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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... meetings and evenings spent socializing at Washington dinner parties, the Americans offered a cash payment for the use of Canadian fishing waters, a rather radical proposition, with no comprehensive reciprocal trade agreement as desired ...
... meeting on February 6 was officially appointed managing director of the Mail. His first act was to lease premises at the corner of Bay and King for $1,100 per year.2 In challenging the Gl0be's position as the most widely read Toronto ...
... meeting, the general election was confirmed for March 5, 1891. Protectionism, the National Policy, and the British connection were to be the backbone of the Conservative platform. Trade negotiations with the United States were not ruled ...
... meeting in a Montreal hotel room on January 30, the final deal was hammered out. As announced by the Toronto World on February 2, the merger was “a triumph for Bunting.” The Empire's loyal shareholders were given $125,000 of paid-up ...
... meetings, a policy that did not sit well with many Ontario Liberals. Following the 1896 election, Tory leader Sir Charles Tupper conceded to Willison that the Globe “had reported his speeches more fairly and fully than any other ...
Contents
No League of Gentlemen 19141956 | 83 |
Illustrations | 104 |
The Unofficial Opposition 19571992 | 207 |
Notes | 365 |
Bibliography | 380 |
Index | 383 |