The Toronto Star really likes that picture!
The Toronto Star seems to be working hard to transmit some sort of negative message:
Taxpayers may be in for a pleasant surprise in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's first budget tomorrow.
But environmentalists and aboriginal people are expected to be disappointed.
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty will introduce a promised reduction in the goods and services tax (GST) and the budget is likely to contain personal income tax measures that will be welcome news for middle-class earners, who could save several hundred dollars a year in income taxes as a result of his policies.
But there are strong indications the government will refuse to fund the 10-year, $5.1 billion federal-provincial deal to help aboriginal people worked out by the former Liberal government in Kelowna, B.C., last year.
And the budget is expected to abandon the Liberals' $10 billion commitment to implement the Kyoto accord meant to spur concerted international action to reduce the greenhouse gases that cause climate change.
One of the reasons Kelowna and Kyoto are not to be funded, says the Star, is that the money had not been set aside by the Liberals in their last budget. Essentially, there wasn't enough to keep the Conservative promises and the Liberal promises. So the Liberal promises are tossed.
Fine, but the negative message? It's it that weird picture of Stephen Harper wearing a crown:
The picture was taken when Stephen Harper was speaking to the Empire Club. Note that in the story, there is no mention of the Empire Club, so any stock shot of Stephen Harper would have done. Indeed, the story mentions Stephen Harper's statement in the House of Commons, so a picture of Stephen Harper speaking to the House might have been more appropriate. Or how about the one where the small child tweaks his nose, given that the childcare benefit is figuring so highly? Or the election picture of Stephen Harper holding the "6%" sign indicating the GST cut, another major budget issue?
The more I look at it, the more I wonder if someone has been goofing with the picture. There is that weird white zone immediately to the right of Stephen Harper's face, just beside his eye. Like a bit of the white background got left behind as Stephen Harper's head was moved up and under the crown. [Update: It turns out that this splash of white is part of the logo in the centre of the maple leaf. Just a coincidence. Thanks to several readers who pointed that out.]
But even if it's a legitimate photo, it's still an example of the media playing mind games. An attempt to cast Stephen Harper as an imperious prime minister. How to fix this perception problem? Well, assuming you think it's a problem in the first place, I suppose the easiest way is to be nice to the Toronto Star. Provide an exclusive interview, perhaps. On the other hand, maybe the message is too subtle to worry about.
Skew my story on Skewz.com
Rate political news for their bias, read related stories, and leave your own skewed commentary
Search for more opinions from Canadian bloggers on these related keywords
Sphere presents related news articles and blog posts
Sphere It!
Comments
Damn that Vast Leftwing Media Conspiracy (TM)!!!!
Posted by: Ted at May 1, 2006 08:54 AM
It's not a conspiracy, it's a bias. It's not a complex concept.
Posted by: Jonny_eh at May 1, 2006 09:21 AM
It's not a bias, it's the crappy Toronto Star trying to look cool to its Liberal readers while being complete idiots in the process. Then again, that is being bias.
Posted by: Pat T. at May 1, 2006 09:31 AM
Check out smalldeadanimals.com for Kate's thread on the "photojournalist" responsible for the shot. She concludes the photo is a set-up by comparing it to other pics taken at the same event. The same guy is responsible for a similar photo of our GG.
What can we expect from the liberal-weaned MSM? Free press indeed. Irresponsible more like.
Posted by: Andrew Mason at May 1, 2006 09:34 AM
Of COURSE it's bias. What else could it be???? Couldn't simply be the angle of the camera from where this particular photographer happened to be told to sit, as opposed to where others were told to sit. No way.
Ted
Cerberus
Posted by: Ted at May 1, 2006 10:30 AM
The photo is so obviously doctored. Unless the maple leaf in the photo suddenly sprouted white spots.
It's very petty and small minded. Some idiot who likes to play with Photoshop in his mommy's basement.
Posted by: Heather Cook at May 1, 2006 11:11 AM
why do some conservatives find the star's bias so shocking? the paper hasn't hid it's liberal agenda. it's historically been a left leaning daily. read the sun if you want harpermania.
Posted by: davidson at May 1, 2006 11:23 AM
Compared to the other photos taken from the event, the angles just don't match. Unless the photog asked Harper to stand on an apple box for a second or asked the handlers to lower the backdrop, you need photoshop make that happen.
Posted by: Yukon Gold at May 1, 2006 11:25 AM
Chill out people. That's the Empire Club of Canada flag. The "white zone" is another part of the logo. You want to believe conspiracy, fine. You want to believe "doctored photo", you're like Forrest Gump's LOO-tenant Dan -- you don't have a leg to stand on.
To wit: http://lcn.canoe.com/archives/lcn/infos/national/media/2006/04/20060421-183022-g.jpg
It's sunny here in Ottawa; but man we gotta watch out for the glare from all those shiny tinfoil hats the chickenhawk moonbats are sporting 'round here.
