Media Bias in Canada

 What are we to do when our MEDIA picks favourites? What are we, as a society, to do when journalists are part of the right-wing propaganda machine? 

What are we to do when Canadian journalists repeat conservative talking points as facts, without verification? When they use tentative terms, like "claims" or "alleges" when reporting government statements, and absolutes like "says" and "stated" when reporting CPC statements? 

What are we to do when Canadian Media look to junk "think-tanks" like the Fraser Institute and the Canadian Taxpayer's Federation to paint a picture of reality? What are we to do when our fourth estate has been bought and controlled by those who are not interested in our public good? 

Where are the journalists with integrity? Where are the journalists with professional commitment? Where are the journalists with the guts to fact-check the conservatives? Where are the journalists who are working for the public good? 

Why is even the CBC, our public broadcaster, acting as a CPC cheerleader, even though the new leader promises to put them all out of work? What has happened to journalism in Canada? What can we do about it? 

It's no coincidence that any invading army or dictatorial regime takes control of the media early on. If you control the news - what is reported and how it is reported - you can change the way people see their society. You can create scapegoats. You can justify the unthinkable. 

Many may say I am over-reacting. But this has been going on a long time. Canadians are getting used to hearing the news conservatives want them to hear. Panels of pro-conservative pundits are normalized now. We get more opinion than news, and that's been normalized too. 

1. Is it true?
2. Is it verifiable? (i.e. not the word of an anonymous source)
3. Is publishing it in the interest of the public good?

These are the tests every single piece of news reporting should have to pass.

Think critically when you hear or read the news. Question the way things are worded. Is the reporter conveying trust in what is being said, or incredulity? Is there fact-checking? Are there multiple reputable sources? Is what is being reported important or meant to stir the pot? 

Is the language used in reporting slanted in favour of or against the person or party being reported about? i.e. "Scandal-ridden government" is pejorative. It makes assumptions and leads the reader. Does the reporting seem factual and unbiased? 

Is the reporting full of heuristic cues to evoke positive or negative emotions in the reader/viewer? Adjectives can change the tone of a sentence dramatically, and affect the recipients' perceptions. Be wary of reporting that contains words that celebrate or vilify. 

Does it rely on a single-source so-called "expert" organization, like the Fraser Institute? Does it offer clarity as to the "expert's" qualifications/loyalties/funding? 

Offering "the other side" is a ruse in many cases. There can be one side that is factual and another that is opinion. It is important to differentiate. Offering a contradictory opinion is not only often not useful, it can be harmful. 

If you have a doctor talking about vaccines and an anti-vaxxer contradicting them, that is not good journalism. The other side does not always deserve the airtime because they are just wrong. And the fourth estate is not acting in the public good by giving a podium to just anyone 

We need to be on our guard. Our Canadian media has abandoned us. There are some great reporters out there, but the media infrastructure is controlled by those who do not have the public good at heart. This is a real and present danger to our Canadian way of life. We are not USA north. 

• • •

Where Are Our Journalists, Part 7 - The Death of the Fourth Estate in Canada

Buckle up. It's a meta-thread.
#cdnpoli #cdnmedia #WhereAreOurJournalists 

The first thing a conqueror does is take control of the means of mass communication. In modern times, this means mainstream media. The American right bought our broadcasters & newspapers. Because Harper changed the laws to let them in. Harper loaded the CBC with supporters. Even out of power, the right controls the message.  

This is why, throughout the recent federal election campaign and for a long time before, the CPC has only got softball questions from journalists and the Prime Minister has been put under a magnifying glass continuously.  

Political shows regularly have panels whose diversity includes the far-right, the centre-right, the Greens, and the NDP, and they all take turns saying what a terrible job Trudeau is doing and what a terrible person he is. 

The media does not do their job of explaining unfamiliar concepts to the public. Very little effort was made, for example, to explain what a Deferred Prosecution Agreement is. When Andrew Scheer and other CPC voices claimed that Trudeau was pressuring JWR to "let SNC off the hook" or "let SNC get away scot-free", no one corrected that by saying exactly why that was incorrect, and what a DPA actually is. 

