Several weeks ago the Conservatives complained to CBC Ombudsman Vince Carlin about the CBC’s use of pollster Frank Graves as a putative non-partisan: “Why,” the letter asked, “is a pollster who conducts polling for Canada’s national broadcaster…also giving partisan advice to the Liberal Party of Canada?”
The usual suspects shrugged off the charge. The network’s editor-in-chief insisted that the CBC “is ‘politically neutral‘ and ‘scrupulously fair.'” EKOS denied that any of the data from any of the CBC-commissioned polls had been shared with the Liberals (notwithstanding, apparently, that fact that the results of one such CBC-commissioned poll induced Frank Graves to announce on air that the Liberals would do well to point out to Canadians that the choice between the the Liberals and the Conservatives was one of “cosmopolitanism versus parochialism, secularism versus moralism, Obama versus Palin, tolerance versus racism and homophobia, democracy versus autocracy.”)
In the aftermath of all the hoo-ha Graves dropped out of sight, only to reappear last Thursday on Power & Politics to discuss the results of a recent “viewer-inspired” poll “conducted for exclusive release by the CBC program Power & Politics.” Seems a citizen viewer had come up with a thought-provoking suggestion for an EKOS poll: “It would be interesting to find out what issues are most important to women. What qualities they look for in a leader and conversely what issues/characteristics negatively affect their vote.” Host Evan Solomon gushed “Frank, this is a fascinating poll, because it came based on a viewer question…a fascinating question, and very timely.”
Why yes, yes, and what makes the poll even timelier and more fascinating is that the viewer who suggested the subject matter of the poll, a woman named Mary Pynenburg, just happens to be a former two-time candidate for the federal Liberals.
The reactions from the usual suspects show a Liberal-headed entitlement to passive-aggressive redirection. Jane Taber, for example, elevates apoplexy-inducing non-accountability into a perfected art form: she acknowledges that yes, Mary Pynenburg is a former Liberal candidate, and yes, Mary Pynenburg submitted the question that Frank Graves conducted a poll on, but she still manages to type out that “the Tories allege” that the poll “was inspired by a Liberal Party candidate.”
CBC/EKOS pollster Frank Graves:
“I had no idea whatsoever who submitted the viewer-inspired question.”
CBC spokesman Jeff Keay:
“The question sent to us was reasonable, timely and relevant.”
To sum up: a two-time Liberal candidate who the CBC describes as just a “viewer” – a concerned regular-Jane citizen, in effect – submits, to the CBC and EKOS, a poll question that just happens to be on a matter that the Liberals and the CBC have been attacking the Conservatives on (as evidenced by the fake “Abortion” issue as it pertains to foreign aid), and then the poll’s results are announced coast-to-coast on the taxpayer-funded CBC, including the “finding” that “Conservative supporters had a higher than average propensity to say that women leaders would have a negative effect.”
“Timely and relevant” indeed.
Blogs are vital in attacking a media system that is state-owned but has been taken over by a partisan political party that uses it for its own propaganda.
Since we don’t have a FOX news; that is, a television system funded by private means to counter the Liberal propaganda site, the CBC, we have to first, use blogs and email; that is, the ‘free’ system.
It’s rather similar to earlier medieval times, when the church and state controlled information via their control and confinement of literacy, of the language used in scripts (Latin)and also, even, of free speech.
We do need a FOX news but without the funds, what we can do is still ‘loud and clear’ and must be strengthened and kept up.
The CBC must go and this ought to be a constant refrain.
The Taber use of the word “allege” reveals the inner workings of the modern latte liberal mind.
Rule 1 . . . If you don’t have facts to support your position, just make sh*t up. (Also known as “Fifeing a story”)
Rule 2 . . . When there are public facts that counter your position, sow doubt in the reader’s mind by using “allege”
So Progressive of Jane. Worthy of her gossip mill column.
It’s kinda like watching them rub dog-dirt on their faces, then running around complaining that something smells.
You’d think that after all the times the Ceeb’s been bitch-slapped by the bloggers, they’y open their F&^*ing eyes and see no information is safe in the arms of the CBC anymore.
