Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Photo-ops a health hazard for politicians
If staged event doesn't go well, all people remember is the mishap, and not the message
JOE.BRYKSA@FREEPRESS.MB.CA Enlarge Image
Tory Leader Hugh McFadyen speaks next to his Health Critic Myrna Driedger, centre, and Bretton Tyler, who already has an insulin pump.
Ah, the political gods are a cruel bunch, and no one knows that better than Tory Leader Hugh McFadyen.
At a news conference Tuesday, McFadyen tried to deliver a smackdown on the NDP government. Instead, he served up a healthy dose of bad luck with a side of irony.
McFadyen was making a campaign-style pledge to help children with juvenile diabetes. The Tories had stacked their legislative caucus room with two dozen children who suffer from juvenile diabetes, and their families, to press the province to provide insulin pumps. It's a good issue; the current government does not do this, even though it's standard in other provinces.
Although next provincial election is still 23 months away, the Tories pledged that should they form government, they would spend $2.1 million to buy insulin pumps for Manitobans under 18 who suffer from Type 1 diabetes.
And then, a young lad who suffers from diabetes and who was wearing an insulin pump fainted from what was later reported to be low blood sugar.
Depending on your political bent, this was either a minor setback that derailed McFadyen's announcement, or a graphic demonstration of the seriousness of the issue. The only thing we know for sure is that it ended the news conference right there and then.
The fainting spell should not obscure the fact that McFadyen raised a valid issue. And on the heels of his revelation late last week that the province had spent more than $14 million to deliver a fancy new identification card that only 8,000 Manitobans are using (that's $1,700 per card), he's on a roll.
However, Tuesday's incident is yet another reminder of how little wiggle room politicians have to make mistakes when they are trying to funnel their message through the media.
(As an aside, I do not like it when politicians invite victims to serve as props at news conferences. It is a risky strategy, in large part because of unavoidable complications like the ones witnessed Tuesday. But also because it is essentially a misguided strategy. There is a belief by some political strategists that to show the public you are standing with a victim, you have to be physically standing beside them. It's not necessary -- most media would rather interview real-life victims outside of the legislature -- and inadvertently portrays the citizens who appear at these events as shills, and not the average folk they probably are. But I digress.)
It is important to note that this is not just a Tory affliction. As long as there have been podiums, microphones and cameras, photo- ops have been backfiring on those who designed them.
Long-time political watchers may remember the 1995 provincial election, when an up-and-coming Liberal Leader Paul Edwards went glad-handing on Corydon Avenue on the first day of the campaign. Edwards inadvertently wandered directly in front of the Morgentaler abortion clinic, which suddenly put the Grit leader in a situation he never imagined he'd be in. An opportunistic journalist noticed the gaffe and immediately lobbed Edwards a "pro-life or pro-choice" question. A pro-lifer, Edwards found himself embroiled in an issue that was not supposed to be an issue in that election.
Or former Tory Premier Gary Filmon, who picked up a pool cue for an impromptu photo-op at a Forks bar while election stumping. Filmon did not realize he was standing in front of a bank of video lottery terminals, not the backdrop his handlers wanted. Tory staffers rushed to stand on either side of him to block out the VLTs; the Free Press ran a before picture, where you could see the machines, and an after picture with grim-faced staffers as human shields.
Travelling in northern Manitoba with former Premier Gary Doer in 2003, I was the only reporter to watch as an impromptu photo-op of the premier splitting a log turned into a 20-minute axe-wielding horror show. The log was green, but that didn't deter Doer from hammering away at the obstinate stump. Several times, glancing blows very nearly severed his leg. Both the photos and the accompanying story were not what the premier's handlers had in mind.
The photo-op is great when it goes well. But when an event falls apart, or suffers a completely inadvertent mishap, politicians have to live with the fact that sometimes, all people remember is the mishap and not the message.
In this instance, despite the fainting episode, it appears McFadyen got his message out. Most media outlets are reporting primarily about the shortage of insulin pumps, and not the fainting spell. But it serves as a reminder of just how incredibly hard it is to make politics look easy.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 25, 2009 A6
- Rate this

-
-
We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high. If you thought it was well written, do the same. If it doesn’t meet your standards, mark it accordingly.
You can also register and/or login to the site and join the conversation by leaving a comment.
Rate it yourself by rolling over the stars and clicking when you reach your desired rating. We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high.
