in the prominent Toronto firm of the ...
... Empire, as the organ would be called, were gradually taking shape. With the able assistance of D'Alton McCarthy, a lawyer from Barrie and member of Parliament for Simcoe, Macdonald was already soliciting funds, as he had done for the ...
Contents
No League of Gentlemen 19141956 | 83 |
Illustrations | 104 |
The Unofficial Opposition 19571992 | 207 |
Notes | 365 |
Bibliography | 380 |
Index | 383 |