Rob Ford in the media
Rob Ford has been in the spotlight of Canadian media ever since the allegations have surfaced about a video of the Toronto Mayor smoking crack cocaine. This story gained international attention while even drawing on the Mayor for comic relief. American newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, along with Canadian newspapers, The Globe and Mail and Toronto Sun each have a unique target audience whom they are writing for. As a result of the intended audience each newspaper includes diction and style relevant for the target audience.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article, “‘Ford Nation’ Sticks by Toronto Mayor, So Far”, written by Ben Dummett, summarizes the current Rob Ford situation starting from when he admitted to smoking crack and the repercussions of these actions. Dummett gives background information on the City of Toronto, Ford’s supporters, and political career including highlights of Fords political gains such as ending vehicle-registration tax and curbing spending and taxes through such programs as garbage collection privatization. Dummett also discusses the public’s decline in support for Ford and the backlash from councilors at city hall.
WSJ is typically targeted toward middle age professionals making six figures a year, executive business management professionals, along with recent college and university graduates (MediaMetrix). The diction used is clear, formal, and avoids slang. The article incorporates language, which an educated, business professional would be more inclined to use in comparison to the language an uneducated, low-income individual would choose. For example the article begins with, “Ford’s admission that he had smoked crack cocaine unleashed a firestorm of criticism and led Toro...
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...prepared to soldier on as the city’s “lone wolf” mayor”. This quote depicts the type of language used, which is not formal, or shows a high level of professionalism. As a result of the commonly used diction this article is directed at everyone, yet mostly individuals that would pick up the Sun are not the top management executives or the cities top earners whom are looking for a unique and well throughout argument. Rather individuals whom are looking for an easy read possibly on the bus or subway after work.
Rob Ford has been the center of scandal, while newspapers and media networks around the world have reported on the Toronto Mayors less then professional actions in the public eye. Newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Sun have reported on the story while during style and diction which reflect their target audiences.
The “Darth Vader” mayors are an example of the use of systemic power. Instead of focusing more on those who consume, the mayors are pressured by the system and society to focus on those who produce. This inhibits the minority mayor from addressing the issues that he was initially elected to solve.
The municipal system experienced a steady growth for several decades following the establishment of responsible municipal government in Ontario with the Baldwin Act of 1849 (Frisken 30). International interest was generated in 1954 with the creation of Metropolitan Toronto, the first major structural change in the system. Yet, it was not until’ 1967 that the Ontario Committee on Taxation recommended that the rest of Ontario be restructured in regional governments similar to the structure of Metropolitan Toronto (Frisken 30). As a result of the recommendation was the creation of ten regional...
This chapter focuses on the reframing of the news and information about the heat wave. Writer Phyllis Kaniss noted that journalists are reluctant to criticize a source that has provided them with information in the past. Often the fascination with getting a story takes precedence over criticizing those who could help, but don’t.
Canada is internationally renowned for its commitment to multiculturalism. In fact, Canada was the first nation to officially adopt a multicultural policy. However, while the Canadian government has developed a broad-based multicultural mandate that includes a national human rights code and increased penalties for hate-motivated crimes, and most Canadians oppose overt forms of discrimination and hate, racism continues to exist in Canadian society, albeit in a subtle fashion.
It is not uncommon to hear people complaining about what they hear on the news. Everyone knows it and the media themselves knows it as well. Some of the most renowned journalists have even covered the the media’s issues in detail. Biased news outlets have flooded everyday news. We find that journalism’s greatest problems lie in the media’s inability for unbiased reporting, the tendency to use the ignorance of their audience to create a story, and their struggles to maintain relevance.