I encourage anyone who thinks a Deferred Prosecution Agreement is "dropping all charges" to read this excellent analysis:

Thread by @sunnshiiny: "@Alex_Panetta There is a huge issue with your article on the recent Canadian Election. A glaring mistake which misinforms your readers about […]"Thread by @sunnshiiny: "@Alex_Panetta There is a huge issue with your article on the recent Canadian Election. A glaring mistake which misinfers about the SNC scandal. Trudeau did NOT pressure the At…https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1187410671740211200.html

and also this one:

Thread by @sunnshiiny: "As I detailed, with evidence, a DPA is not “dropping” charges. It’s an alternative to prosecution of a corporation. A corporation made up of […]"Thread by @sunnshiiny: "As I detailed, with evidence, a DPA is not “dropping” charges. It’s an alternative to prosecution of a corporation. Aade up of many innocent workers who do not deserve to be t…https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1187466168220573701.html

When Andrew Scheer or CPC voices make outrageous claims, no one counters them. It is offensive to journalistic standards and to the Canadian people, that our media are not fulfilling their central and most basic duty: to present the facts. 

Canadians deserve truth, instead we get spin from our media. We are seeing an abject failure to provide anything but click-bait and right-wing ideology. 

The field is getting very murky, as well. Outlets such as Rebel Media and Buffalo Chronicles are treated as real news sources. They are not, in case you have any confusion about that.
Here is an expose on the Buffalo Chronicle:

freethepresscanada.org/?s=Buffalo+Chr… 

And here is a discussion of what passes for journalism in the Rebel Media universe:

Unfortunately, mainstream media has been treating these sources as though they have something valuable to add to the political conversation in this country. 

Not unlike how our mainstream media has been treating organisations like the Fraser Institute, the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation & other right-wing operatives of the CPC as though they offered legitimate research.

Regarding the Fraser Institute:

Thread by @stephenlautens: "One more obvious thing about the Fraser Institute tax "study": What is a "profit tax"? Except for this chart, it is never defined or mention […]" #cndpoli #cdnpoliThread by @stephenlautens: "One more obvious thing about the Fraser Institute tax "study": What is a "profit tax"? Except for this chart, it in the report itself, so we don't know what it is. It isn'…https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1157649107466559488.html

Thread by @profagagne: "1/ Read this short piece on how the Fraser Institute uses misleading data to further their austerity agenda. north99.org/2019/08/02/thi… 2/ […]"Thread by @profagagne: "1/ Read this short piece on how the Fraser Institute uses misleading data to further their austerity agenda. north99/thi… 2/ This is not surprising, since "Canada's leading ri…https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1157384313836621824.html

Thread by @RomboughSunni: "Fraser Institute recommends healthcare policy in AB. Since UCP hasn’t released a clear platform, this is the best way to approximate what Ke […]"Thread by @RomboughSunni: "Fraser Institute recommends healthcare policy in AB. Since UCP hasn’t released a clear platform, this is the best e what Kenney’s plans may be. Let’s look at their 7 sugges…https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1101113580441595904.html

The Frontier Centre for Public Policy is another American-funded right-wing entity that floats policy balloons for the CPC.

Thread by @wearenorth99: "THREAD. The Frontier Centre for Public Policy (FCPP), a Canadian think-tank, claims it's a myth that "residential schools robbed native kids […]"Thread by @wearenorth99: "THREAD. The Frontier Centre for Public Policy (FCPP), a Canadian think-tank, claims it's a myth that "residential snative kids of their childhood". oursask.ca/2018/09/23/an-…https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1044290973180874753.html

Regarding the Canadian Taxpayers Federation:

Thread by @Tentoads4truth: "Canadian Taxpayers Federation a 'partner' of right-wing U.S.-based Atlas Network advocacy group once headed by Alberta Opposition Leader Jas […]"Thread by @Tentoads4truth: "Canadian Taxpayers Federation a 'partner' of right-wing U.S.-based Atlas Network advocacy group once headeJason Kenney, has always been tight-lipped about the sources of i…https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1109482163915743232.html

And the thing is, Canadian media, including the CBC, report these and other, similar, organisations as valid news sources. This is doing a grave disservice to Canadians. Where is the fact-checking? 

How can a legitimate news agency simply repeat what a "think-tank" funded by Aurea and the Koch Foundation as some sort of gospel truth? 

