Meeker: on media

If you think Winston Smith is shy and retiring, try Geoff Meeker who in his most recent posting laces into the coverage of Eastern Health in comparison to other coverage.

However, reporters took the premier’s controversial comments and rushed them to air and print without question. Perhaps it’s easier to take a juicy quote like “they should be shot” and run with it, rather than challenge – and provoke – the premier.

If I had been a reporter at that scrum, I would have guffawed right in his face. I would have said, “But premier, your government also issues sensitive news releases late on a Friday afternoon. It seems to be a common tactic for certain issues.”

Of course, the premier would deny. And I would offer to come back with specific examples. But the deed would be done – the premier’s balloon would be deflated – with cameras rolling and microphones recording.*

Yes, this would piss the premier off. I would likely be placed on some kind of blacklist. But I would still be able to attend scrums, and that’s pretty much all you need these days – one-on-one access to the premier happens infrequently anyway.

DH h/t Update:  As one commenter noted, Friday news releases are featured in a West Wing episode called “Take out the trash day”.

As Josh explained it to Donna:

Donna: What's take out the trash day?
Josh: Friday.
Donna: I mean, what is it?
Josh: Any stories we have to give the press that we're not wild about, we give all in a lump on Friday.
Donna: Why do you do it in a lump?
Josh: Instead of one at a time?
Donna: I'd think you'd want to spread them out.
Josh: They've got X column inches to fill, right? They're going to fill them no matter what.
Donna: Yes.
Josh: So if we give them one story, that story's X column inches.
Donna: And if we give them five stories ...
Josh: They're a fifth the size.
Donna: Why do you do it on Friday?
Josh: Because no one reads the paper on Saturday.
Donna: You guys are real populists, aren't you?

 

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The dark side of local media celebrity

“The cost of celebrity” - the first of a four-parter at Geoff Meeker’s media watch blog.

Thank the stars or whatever that bloggers don’t fall into that category.

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Allegation versus news

Geoff Meeker asked VOCM news director Gerry Phelan about VOCM's coverage of the cell phone story.

According to Phelan, VOCM reported the cell phone accusation against the Premier but only after he admitted to the offence. Then there was this curious comment that VOCM reported it "reluctantly" and that he was "chagrinned":

VOCM did follow the story the next day when the premier admitted to the infraction, Phelan said. However, they did so reluctantly.

“We ran it that evening, much to my chagrin because it was still a non-story,” Phelan said. “How often do you have to react to someone making an allegation? I still have a problem with (reporting on) someone making an allegation that may or may not be true. Where do you draw that line? Where do you stop?”

Okay.

So if VOCM doesn't report unproven allegations, why is there a story on a 79 year old man accused of impaired driving? He's not named but the accusation against him hasn't been proved. How come there's a story on there reporting this at all?

Or what about the police officer accused of impaired driving and refusing the breathathalyzer? Unproven but widely reported by VOCM both on air and on line.

Withholding the accused's name seems hardly sufficient to avoid violating the VOCM "standard" standard of not reporting unproven allegations. After all, the news director apparently reluctantly reports admissions of guilty so reporting an accusation should leave him apoplectic, not just feeling a little chagrin.

Seems like a bit of a, editorial double standard or at least a highly malleable one.

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