In the coming days, the Conference of Defence Associations will announce the recipient of its Ross Munro Media Award for this year, including its $2,500 cash prize. Should we just shrug it off when someone takes a cheque from a defence lobby group on Saturday night, and then calls their office for a quote on Monday morning? (more…)
Tag Archives: Defence lobby
Conference of Defence Associations counterspins its DND funding formula
Obviously alarmed by my letter in the National Post today in response to Dinosaur Jack’s insulting attack against Canadians who don’t agree with his hawkish views, the Conference of Defence Associations rushed out its own counterspin email to its list of hundreds of military and media contacts. (more…)
Conference of Defence Associations president's remarks an "ignorant and vitriolic attack," says David Akin
David Akin, Canwest/Global’s National Affairs Correspondent, responded on Friday to the Conference of Defence Association’s attacks against the media for not sufficiently explaining (i.e. selling) the Afghan war to the public. Akin called CDA Institute president John Scott Cowan’s recent speech, “one of the most ignorant and vitriolic attacks on my profession.” (more…)
My Prediction for the Winner of the CDA's Ross Munro Media Award
The DND-funded Conference of Defence Associations is still looking for nominations for its annual Ross Munro Media Award. As I noted earlier, a lot of journalists are not so sure they even want an award from a group so close to the government, and whose president recently let fly a bitter attack on journalists for […]
Defence lobby (still) at odds with Canadian public
This letter was published in the Ottawa Citizen on August 11, 2008. Senator Kenny’s report calling for massive increases to military spending is further evidence that committees and groups and that comprise the defence lobby are increasingly at odds with the Canadian public. A government survey this year confirmed that Canadians want the budget to […]
CDA says media give new depth to word ‘shallow'
THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 2008 13 CDA says media give new depth to word ‘shallow’ By STEVEN STAPLES CDA’s John Scott Cowan recently criticized the ‘narcissism of a portion of the media’ but Steven Staples says it’s a trend in the discourse of defence lobby groups to blame the media if public opinion […]