Payback Time

The blogosphere has been reveling in CBC's admission that one Krista Erickson has been outed as scripting questions for Liberal MPs on the standing Commons Ethics Committee.

Most of the right wing bunch are of the mind that politicians play the media to their benefit. The media? They're playing the same game. Fair comment.

The left wingers?

Well, this is an isolated incident, and for proof, look no farther than the assurance by the CBC that this was a one off.

Newsflash for readers: The media strokes anybody who can increase the number of eyes hitting their sites, watching their shows, & buying their papers.

Police. Politicians. Utility Boards. Planning Committees. (Insert authority figure here).

For those of you who don't believe me, look up the crime statistics in any major metropolitan area in this nation, versus what is reported in the mainstream media.

Crime is generally reported on a public interest basis - with the public interest determined by the same media who decided long ago that gate keeping and opinion forming is far more profitable than simple reportage.

Now you know.

And from this day, every time you see a 'Man Kills Puppy With Chainsaw' story on the front page of the local rag, know that its a slow news day, circulation is looking for a boost, and that the editor is delivering the goods.

Enough events happen in the crime files daily to fill every page of a newspaper. Ask yourself why reporting of them is selective - down to the individuals and nature of the crime involved.

The media uses sources just as well as sources use the media.

Ultimately, to use you.