The comment period for this story has ended.
Ads by Google
- Back to Top
- Return to Columnists
-
CON >< CUSSIONS
Examining hockey head injuries
-
Random Acts of Kindness
Your encounters with goodness
-
Open Secrets
Red River students mine government data banks
-
Ski with WFP
Register here to ski Asessippi with the Winnipeg Free Press
-
Miss Lonelyhearts
Maureen Scurfield offers life advice
Poll
Most Popular
- She's not laughing anymore
- After sweeping Hollywood's awards season, Oscar winner Sandra Bullock plagued by private drama
- Should youth convicted of serious crimes have their names made public?
- Humane society nabs dogs roaming wild after owners' death
- Weather improves flood outlook
- Play nice in your neighbour's dust
- Things you should not do in the presence of a police officer
- Porn actress Joslyn James releases sexually graphic messages she says came from Tiger Woods
- Ile des Chenes couple wins St. B Hospital lottery
- Teen robbed, sexually assaulted at bus stop
- She's not laughing anymore
- Crusader up for Nobel Prize
- Mild again, but enjoy it while it lasts
- Freedom for Li expected
- Six-year-old leads RCMP to attacker
- Off-duty officer stops assault on Transit driver
- Man shot after chasing car thieves
- Gesturing rudely at OPP while in possession of stolen goods: not a good idea
- Grand Forks declares flood emergency
- New cutting machine breaks through ice near Selkirk
- Olympic-sized hypocrisy
- Crusader up for Nobel Prize
- Not wrong, just illegal
- Teacher's lapdance caught on tape, watched by world
- Students could be punished
- Second video of lap dance uncovered
- Mr. Matas a worthy nominee
- She's not laughing anymore
- What should happen to two teachers who performed a sexually suggestive dance routine in front of students?
- Oprah's on, and so is our Jon!
- She's not laughing anymore
- Play nice in your neighbour's dust
- Provincial Tories lead in latest poll
- Environmentalists attack Hydro line route
- Porn actress Joslyn James releases sexually graphic messages she says came from Tiger Woods
- Cuts unlikely in Tuesday's provincial budget
- Changes won't deter youth crime: professor
- City may open diamond lanes to more users
- After sweeping Hollywood's awards season, Oscar winner Sandra Bullock plagued by private drama
- Weather improves flood outlook
- She's not laughing anymore
- Freedom for Li expected
- Man shot after chasing car thieves
- City may open diamond lanes to more users
- Greyhound apologizes for stranding passengers
- He can escape her verbal abuse
- Gesturing rudely at OPP while in possession of stolen goods: not a good idea
- Liberals say cutting MP mailings would save $10 million a year
- Eagles, Dixie Chicks to play stadium in June
- Charges considered in machete attack
- Teacher's lapdance caught on tape, watched by world
- She's not laughing anymore
- Students could be punished
- Police shoot and kill suspect
- Freedom for Li expected
- Second video of lap dance uncovered
- More ominous issue underlies Youth for Christ flap
- Wielding a weapon costs a life
- Mounties hook ice-fishers for open beer
- Youth centre sparks dispute
- Police probe travel agent over fare flap
- Is jet a trophy or just bad PR?
- XX rated
- Weather improves flood outlook
- Text of Shane Koyczan's opening ceremonies poem, "We Are More"
- Lobby groups target province on BiPole issue
- Giant Wal-Mart's footstep feared
- She's not laughing anymore
- Environmentalists attack Hydro line route
- Blood, sweat, tears and gold for local skier
- Eagles, Dixie Chicks to play stadium in June
- Condos at ex-Penthouse
- Grand Forks declares flood emergency
- New cutting machine breaks through ice near Selkirk
- It's the Sharks vs. the Jets in a jazzy rumble
- Man shot after chasing car thieves
- Iceland airline bullish about Winnipeg
- Former prosecutor ambushed on CBC
- Ice-cutting machine to stay submerged until spring
- Prairie proliferation
- Text of Shane Koyczan's opening ceremonies poem, "We Are More"
- Teacher's lapdance caught on tape, watched by world
- Olympic-sized hypocrisy
- Cabela's to open across Canada
- Oprah's on, and so is our Jon!