It must drive these left wing media “so called” journalists crazy that no matter what they try to put over on the “unsuspecting” public, some “lowly” blogger digs until they find out the truth.
They must pine for the good old days before the world wide web, when they could just lie and no one was the wiser.
Yep….their world has changed! Now that we are on to them, everything they do is suspect.
(BTW – I use the word “lowly” as a compliment – too bad our journalists who get paid to research and report the truth aren’t as conscientious)
It’s long past time to go after the CBC. Whining doesn’t cut it anymore. Action is required. At the very least the CBC must be reduced to a PBS style viewer-supported station.
It is wholely unacceptable that a 21st century democracy has a state supported broadcaster.
The CBC may have filled a need when television was an expensive medium – today alternative mediums have rendered that point moot.
I encourage everyone to put the question of the CBC’s demise – when not if – to their MPs.
It is important to point out the needless cost to taxpayers, the unsupportable business case, ratings and the fact that any bias is unacceptable. If we continue the slow bleed at the CBC the bias will only get worse as they realize their backs are against the wall.
Here is the thing.The CBC is the front line in the progressives war on Truth,Common Sense, Morality and Fiscal Responsibility.One needs to understand the game, the CBC manufactures the truth as they see fit, if we had a functioning Media they would be discredited by the other networks as the fraudsters they truly are.I marvel at the complicity with which we the people tolerate this crap.Im damn sick and tired of getting the government the rest of you deserve.
*
oh, you nasty, unrepentant knuckle-draggers…
wake up and smell the burning crosses.
i mean… it worked for hedy fry.
*
Yeah, I noted this, ahem, anomaly in yesterday’s Probe and Fail, too, and posted it in Reader Tips @ 2:19 PM.
Having done battle with the CBC for over 30 years, it never ceases to amaze me how they bald-face lie: having been caught with their pants down, they insist, with the utmost courtesy, that, no, my pants aren’t down, and, anyway, I’m not wearing pants, and you, dear viewer/listener, are obviously in need of a new pair of glasses. No cookie jar, no hand in it, no one looking is a good analogy too.
What they really mean is that I need a re-education, a new and improved left/lib/prog sensibility — and that they’re just the state-run propaganda machine to provide it.
The CBC is a joke, a very bad joke, one that even Monty Python would be hard pressed to parody. They’ve become a parody.
FIRE. THEM. ALL. TOUTE. DE. SUITE.
Alberta Girl.We had best understand what is afoot.The establishment Stateside and elsewhere are making it known that a free internet is getting in the way of their agenda.Apparently they are backing off a little in their move to control and regulate the internet for now.The demonizing of the Tea Parties and the Truth Movement will likely be a key issue in the future to reintroduce this issue before it becomes a greater threat to the establishment.
CBC impartiality????
They got a saying further south….
“Don’t P!ss down my back and tell me it’s raining.”
Where else in this country could a “professional” organization get away with hiring back a former employee to be its ombudsman?
Vince Carlin was a CBC producer for most of his career. He took off to teach at Ry High for a few years and then was hired back to replace David Bazay.
Where else would anyone accept the word of an ex-president as “proof” that the organization was not corrupt and biased. Last week a Tony Manera Op-Ed appeared in the Globe, former CBC president and author A Dream Betrayed claimed CBC is bias free.
I guess with impartiality like that, we can all just go home and STFU.
mikeg….hmmmm, fascinating and oh so timely (where have I heard that before) — we need to keep our eyes and ears open to their little scheme.
Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I had heard rumblings but didn’t connect.
Frank Graves is trying to pull the same stunt the CBC used to support their liberal hacks when they planted a liberal in line for the H1N1 shots and then asked him a question – they said they didn’t know that he was a liberal either!!!!…. How stupid do they think we as Canadians are?… No wonder they picked the leader they did – he thinks he can live outside our Country and come back with his American ideas and tell us what to do – changing his mind every week, can’t make up his mind… what kind of a world leader would he be????… and the CBC thinks they can plant all of these liberal hacks and get their liberal opinions on air and we will eat it up as if we are their lap dogs…. Sorry – we are just as smart as you are… and we are seeing through their foolish games… the same way we are seeing through Jane Tabor/Fife/Oliver and Tom Clark liberal bias…..
