Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Bourque Newswatch: Ekos Research Fallout Continues

The decision to suspend advertising polling results from Ekos Research is a bold move by Bourque Newswatch. The Montreal Gazette has also come out swinging  against the hypocrisy of the CBC.
A public debate is needed. Private and Public broadcasters are different, Canadians deserve to have all political idealogies presented in a fair and unbiased manner. Are media outlets beyond investigation on ensuring bias?  Should our tax funded broadcaster recieve funds for promoting one idealogical political viewpoint unfairly?
If The Hour is a tax funded current affairs program with an idealogical left of centre bias? Is this the mandate of the public broadcaster responsible to have an hour for the Right of Centre?
How many hours of on Global Warming with left of centre political vs skeptics? Anyone see Tim Ball interviewed by the CBC? How much time CBC spend any time in examining Climategate or leaked emails for potential conflicts?
How much time on Helena Guergis, how much did it cost for the flight and production of the interview of the private detective?
How much money was spent in pleading for the "single" mother trapped, airport arrival? Is she married, does she have a sister six inches taller? She has a lawsuit for $ 2.5 million, what is the status?

Immigration Watch has a different set of facts that never been aired to correct the record of a 'racist' government alleged for weeks on the CBC compliments of the MP's in opposition.

Censorship at the CBC?
It's not even the fault of the liberal gatekeepers who so fear and despise contrary opinion. It's the fault of a culture that we have allowed, by our indifference and our tax dollars, to smother what could have been a balanced public broadcaster. - Michael Coren

Conservative MP Bev Shipley raised concerns in parliament about Ekos Research Frank Graves. Conservative Party President has requested an investigation into potential conflicts and institutional bias. Dean Del Mastro, the Tory MP from Peterborough and parliamentary secretary to the Heritage Minister, put forward a motion to the Commons Heritage committee for a probe into the CBC and its relationship with EKOS pollster Frank Graves.
Ekos Research president Frank Graves, the pollster used regularly by the CBC, is also a close advisor to the Liberal Party of Canada. This appears to violate a CBC policy but we're a little more concerned, frankly, with the advice Graves is giving the Liberals. Montreal Gazette
How does Jane Taber frame the Government MP's requesting an investigation into conflicts or institutional bias from a Liberal Pollster?
None of this matters. The Tories are training their guns on the CBC and Mr. Graves appears to be their first victim.
Indeed, a political observer says Mr. Graves is being used as “cannon fodder on their attempt to extinguish the hated CBC. … So much for free speech.”
It appears to be a pattern with some in the media to invoke guns and bullying with the CPC. Does she hold the opposition MP's to the same standard on the Helena Guergis file?
Did Jane Taber refer to Justin Trudeau as a "cultural warrior" for his bullying of Shelly Glover?
Mr. Trudeau, a rookie Liberal Montreal MP, was full of vim and vigour yesterday during an appearance on CTV’s - Jane Taber defends Liberal MP's behaviour  as "exuberance".
Question Period
Don't count on any of the typical Canadian nicieties and politeness. If there's drama and conflict in Canada's political theatre, you can expect to see it played out every Sunday on Question Period. Question Period to bring you politicians, personalities and newsmakers from Canada and around the world -- a tradition of excellence and drama it established in its first ground-breaking.
Globe and Mail
Memo to Conservative penny-wranglers – quit picking on the CBC. It’s been bullied into submission already. Pastor Mansbridge is no threat to your agenda. Neither is Suhana Meharchand, obviously. And remember – just as part of CBC’s budget goes to pay Frank Graves for polling, part of it pays that uber-Conservative Kory Teneycke. John Doyle 
John Doyle @ The Teamakers
Is that a warning Kory Teneycke will lose his income if the CPC want to investigate bias?
Update:
Apparently Jane Taber is concerned an investigation into examining media bias of the CBC. She needs to frame a request for an investigation by Conservative MP's at the Heritage Committee.
Jane adopts several of the Liberal Party talking points quite early in her hit piece and reminds her readers of the main Tory, his relationships responsible for stirring this up.
Ironically, the main Tory behind the anti-CBC campaign is Doug Finley, who himself is in the taxpayer-trough given he receives a Senate salary and all the perks that go with it and his wife, Diane Finley, is a senior cabinet minister.
Mr. Graves set off the Tories with his recent assertions that the Liberals should launch a “culture war” in order to emphasize the differences between the two main parties.
"Tories" are perhaps a little too sensitive for being called a "haven for bigots" by a pollster  funded by the national broadcaster CBC on a weekly basis?
Where does Jane Taber want the Tories to raise their "anti-CBC campaign" if not the Heritage Committee in looking for conflicts or institutional bias?
Jane, the CBC did not inform Canadians of the relationship or potential bias of Frank Graves and the Liberal Party. Next time might it might be faster to just copy and paste the complete letter from the Liberal Party War room without your editorial.
 h/t Chasing Apple Pie Give Frank Grave the Boot.
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3 comments:

Bec said...

Great analysis and excellent argument, all around but unfortunately, I'm not expecting any mirror gazers questioning their obvious personal bias that they bring daily to their own media medium.

I suppose however there will be some satisfaction when we witness these same people using EKOS as a reliable polling source and spinning their story, whoops editorial, to fit the numbers that have been crunched.

Conservative everywhere should refuse to answer. In a perfect and just Canada, everyone should refuse to answer. It was THEIR COUNTRY too that he encouraged to undertake a culture war but they won't, they are cowards and unprincipled.

The_Iceman said...

So Bourque made the personal decision to stop posting EKOS results. Honestly I don't care at all about that. I don't visit "newswatch" sites. I do my news watching at the National Post.

I'm waiting to see what happens at the CBC.

CanadianSense said...

My personal observation is the selective outrage by our media in chasing potential scandals.

Why does the CBC spend millions on programs that would be considered left of centre and not provide an equal time slot for right of centre current affair programing to remove a left leaning bias of "The Hour"?

Why are our tax dollars being used to fund only one idealogical, political point of view?

I like to use several search engines, watch QP, the MSM is generally too toxic and limited with tabloid style news.

I do visit political non political blogs, BT, Borque, Drudge etc , for different perspectives.