bourque sells out?
Here is a clip of a recent e-mail I sent to Warren Kinsella in reply to a request for “theories or evidence” related to an anonymous picture posted on Bourque Newswatch of Stéphane Dion allegedly jaywalking (according to Bourque):
… So, regarding theory, what we may be seeing is a Conservative attempt to attack Dion’s legitimacy in a two-tier fashion. On one level we have the standard practice. We’ll see the official attacks appear in major media (national print and television) but, on a second level, we may continue to see smear tactics surface out of less popular or non-traditional media sources (web-based news and blogs and local media) in an attempt to snowball issues such as jaywalking into the national conversation.
Such tactics, however, can potentially backfire if they can be linked to the current PMO or higher echelons within the Conservative Party. I guess one question would be is this effort systematic and professional or are these attacks just coincidences or the results of low-level Conservatives just having a little bit of fun? …
From Mr. Kinsella’s website today:
Jeepers, those anti-Dion "headlines" sure show up with great frequency and prominence on certain blogs and web sites, these days, don't they? Geez, you don't think a certain political party is PAYING for those "headlines" to appear, do you? …
Recent headlines from Bourque Newswatch (this list doesn’t include the jaywalking headline mentioned above or the few other interesting headlines that have been posted since Mr. Dion's leadership victory):
CLOCK TICKS FOR ADSCAM REDUX (headline falls under a picture of a watch hanging from Mr. Dion’s name)
THE PERSUASIVE CITOYEN DION
DION: KHAN WILL NOT DEFECT ... HARPER: KHAN HAS DEFECTED
DION APPOINTS HAPLESS EX-CHRETIEN CABMIN MASSE TO TOP JOB
MARZOLINI: CITOYEN DION, THE ANTI-POLITICIAN ?
DION ON TOUR: NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME
DION'S DISCONNECT
So, for now, Bourque’s link remains over to your right. For sometime I have used Newswatch - and maybe naively so - as a relatively objective source for Canadian headlines; but, if Pierre keeps this up, I may have to reconsider his news worthiness.
… So, regarding theory, what we may be seeing is a Conservative attempt to attack Dion’s legitimacy in a two-tier fashion. On one level we have the standard practice. We’ll see the official attacks appear in major media (national print and television) but, on a second level, we may continue to see smear tactics surface out of less popular or non-traditional media sources (web-based news and blogs and local media) in an attempt to snowball issues such as jaywalking into the national conversation.
Such tactics, however, can potentially backfire if they can be linked to the current PMO or higher echelons within the Conservative Party. I guess one question would be is this effort systematic and professional or are these attacks just coincidences or the results of low-level Conservatives just having a little bit of fun? …
From Mr. Kinsella’s website today:
Jeepers, those anti-Dion "headlines" sure show up with great frequency and prominence on certain blogs and web sites, these days, don't they? Geez, you don't think a certain political party is PAYING for those "headlines" to appear, do you? …
Recent headlines from Bourque Newswatch (this list doesn’t include the jaywalking headline mentioned above or the few other interesting headlines that have been posted since Mr. Dion's leadership victory):
CLOCK TICKS FOR ADSCAM REDUX (headline falls under a picture of a watch hanging from Mr. Dion’s name)
THE PERSUASIVE CITOYEN DION
DION: KHAN WILL NOT DEFECT ... HARPER: KHAN HAS DEFECTED
DION APPOINTS HAPLESS EX-CHRETIEN CABMIN MASSE TO TOP JOB
MARZOLINI: CITOYEN DION, THE ANTI-POLITICIAN ?
DION ON TOUR: NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME
DION'S DISCONNECT
So, for now, Bourque’s link remains over to your right. For sometime I have used Newswatch - and maybe naively so - as a relatively objective source for Canadian headlines; but, if Pierre keeps this up, I may have to reconsider his news worthiness.
posted by Martin Canning at 3:09 AM
10 Comments:
Can you imagine what Bourque will do when the RCMP, as expected in a few weeks time, lays dozens of criminal charges against prominent Liberals in Quebec for their role in stealing money as part of ADSCAM ??
Bourque will be "Mach 1 before clearing the tower"
One day a reporter will just ask a senior conservative, or the PM:
"Do you buy news headlines on the Bourque Newswatch?"
The guy has always been for sale. I hear several liberal leadership considered it but his price was too high.
Way to go Canning. I think you've arrived.
By the by, something on your sidebar is too large. That's why it appears down low.
Say 'hi' to our friends at Richard's nomination for me.
I have read Bourque for years and often he runs as "news" different press releases that advertise on his site.
Bourque was shilling for the BC Liberals during the provincial election a year and a half ago. I suspected at the time he was being paid to push friendly stories, I'm quite certain of it now.
Ever notice the number of headlines he runs pointing to autos.canada.com? Purely a coincidence, I'm sure.
well aren't you a regular sherlock holmes.
"Have a look at the list of clients who count on us to get their message seen, heard, and actioned: Air Canada, Liberal Party Of Canada, New Democratic Party of Canada, Conservative Party of Canada,"
straight from the horse's mouth. this isn't a scandal. you can put your tin-foil hat back on the shelf.
Good thing that the Tories' Accountabiltiy Act cleaned up Ottawa by putting restrictions on third party advertising between writ periods. Errr wait> was that one of the like dozen loopholes they left open?
Been feeding Bourque's goat for many years, and kept track of which stories were headlined and which weren't. He likes me because I sometimes give him scoops, but he's given me the pitch many times. The NGO I was working for considered it but the price was too high.
As others have said, Borque's pitched me on favourable coverage and placement on his site in exchange for ads at least four times in the last 2 years . . . shameless. "Tomorrow's news today" usually amounts to "yesterday's news bought and paid for."
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