Alberta Girl, just to be perfectly clear (it’s in one of the links, but I want to clarify) it was not me, but rather someone in the Conservative party, who noticed that the CBC “viewer” suggesting the poll question was in fact a two-time former federal Liberal candidate.
You’re right that in general it’s “lowly” bloggers who point out what the CBC’s been up to. There’s a kind of omerta among (most) journalists on the matter of other journalists (with a few exceptions, like Lorne Gunter, Charles Adler, and a couple of others), i.e. there’s no reporting on the CBC’s bias, despite the fact that if you talk to regular folks it’s a serious, ongoing issue.
In my opinion it’s also important that the Conservative party continue to speak up about the CBC’s – truly over-the-top – bias, which amounts to anti-Conservative ad-campaign funded at taxpayers’ expense. If they continue to speak up the CBC itself will eventually have to cover the issue as a news story, and *that’s* when it will get interesting, in part because it will push the discussion – including the litany of damning details of specific instances, and there are many – into the media as a whole.
It’s a discussion that needs to move beyond blogs. People who don’t read blogs may not be aware of just how pointedly, egregiously biased The National’s coverage is.
at
http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/docs/policies/hr/conduct.shtml
you’ll find the CBC Policy 2.2.21: Code of Conduct
Here is a snippet …
“CBC/Radio-Canada must remain and appear to remain impartial in carrying out its responsibilities as Canada’s public broadcaster. It is essential that the CBC/Radio-Canada neither holds, nor appears to hold, a position on any matter of public concern or controversy.”
Well, we all knew that.
If so then you have Gregory F. Packer, one of few favored “man on the street” people.
“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Packer”
“http://raider.muc.edu/~cunionwe/archives_summer2005.htm”
This “man on the street” was quoted in over 100 news articles in variety of media in all parts of the US.
There was a blog post in Instapundit some time ago where NYT had a designated “man on the street” to ask questions that they wanted the right answer to. Sorry, can’t find it.
There is nothing inherently wrong if the “viewer-inspired” person is a Liberal, it smells though.
If the quote that Taber wrote “was inspired by a Liberal Party candidate” is accurate, then she left out “former” which does make a difference.
Was the “pollster” the one to inspire the inspired viewer? His claim that “I had no idea whatsoever who submitted the viewer-inspired question.” may be true, as far as that goes, thought there are other ways to inspire what you want.
This rant is pure supposition on my part, so don’t take is as something a hundred percent valid, maybe 10.
Sorry, the below sentence should have been on top of the previous post.
Could we say that the “viewer-inspired” would be similar to saying “man on the street”?
Just caught a snippet of a CBC interview where three talking heads, including Susan Riley of the Ottawa Citizen, were talking about Helena Guergis and how fast she was left to hang in the wind by the Conservatives. Everyone agreed that it was mean-spirited.
This is the next bandwagon that everyone is going to jump on.
What stood out for me was the comment by one of the heads that Helena’s riding association was supposedly behind her but she, the talking head, couldn’t be sure because she hadn’t spoke with them.
What??!!
I thought reporters did ‘due diligence’ when commenting on a story or do they just read reports by other talking heads and then form opinions?
Also, Susan Riley could not even barely conceal her obvious disdain for the Conservative government.
If anyone has ever had the dubious opportunity to talk to a reporter in a situation other than on a news story will realize that it is similar to talking to a turnip.
The level of common sense available to the average CBC staffer is about the same as shown in a ‘snake handling, religious fanatic, with the same sort of blind obedience to the ‘word from on high’.
The fact is, we have a CBC ombudsman who could be replaced with a bobble-head with the same ability and outcome.
Trying to get something out of Ceeb that in some remote way has any observable logic that resembles unbiased news, is like expecting my Jack Russell to stop chasing squirrels.
However I have had some success in slowing the dog down when we neutered him.
sub-urban — agreed. Government funding is a life-line for the CBC (and with a little work it can become a hangman’s rope).