And the CBC's own pollster, Eric Grenier, does not have a degree in math or statistics. I am shocked. Not that someone without proper credentials set themselves up as an expert but that our national broadcaster has given such a person the credence of being their official political statistician.

Thread by @BiggerDataSci: "Eric Grenier does not have a degree in math or statistics. Is that why he misinterprets data for personal promotion? I'm not sure. But let's […]" #cdnmedia #elxn43Thread by @BiggerDataSci: "Eric Grenier does not have a degree in math or statistics. Is that why he misinterprets data for personal promot together. cbc.ca/news/politics/… We're going to talk about …https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1187554563299172358.html

Canadians, many Canadians anyway, trust the CBC. Or, used to. It is the mandate of the CBC to provide fair and unbiased news. They are meant to operate outside the market pressures imposed upon corporately-owned and advertiser-controlled media. So, what gives here? 

It is not surprising that all the PostMedia papers, which is most of the newspapers in Canada, are following the dictates of their American owners. For example, the pre-election editions of all PostMedia papers across the country: 

The compromised state of PostMedia publications has not gone unnoticed:

Postmedia Is Taking A Turn (Further) To The RightThe inside story of the plan to muffle moderate voices at Canada's biggest newspaper companyhttps://www.canadalandshow.com/the-conservative-transformation-of-postmedia/

So, where can we now turn to for legitimate news? Why has our national broadcaster become a stenographer for what Harper, Scheer, and other CPC voices refer to as "the conservative movement". The euphemism is important. This is not just about the CPC in Canada. 

It is a global organisation, shepherded by the IDU (International Democratic Union), the president of which is none other than Canada's former PM, Stephen Harper. The IDU co-ordinates right-wing parties world-wide, helping them to win.

Stephen Harper Heads a Global Org That Helps Get Right-Wing Parties Elected. What Will It Do for Andrew Scheer? | The TyeeVoter suppression works. Ask the Kochs, Trump and our very own robocall fakers.https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2019/08/06/Harper-Heads-Global-Org-Help-Elect-Right-Wing-Parties/

There is a "movement". It is not pro-democracy. It is Orwellian. 

The IDU is working very hard to install right-wing, authoritarian governments everywhere.  

There is foreign interference in our elections. There is misrepresentation or outright lies in the statements in our media. There is a concerted effort to turn us against one another. 

The media we consume changes how we think. You might think you are in control of your own opinions. Unless you are employing high level critical thinking skills and are keenly aware of the techniques being used to influence you, you are not.

The Brainwashing Of My DadThe truth behind the right-wing media machine that changed a father--and divided the nationhttp://www.thebrainwashingofmydad.com/

This may seem anecdotal, but there are a number of longitudinal, large sample studies that demonstrate that the media you consume influences your world-view. The research confirms the premise of this film. 

Personally, I am not content to let this global conservative movement usurp Canadian values, identity, or sovereignty. 

So, what is the solution? We call upon the government to bring in laws to limit foreign ownership of our media. We give the CRTC real teeth to combat the overwhelming tsunami of American media influences in Canada. We put a cap on American programming available in Canada.  

Don't panic. There is brilliant programming from other parts of the world we could access. 

We fully fund the CBC and, at the same time, demand journalistic accountability. The current "ombudsman" complaint process is a joke. I have complained to the ombudsman many times about what I felt to be misleading headlines (which often echo the CPC attack lines). 

The response is always some variation of this: 

To summarise: "The issues are too complex to reflect accurately in a headline. We know most people only read the headline. We're going to use the CPC interpretation of the issue as our headline. It's easier for people to understand." Not good enough. Not by a long chalk. 

We demand that the CBC, our national broadcaster, fulfill their mandate to educate and inform to the highest standards of journalistic integrity. If they are fully funded and not dependent on advertiser dollars they cannot claim to be beholding to any external party. 

We crack down on rogue misinformation sites. We demand fact-checking of ALL political parties' statements. The media is supposed to hold the politicians to account. It appears we must hold the media to account to do this job. 

For long term success, we empower our schools to teach media literacy, critical thinking and Canadian civics from K-12. 

A misinformed, deluded, and ignorant citizenry is fertile ground for the end of democracy and the freedoms and privileges we enjoy as Canadians. We must stop it now. We must DEMAND better from our elected representative, and we must DEMAND better from our media.