As a marketer, I am constantly amazed by the exploding power of web-based information transfer – especially the news. Within minutes of Obama’s visit to Ottawa, I received an email from a friend of a friend who happened to be outside the pastry shop where the President bought his beaver tail. Some up close and personal pictures like you’d never get on your favourite news channel – just because they were not there at that exact place. And no dulcet-toned announcer commentary.

So much for the traditional, packaged media coverage brought to you by Peter Mansbridge and his nightly crew. What a tiresome bunch they have become. Especially Rex Murphy. I say stuff a sock in him and send him back to make sand castles and debate politics with Danny Williams on their next beach vacation together. Now wouldn’t that be a lovely down home postcard.

In my view, it’s a good thing that the internet has opened up unedited political commentary by just plain folks like us web bloggers. Call it opinion for the people by the people. For too long, the press – particularly in things political – has had overt influence. Obama’s campaign was brilliant as much for the man it presented as how he was presented – online and often. His direct-to-customer approach blunted the traditional press coverage and bias. Even today, his email subscribers receive weekly messages from the President on the state of his nation – broke as it is. That’s communication leadership. And it sure beats a staged quarterly press conference that’s subsequently analyzed and re-shaped by editorial boards and political pundits. Between news conferences, we get debatably credible stories by bored political journalists desperately in search of news. A frustrated press is a vindictive press. But they have no one to blame but themselves for their loneliness.

In Canada, the press enjoys a pretty free ride – usually along political lines. Nothing seemed to stop the Toronto papers from making Stephen Harper look like some sort of shellacked, misty-eyed, flounder every time they ran one of his earlier photos. At least until he won his 2nd minority government as Prime Minister. Check the historical press photos from Robert Stanfield to Stephane Dion and you’ll find media organizations intent on influencing the outcome of an election with their publishing power – often in demeaning personal ways.

President Obama credits much of his power to his people. It’s interesting to see how an optimistic, personable leader can rub off so positively and influentially on others. Have you ever seen Stephen Harper smile like he did on the President’s visit? I can just hear him whispering to wife Laureen that very night on the pillow: “Finally honey I’ve got someone to talk to about the big picture issues.” – instead of the latest lobster crisis, separatist whine, auto bailout or aboriginal hissy fit.

Too bad he didn’t have the cojones to challenge the Liberal/NDP handout budget and take it to the people for their opinion on long-term economic growth strategies versus short-term salves.

Now there are probably many in Canada who would like to see the internet regulated, monitored, taxed and bureaucratized like everything else in our government job creating country. But I disagree. This is the new frontier of communication and information. Uncensored and uninhibited – yet still vulnerable to strong backlash if unsubstantiated. Combine this modern communication force with a political will to reach out and touch the people and you’ve got a powerful tool – without the gauzy media veil. Take it or leave it – it’s your choice. And you can even reply to sender.

Are you listening Stephen Harper? Because web-based communication and e-commerce will probably be two of the keys to global economic recovery. That and good old-fashioned global horse-trading.

On the other hand, my growing desire to see the media lose their political career-shaping clout will gladly wait until they paint an accurate portrait of Michael Ignatieff (Macleans is trying). I think he’s just plain bored at all those juvenile Ottawa political antics. Yes Norma, he’d rather be teaching and debating back at Harvard with like-minded, bushy-browed intellectuals.

Even if he did get twenty-five minutes of fame with The Big O.

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Tags: communications, Media, newspaper, press

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