Party Leaders on YouTube from April 20 to April 27, 2007

Highlights of last week

Critical Income Trust Video Continues to Grow on Youtube; Liberal Bloggers and Garth Turner turn back clock on Youtube to support new Party TV ads; Tory bloggers dissect Mansbridge’s Body language

Stephen Harper Videos

• A seemingly innocuous video of a Peter Mansbridge interview with Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert [1] was the top viewed YouTube video last week (tagged by “Stephen Harper”). However, on closer examination we found that the video was first promoted and debated on the “Small Dead Animals” Blogging Tories site [2]. A series of comments posted on the blog accompanying the embedded video target the CBC and question Mansbridge’s objectivity.
• There was almost a threefold increase in the number of weekly views of a critical video of Harper and the conservatives’ decision over income trusts [3].
• A “Three strike” violent crime and justice video [4] was the second most viewed video this week. The video was posted by a film school student from Toronto and uses graphic content to draw attention to violent crime and a government proposal to introduce a “three strike rule” for harsher criminal justice.
• Lastly, the third most viewed video for Stephen Harper [5] lampoons his recent public image / grooming issues.

Stephane Dion Videos

• The top video for Dion is a re-edited version of a previous official Liberal party TV advertisement [6]. The original version was the second most watched video for Dion [7]. The videos were posted one week apart (the first original video on April 18th, the second re-edit on April 25th). The more recent video, takes more of an attack stance, promoting Dion’s credentials and criticizing the conservatives on the climate change issue.
• Jason Cherniak [8] (Liblogs) and MP Garth Turner [9] blogs directed internet users to a YouTube video that sets the context in which Dion’s leadership played a starring role at the Montreal climate change conference [10]. Even though this video was originally uploaded on January 31st , it received over 1000 viewings this past week. Cherniak and Turner used the YouTube video, a CBC news clip, to support the messages contained in the official Liberal Party’s new TV advertisements.

Gilles Duceppe Videos

• The top Duceppe video [11] was taken from a talk show dealing with the controversial radio commentary of Jeff Fillion. Duceppe was a guest on the show and took part in the discussion.
• There were no new or significant videos for either Elizabeth May or Jack Layton.

Party Leaders on YouTube from April 20 to April 27, 2007

Stephen Harper

Stephane Dion

Jack Layton

Gilles Ducceppe

Elizabeth May