The image of the scrum – a beleaguered politican surrounded by jockeying reporters – is central to our perception of Ottawa. The modern scrum began with the arrival of television, but even in Sir John A. Macdonald’s day, a century earlier, reporters in the parliamentary press gallery had waited outside the prime minister’s office, pen in hand, hoping for a quote for the next edition.
The scrum represents the test of wills, the contest of wits, and the battle for control that have characterized the relationship between Canadian prime ministers and journalists for more than 125 years. Scrum Wars chronicles this relationship. It is an anecdotal as well as analytical account, showing how earlier prime ministers like Sir John A. Macdonald and Sir Wilfrid Laurier were able to exercise control over what was written about their administrators, while more recent leaders like John Diefenbaker, Joe Clark, John Turner, and Brian Mulroney often found themselves at the mercy of intense media scrutiny and comment.
Authors
- Bibliography, etc. Note
- Includes bibliographical references and index
- Control Number Identifier
- CaOOCEL
- Dewey Decimal Classification Number
- 070.4/08/83513
- Dewey Decimal Edition Number
- 20
- General Note
- Issued as part of the desLibris books collection
- Geographic Area Code
- n-cn---
- ISBN
- 1550021915 9781554882892
- LCCN
- PN4914.P6
- LCCN Item number
- L49 1996eb
- Modifying agency
- CaBNVSL
- Original cataloging agency
- CaBNVSL
- Physical Description | Extent
- 1 electronic text (xxiv, 389 p., [8] p. of plates)
- Published in
- Canada
- Publisher or Distributor Number
- CaOOCEL
- Rights
- Access restricted to authorized users and institutions
- System Control Number
- (CaBNVSL)thg00603063 (OCoLC)244769145 (CaOOCEL)410534
- System Details Note
- Mode of access: World Wide Web
- Transcribing agency
- CaBNVSL
Table of Contents
- Contents 8
- Preface: The Battle of the Scrum 10
- Acknowledgments 15
- Prologue: The View from the Gallery 17
- Illustrations 130
- PART ONE: Partisan Partners, 1867–1913 26
- 1 A Controlling Interest 28
- 2 Party Organs 40
- 3 Laurier and the Globe 61
- 4 Under Liberal Management 79
- 5 Politics of Virtue 94
- PART TWO: No League of Gentlemen, 1914–1956 108
- 6 Wartime Headlines 110
- 7 The Undependable Party Press 127
- 8 The Trials of Mackenzie King 157
- 9 R.B. in Charge 184
- 10 Managing the War 208
- 11 Uncle Louis 218
- PART THREE: The Unofficial Opposition, 1957–1992 240
- 12 Dief vs. the Gallery 242
- 13 One of the Boys 271
- 14 The "Crummy" Press 298
- 15 Judgmental Journalism 325
- 16 The Turner Follies of '84 344
- 17 Media Junkie 359
- 18 The Comeback Kid's Last Ride 377
- Notes 398
- Bibliography 413
- Index 416
- A 416
- B 416
- C 416
- D 417
- E 417
- F 417
- G 418
- H 418
- I 419
- J 419
- K 419
- L 419
- M 419
- N 420
- O 420
- P 420
- R 421
- S 421
- T 422
- U 422
- V 422
- W 422
- Y 422