Posted by: MarchingPenguin at May 1, 2006 11:36 AM
Hey Penguin - I realise that the several comments have suggested that the doctoring is obvious because of the presence of a white line/spot, which, as you correctly point out, is part of the Empire Club logo. The real issue is why all of the other photos of Harper at that speech - Kate has collected them at smalldeadanimal.com as I mentioned above - show the backdrop (i.e. the logo) to be significantly above and to the right (I believe) of his head - thus making it rather impossible for the crown to actually be exactly above his head. Also, as I mentioned above, I don't think the photo was a product of a liberal conspiracy - rather it is the product of an idiotic journalist who has meted out similar treatment to the GG, largely because he thinks it makes for an interesting, ie. sellable picture. The fact that the Harper/Crown pic is used rather extensively by the media, is, in fact a demonstration of bias. It is meant to ridicule the PM, perhaps to highlight his title of "Canadian autocrat", given him by a petulant media because he won't say "how high" when they say "jump".
Posted by: Andrew at May 1, 2006 12:14 PM
Aboriginals and environmentalists had better get their funding cut! They don't deserve a nickel. Funding doesn't help aboriginals, it hurts them - so that's a no brainer - cut'em off the funds. Environmentalists haven't got a clue about the environment, they only know how to lobby for money - that hurts taxpayers for no good reason at all, unless some taxpayers enjoy guilt trips - if they do they can send cheques to the enviros.
Posted by: infidel at May 1, 2006 04:01 PM
I think it is definately doctored however for me the image conjures up statesmanship and true leadership.It simply re enforces to me that Canada actually has someone at the helm.
Canada has done more in 100 days than we have in the last 100 months
Posted by: ian at May 1, 2006 04:01 PM
Really, Ian?
What exactly has this government done?
Betcha anything I can give you a list of flip flops, about faces, dropped promises ten times as long. Not bad for the first 100 days indeed!
Ted
Cerberus
Posted by: Ted at May 1, 2006 05:34 PM
"Betcha anything I can give you a list of flip flops, about faces, dropped promises ten times as long. "
You're right that the Conservatives don't beat the Liberals in these categories. Harper never specifically promised to resolve the softwood lumber dispute but dammit he went and did it anyways. Man, I hate stuff like that. /sarc
Posted by: Brian C. at May 1, 2006 06:48 PM
Well Ted, there was the softwood lumber deal that resolved a decades long dispute between Canada and the US, but then who's keeping track?
Posted by: Alex at May 1, 2006 08:04 PM
Why is it when someone on the left flip-flop's it's called "listening to the people"?
Posted by: x2para at May 1, 2006 10:52 PM
Head on over to Newfoundland's own 'The Telegram' at www.thetelegram.com. They ran the same photo ith a story called 'stifling Stephen', which was essentially an article about how Harper is supposedly trying to 'control hat message gets out'.
Yah.
Governments DO that.
Posted by: Mark at May 1, 2006 11:50 PM
I prefere the Harper picture on my blog
http://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2006/04/harpers-flag.html
Posted by: Eugene Plawiuk at May 2, 2006 05:37 PM
"Taxpayers may be in for a pleasant surprise in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's first budget tomorrow.
But environmentalists and aboriginal people are expected to be disappointed."
Did the Star mean to say that environmentalists and aboriginal people are not taxpayers? Oh, the irony...
Posted by: Michael at May 2, 2006 07:09 PM
Anyone else not holding their breath waiting for Ted's list?
I wish I hadn't wasted my time going to Eugene's blog. To think- I cut & pasted into a new window just to see PMSH in front of an American flag, posted on a leftie blog. How original! At least I can post a warning to others. Save yourself a click or two... and don't go there.
Good catch, Michael. The irony, indeed!!
Posted by: Mac at May 3, 2006 02:02 AM
Ted, you crack me up. Paul Martin did NOTHING in his year and a half, and Harper has already brokered a deal with Yanks, one that the Libs didn't find a way to do for 13 years, and Harper is going to fulfill his campaign promises, something that the Libreals just HATE to do. You know, do what they promise WHEN the election is on. The Libs are great at doing their own thing afterwards....
No, Harper is hated by people like the Star and Globe because he doesn't play their game, he doesn't act like the cuddly conservatives the Toronto elite like, and he doesn't kiss the ring of the media. Harper hates the media, and makes no bones about restricting their access. Lets face it, they started this war with him years ago, so why the hell should he kiss the ring now??
It is ok that the Star and Globe play their games, it just cuts down on the number of papers I have to read each day.....
Posted by: Mark in Bowmanville at May 3, 2006 01:50 PM
Re the Probe and Fail and the Toronto Star: As a friend of mine used to say when a newspaper of dubious distinction landed on his doorstep: "Why'm I getting this rag? I don't have a bird."
Posted by: new kid on the block at May 4, 2006 06:59 AM
 
|
|
