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 85
... Gallery xvi IllU.S[1"21[1OI1S (following page 104) PART ONE Partisan Partners, 1867-1913 1 A Controlling Interest 3 2 Party Organs 15 3 Laurier and the Globe 36 4 Under Liberal Management 54 5 Politics of Virtue 69 PART TWO No League of ...
... gallery for decades, and even in 1958 Tory prime minister John Diefenbaker knew which loyal Conservative reporters and supportive Conservative newspapers he could trust. As late as 1963 Liberal prime minister Lester Pearson's office ...
... gallery,” “journalists,” and “media.” Obviously the parliamentary press gallery, not even to mention the “media” as a whole, has never been, and is not now, monolithic. Print is different from television, English from French, Alberta ...
... gallery habitually glance over at the competition in the office or desk next to them. And since no one wants to be caught ignorant of a particular story, everyone in the media ends up covering and following similar issues. This fact of ...
... Gallery” by Martin Griffin, dedicated to john A. 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 ...
Contents
No League of Gentlemen 19141956 | 83 |
Illustrations | 104 |
The Unofficial Opposition 19571992 | 207 |
Notes | 365 |
Bibliography | 380 |
Index | 383 |