I do not believe the CBC would survive as a PBS type broadcaster; the size and character of it’s viewership would guarantee its demise.
In some wishful thinking, perhaps this event could be recognized by a national holiday.
Here is another “man on the street” from Ann Coulter.
http://www.theagitator.com/2003/06/13/professional-man-on-the-street/
I have a file somewhere that the CRTC issued instructions to radio talk shows on how to conduct fair and balanced shows.
On official bilingualism for example, if there were 5 francophonies that supported it and 95 callers against it, the station was to allow, say, 3 francos state their support and 3 of the 95 against it state their opposition to it.
There, isn’t that ‘fair and balanced’ news radio?
Man oh man, there have been some seriously sick and twisted minds at the controls of this country for much too long a time.
BTW, how is Senator Joyal nowadays?
It is getting to the point that we are getting more objective and common sense news from the Royal Canadian Air Farce and frankly, Mike from Canmore seems to have a better grasp on the Canadian public.
Watching some of the Ceebs talking heads, trying to remain on their pre-conceived anti Harper points is akin to watching someone trying to ‘poke a cucumber up a dew worms ass’.
Having said that, it does my heart good to see them being exposed for the inconsequential maggots, they are.
It’s an old game, I know, but I still enjoy playing “What if a Conservatives had Done That?”
If a Conservative Government had put Canadian citizens enternment camps during both World Wars the CBC would compare every atrocity on the news to our “shameful right-wing past”.
If John G. Diefenbaker had gone ahead with the Avro Arrow the CBC would be doing nightly reports on how the “right-wing war monger” put the country into enormous debt “for that war machine that never fired a shot” and how the country still struggles with the debt 50 years later.
Instead they make a movie about how incredible the plane was and completely ignore the enormous cost.
If any Conservative had envoked the War Measures Act the CBC would be leading the cry to have the “right-wingers” tried for war crimes and they would of course compare the Conservative Prime Minister to you-know-who. There would also be a complete series of taxpayer funded movies made about the atrocity that would be played in classrooms across the country on a daily basis.
Buy because Trudeau did it, the CBC reports, on an almost daily basis, that Tommy Douglas stood against the War Measures Act. They fail to mention that Tommy stood against everything involving the military, including armaments for WWII, so while his “stopped clock” policy of always opposing the military happened to be right that time, it’s hardly praise worthy and certainly not unique.
If a Liberal Prime Minister had received the praise and awards for his tremendous work on environmental issues, the way Mulroney has and still is, the CBC would be leading the call for a National Holiday in his/her honor.
I still love playing this game. I play it almost daily whenever I listen to CBC Radio. Please add your own “what if it was a Conservative” senario!
“Also, Susan Riley could not even barely conceal her obvious disdain for the Conservative government.”
Ever read her column? It doesn’t matter how it starts out, or what it’s about, she ALWAYS includes or ends with a vitriolic rant about the evil ways of Stephen Harper and/or the Conservatives. ALWAYS…
Trent,
Yep, it’s just like Coyne’s “Reverse Hypocrometer”….what if the Conservatives had “raised the GST”…..
http://andrewcoyne.com/columns/2006/07/heed-coyne-reverse-hypocrometer.php
Of course Mike from Canmore has a better grasp, he is a fictional character from a little town in western Canada whose inhabitants are not sophisticated enough to embrace the doctrine.Lefties worship CBC like Christians worship the Jesus.It makes me wretch when I hear the words “did you see on CBC”.The only thing that approaches my revulsion to this, is that many others, dont acknowledge that the markets are rigged, and have been for years.Jim Cramer is in charge of hawking to the unsuspecting retail invester.The six largest brokerage houses have an unfair advantage that is insurmountable ask Vίt if you dont believe me.The fact that all Governments dont speak out on this issue causes me to question their integrity.ET read to us from your economics text to prove me wrong or research plunge protection teams.These guys used the TARP fund to stop the freefall on thursday.
The Liberals can’t make any rational policies, balance a budget or win an election, what should Iggy do?