In “Reporting the News” by George C. Edwards III, Martin P. Wattenberg, and Robert L. Lineberry, the main idea is how the media determines what to air, where to get said stories that will air, how the media presents the news, and the medias effect on the general public. “Reporting The News” is a very strong and detailed article. The authors’ purpose is to inform the readers of what goes on in the news media. This can be inferred by the authors’ tone. The authors’ overall tone is critical of the topics that are covered. The tone can be determined by the authors’ strong use of transitions, specific examples, and phrases or words that indicate analysis. To summarize, first, the authors’ indicate that the media chooses its stories that will air
Our fellow Prime Minister has brought this country even closer. He has helped countless of people throughout his days as Prime Minister and has changed the way we view him. Not from his looks, but from his actions, such as how he assisted the Aboriginals by setting up meetings to spread the injustice done in the past. Trudeau has also legalized marijuana because of tax revenue, not because of profit. Consequently, the point of the policy is to force the black market out of business in order to make it difficult for underage people to get a hold of the drug. Certainly, take into account about the time Trudeau
The recent political climate in Canada has been one characterized by its need for change. With the ever-increasing frustration revolving around the Conservative regime, many Canadians were ready to see an upheaval of the previous administration. To acknowledge, and hopefully reverse this change in climate, the Conservatives developed several attack ads aimed at demeaning public opinion of their opponents. One ad in particular, The Interview, was an effective means for undercutting the validity of Liberal leader Justin Trudeau. The ad utilizes framing as a technique to create negative associations about Trudeau through constant repetition of his inadequacies and loaded language. More specifically, the politically biased technique attempts to
Taras, D. (2001). Power and betrayal in the Canadian media (2nd ed.) Peterborough, ON:Broadview Press.
The love of a father is as powerful as to leave a mark on not just the child, but also every witness to this passionate paternal love. The loss of a father is indescribably difficult, but when that father has raised his nation with the same love he gave his sons, the grief is shared by the entire country. Justin Trudeau’s eulogy for his father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, delivered in October 2000, encapsulates the former Prime Minister’s devotion to Canada and influence on its society, and transforms his legacy into a plow, tilling the fields of Canadian hearts so that he may plant the inspired seeds of continued political change -- a revolution of love. As he develops each aspect of his moving speech, Justin Trudeau uses various rhetorical and
As stated earlier, newspapers often condense the problem or issue at hand, leaving a foggy resonation for viewers to pon...
The cover of this issue highlighted six articles including: “Why Charlie Brown Was So Sad”, explaining that every bitter memory of author Charles Schulz’s long life made its way into “Peanuts”, “Coffee $130/LB.” introducing a new café, Manic Coffee, in Toronto that sells $15 cups of coffee, “Will Your Child’s Concussions Make Him Dangerous?”, the health article earlier discussed, “Stephen Colbert’s Secret Agenda”, reviewing the Comedy Central network’s show, The Colbert Report, “Harper to Dion: Make my Day”, about Stephen Harper issuing a “fish or cut bait” ultimatum and most prominently, “Are We Becoming a Nation of Bigots”, discussing Canada’s current level of toleration towards the multi-cultural country.
Public journalism has changed much during its existence. Papers are striving to actively involve readers in the news development. It goes beyond telling the news to embrace a broader mission of improving the quality of public life. The American style of journalism is based on objectivity and separates us from the bias found in most European partisan papers. American journalism is becoming too vigilant in being objective that the dedication to investigating stories tends to be missing in the writing. Public journalism works to incorporate concepts from partisan and objective writing to increase the flow of information and improve the quality of public life.
There are two distinct sides to the debate of journalism, their journalists, and the consumers: traditional journalism and public journalism. In the current digital age there is a greater number of public journalism being practiced. However, journalists and their consumers run into several issues concerning that matter. To express more clearly, there are particular roles and characteristics in which journalism standards are being gauged.
has come to have an adversarial press—the tendency of the national media to be suspicious of officials and eager to reveal unflattering stories about them. This cynicism and distrust of government and elected officials have led to an era of attack journalism—seizing upon any bit of information or rumor that might cast a shadow on the qualifications or character of a public official. Media coverage of gaffes—misspoken words, misstated ideas, clumsy moves—has become a staple of political journalism (WDB 294).