Media

A Case Study in Choice of Words

By Ryan McGreal
Published November 10, 2006

Yesterday afternoon, an RTH blog entry reported that Fred Eisenberger has posted a campaign ad on YouTube. I wrote:

Eisenberger is not accepting corporate or union donations, so it makes sense to take advantage of any service that helps to get the message out.
In today's Hamilton Spectator, a report on Eisenberger's ad tells it differently:The cash-strapped mayoral candidate took a page out of the 2006 U.S. election handbook and posted an attack ad on the hugely popular video-sharing website YouTube.com.

Can you spot the difference in emphasis?

Ryan McGreal, the editor of Raise the Hammer, lives in Hamilton with his family and works as a programmer, writer and consultant. Ryan volunteers with Hamilton Light Rail, a citizen group dedicated to bringing light rail transit to Hamilton. Ryan wrote a city affairs column in Hamilton Magazine, and several of his articles have been published in the Hamilton Spectator. His articles have also been published in The Walrus, HuffPost and Behind the Numbers. He maintains a personal website, has been known to share passing thoughts on Twitter and Facebook, and posts the occasional cat photo on Instagram.

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By jason (registered) | Posted November 10, 2006 at 10:55:31

of course they don't like it....he isn't paying them gobs of money for ads in the paper. to even try to make a connection between his video and US attack ads is nuts. I thought his video was fine....if someone is supposed to run for mayor without giving the citizens some clear examples of city hall gone wrong, then why run?? He said nothing nasty about DiIanni or anyone else in that ad. Just gave a few clear examples of why we need change at city hall. I guess the Spec can't see past the advertising money to care.

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By Ziggy (anonymous) | Posted November 10, 2006 at 14:30:28

Did you see the top article on page 1 about the corruption investigaion? Its called Mayor kept in dark about probe - except the mayor was told back in July, just like the legionnaires scandal. So who's really being kept in the dark? Tomorrow we'll find out Glen Peace actually meant to say August, and then September, and then he only heard last week - oops, too late, the election's already over!

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By jason (registered) | Posted November 10, 2006 at 18:16:37

Ziggy, how do you know that DiIanni knew about this coruption scandal back in July?? That would certainly be interesting to bring to the attention of the Spec if it's true.

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By citizen (registered) | Posted November 10, 2006 at 23:12:34

Jason,

I'd just be satisfied if one day when I picked up a copy of the Spec I didn't think it was a horrible waste of paper.

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By evilsmurf (anonymous) | Posted November 10, 2006 at 23:38:54

Is it any wonder the Big Kids don't ask us out to those meetings, fact finding conferences, & symposiums for large citys?

I guess they don't want to learn how to wipe out their inner city? Maybe they don't want to know how to play one ward off against another, vacate their city centres, & put big box stores out in former corn fields?

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