Infinity of mirrors?

Posted by cwaddell under Election 2008, Election 2008 Media commentary

Jeff Sallot

One of the most intriguing phenomenon in the early days of this federal election campaign is how mainstream media are paying attention to online media.

Last night CBC TV’s Susan Ormiston told us on The National she’ll be looking at how the election is playing out in cyberspace. Her page on the CBC News web site urges those with interesting digital footage to send it in.

I awoke this morning to reporter Chris Hall’s item on the CBC Radio morning newscast telling me that political bloggers are being flooded by posts from people who have something to say – and to share with the rest of the world – about the fact Green Party Leader Elizabeth May has been shut out of the TV debates.

The morning’s Ottawa Citizen has a piece by Canwest’s David Akin reporting that some web-savvy Conservative activists are launching a web site with video footage of Stephane Dion looking something less than prime ministerial.

I get to the office this morning and turn on CBC Newsworld to find reporter Julie Van Dusen talking about a Liberal website called Scandalpedia, an attack site that will go after the Harper Conservatives.

And this just in, CBC Newsworld anchor Heather Hiscox is talking about how the new Liberal web site featuring Dion looking prime ministerial has just gone live.

Jeff Sallot, a former Globe and Mail political correspondent and Ottawa bureau chief, teaches journalism at Carleton University and is a life member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery.