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 32
... accepted it. It was somehow comforting to know that the Toronto Star leaned to the Liberals and the Globe and Mail to the Conservatives. Only in the past few decades, when journalists have attempted to masquerade as independents, has ...
... accepted this; he also understood how to operate within the defined boundaries. Nothing illustrates this point more than his relationship with the press. Over more than a forty-year period, this was the arena in which Macdonald's best ...
... accepted his party's call (no one else wanted the job) and with the help of Brown and the Globe faced the challenges of a depression and the indecisiveness of Edward Blake (who resigned twice from the cabinet). Governor General Lord ...
... accepted full responsibility for the consequences of his actions and, according to Willison, “never seemed worried or distressed” by the pamphlet's publication.47 In a letter to his own paper, he claimed there was no conspiracy by the ...
... accepted without reservation the right of journalists to criticize and express their personal judgments, he believed there were limits to consider. “The press must understand,” Laurier argued, “while it is possible, and not only ...
Contents
No League of Gentlemen 19141956 | 83 |
Illustrations | 104 |
The Unofficial Opposition 19571992 | 207 |
Notes | 365 |
Bibliography | 380 |
Index | 383 |