Plante: are media being fair or mean?

I mentioned recently that the Gazette has an anti-Plante bias, but it’s not the only entity that does. TVA suggests Valérie Plante basically stole the RDP‑PAT byelection by blandishing the residents of an old folks’ home. They even quote a UQÀM professor who suggests Projet confused the oldies with a candidate who used to work for Chantal Rouleau, the Coderre/Ensemble mayor who ascended to the National Assembly recently, so that the fuddled oldsters must have voted for her by mistake.

Obviously media will always be criticizing city hall, and in some sense that’s what it’s meant to do – ask questions and inform readers of anomalies; some commenters have suggested that because Projet is “anti-car” while media rely on car advertising, that might have an effect too. But I’m feeling something a little more personal against Plante. I can’t tell yet whether it’s because she’s a woman or mildly lefty or some combination. That will no doubt become clearer with time.

At least most media were fairly bland in their reports on the traditional Christmastime open house at city hall, particularly given that the building will soon be closed a long time for renovations. (Although I have a faint qualm about the face makeup on those girls in the Gazette photo.) However, CTV didn’t hesitate to get in a barb about Plante not making a firm statement about her plans for 2019 during the event, and reporting on a dip in her popularity. Nice Christmas spirit, CTV.