- Not wrong, just illegal
- Online drug pioneer tumbles
- Mounties hook ice-fishers for open beer
- No listings for buyers flooding the housing market
- Second video of lap dance uncovered
PREVIOUS

5 Comments
Posted by: nospin
November 26, 2009 at 8:00 AM
Let's see a child with diabetes faints and Lett is concerned about the irony in a political photo op. Well done Mr Lett.
You are so insightful into the issues facing Juvenile Diabetes.
Also nice to see that you are trying to rationalize your journalistic ethics. I would think that if you were comfortable with your story, you would find no need to defend yourself.
Posted by: winnipegger
November 25, 2009 at 10:11 PM
My political persuassion aside, the "mis-hap" as you all call it still sends a strong message. Diabetes is an awful disease and this young man's unfortunate experience hit the nail on the head...we need more attention drawn to this disease for many reasons..
1. There is nothing you can do to prevent gestational or juvenile diabetes.
2. While one can be prevented, the lifetime, 24/7 monitoring needed to stay healthy is daunting at best.
3. The instance of diabetes in our aboriginial and younger populations is on the increase. Financial cost aside, how much will this cost us in lost labour in teh future?
Just a few thoughts....
Posted by: Dan Lett
November 25, 2009 at 2:30 PM
@ GJackson:
I understand your offended but there are a couple of things to remember.
First, I likely wouldn't have written that column if it was the only coverage of the issue raised by the Tories. With the comfort of knowing that Larry Kusch filed an entirely separate story dedicated solely to the issue of insulin pumps, it allowed me to look at a different aspect. So, although the message can be lost in the mishap, it didn't happen this time.
Second, when do mishaps like this become part of the story? Did it really matter to you that Stephane Dion's video address was out of focus. Based on your arguments, we should have ignored that and focused solely on what he said.
I find it is a no-win situation for journalists when they witness something like this. If you ignore it, then the opponents of the party making the announcement accuse you of sanitizing coverage. If you report on it, then it's gotcha journalism. Perhaps you could tell me the best approach.
The unflattering photo comment is the one that I probably agree with the most. I have, at times, objected to a particularly unflattering photo of a politician if I have the luxury of seeing the photo that has been selected ahead of time. I do not understand what we accomplish by running pictures of contorted faces. I don't think it's done on purpose (although I know you will disagree) but it's something we must be vigilant to avoid. IMHO.
Posted by: caerlaverock
November 25, 2009 at 2:26 PM
The mishap is the message, even if you do everything right, diabetes will always throw you a curve ball. It is very hard for a human to mimic a human pancreas. Every day with diabetes is different especially in a growing child where there are growth spurts causing hormones to rage causing insulin requirements to double or triple and suddenly the body needs half the next day or later the same day. No what people perceive the message to be, diabetes is a 24/7/365 disease that allows on vacations, breaks and takes no prisoners, a person ( and family because if one person has it, the entire family has it), must be ever vigilant if one is to keep blood sugars stable and keep from suffering from complications. Any party whether in power or wanting to be in power will in long term be saving the province literaly hundreds of thousands of dollars which is what kidney disease, blindness, amputations and heart disease will cost the tax payers. IN other words to the powers that be, Pay now or Pay later but tax payers will in the end pay for the care of diabetes.
Posted by: Gordon Jackson
November 25, 2009 at 12:30 PM
In this article, about PC leader Hugh McFayden's photo-op (gone wrong) extolling the virtues of provincial funding for insulin pumps, columnist Dan Lett states, ..."Tuesday's incident (the fainting of a young diabetic while wearing an insulin pump that is supposed to regulate his blood sugar to prevent same) is yet another reminder of how little wiggle room politicians have to make mistakes when they are trying to funnel their message through the media." He then states, near the end, ..."politicians have to live with the fact that sometimes, all the people remember is the mishap and not the message." Amazing! Of course we all know that rememberance of the mishap and not the message wouldn't have anything to do with cheap gotcha journalism that focuses on mishaps over content. And neither, we all also know would media ever want to sabotage an announcement/photo-op with the most unflattering photo or blown-out-of-all-proportion emphasis on a so-called mishap. Comforting. That's what is. Comforting. And reassuring, to know that media always put content, the important stuff first. No going off on tangents for them. No indeed! Why, it's enough to give one the warm fuzzies knowing that the media's always fair, respectful, honourable conduct towards public figures is front and centre in all they do. The warm fuzzies! And a toast, to the always honourable actions of the fourth estate.