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
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... Macdonald to Lester Pearson, I used each prime minister's let~ ters and papers as my primary guide; for the last chapters, from Pierre Trudeau to Brian Mulroney, I relied on the numerous books and articles dealing with this era as well ...
... MacDonald, and designer Andy Tong. Dundurn's senior editor Judith Tumbull was patient, enthusiastic, and great to work with. Her keen eye and fine editing skills have contributed much to the final product. The work of Christine Lumley ...
... Macdonald, 1876 M artin Griffin quickly finished eating his lunch. It was nearing three o'clock and he had to hurry back to the House to prepare for what would probably be a long sitting. Griffin was an editor with the Conservative ...
... Macdonald's Conservatives and Mackenzie's Liberals, so too was the gallery. Paul Bilkey worked in the gallery in 1903 for the Toronto Telegram, but his recollections are even more appropriate to the 1870s and 1880s. “For a long time ...
... Macdonald's correspondence filled with letters from Conservative editors from every town and city across Canada who were not satisfied with their share of government contracts? The simple answer is that the money, no matter how small an ...
Contents
No League of Gentlemen 19141956 | 83 |
Illustrations | 104 |
The Unofficial Opposition 19571992 | 207 |
Notes | 365 |
Bibliography | 380 |
Index | 383 |