Tear apart the country on every cultural and racial level so that they can rebuild it from the ashes. Liberal Party of Canada “Leading Canada through the new millennia, helping you beat and kill your neighbour so that we can all get along “and *wink, with so many piggy banks yet to rob.
There is a very good reason the CBC used Mary’s question. She is the only one to write in. And of course a former liberal candidate is just a viewer ex Liberal candidates are the only ones to watch CBC.
Dont you worry Knight they have allready planned the Endgame, but if we could wake up a few more, we might put a stop to the Invisible Empire.Otherwise we may witness a Fall Of The Republic, and all up living in Camp FEMA.
EBD
What I found most telling was the admission by CBC spokesman Jeff Keay that is buried at the end of the Taber G&M piece:
And he added that the CBC doesn’t “generally do a background check on people who have sent us non-contentious polling question suggestions, other than verifying the person much as newspapers do with letters to the editors.
“Having said that, we think this example raises a good point about requiring closer attention to the background and affiliation of those who make submissions to Power & Politics.”
So we now have the spectacle of a CBC mouthpiece admitting that this case represents, at a minimum, sloppy journalism.
Meanwhile, Jane Taber defends the Ceeb and Frank Graves. Stunning.
Last time I checked Jane worked for the CBC’s competition. Can you imagine if business executives worked like journalists? A V.P. at Honda decrying the recall of Toyota products as baseless and unfounded? The president of Pepsico defending Coca Cola’s decision to change the formulation of Coke?
If a journalists stock in trade is trust then all but a handful in our MSM are bankrupt.
Syncro
bless you EBD…
i take my hat off to you.
The Death of O’Newsweek.
Do you feel the pain?
…-
“Newsweek Editor: Extreme Obama Coverage Didn’t Hurt Magazine
Newsweek editor Jon Meacham says Newsweek having Obama on the cover numerous times and thorough coverage of him is not to blame for the magazine’s downfall. Transcript below:
JON MEACHAM, EDITOR, NEWSWEEK: I’m not pointing fingers, I’m not whining. This is the life we’ve chosen.
HOWARD KURTZ, HOST: Right.
MEACHAM: I believe in this magazine and I’m going to do everything I possibly can and so is everybody at Newsweek to find a future.
KURTZ: But as you move more toward opinion, I believe that Newsweek came to be seen as more liberal, you started running more liberal columnists. I’ve lost track of the number of Barack Obama covers, Michelle Obama covers, could that have limited your appeal in the marketplace?
MEACHAM: I don’t think so because again it is not a readership issue and no advertiser, to my knowledge, ever pitched up and said, you know, I’m not going to advertise because you put the first African-American president in history on the cover or that we were too liberal.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2509918/posts
So I just watched a few minutes of Question Period . . . and there was Jane resplendent in a Snake Skin jacket.
Most appropriate dress, but I had to wonder if wasn’t her real skin.
And then I thought, nahhhhh couldn’t be, but I’ll bet next week she’ll wear Weasel or Crocodile.
Why has the CBC (in both languages) not been sold? Privatise it and put an end to this little protected (at our expense) haven for socialists and all types of nutters.
Why have we let things get to the point that we can’t do anything other than complain about the CBC? They’re are clearly bias, yet we can’t even get a revue similar to the one the BBC did a few years back. Why? Enough complaints from citizens on almost any other matter would result in wa review, but not when it comes to taxpayer funded leftwing propaganda.
EBD:
People who don’t read blogs may not be aware of just how pointedly, egregiously biased The National’s coverage is.
Fewer than 3% of Canadians watch The National on any given day. Not even card-carrying Liberals can stand that pap. And this is what makes me really, foam-at-the-mouth mad: they claim to be speaking “for all Canadians”, when, outside of hockey, 97% of Canadians ignore them.
“It’s long past time to go after the CBC. Whining doesn’t cut it anymore. Action is required.”
Action IS required,but effective action, not just bitching on the blogs.
I urge everyone here to join “Friends of Canadian Broadcasting”. It’s easy and anonymous,and YOU get to participate in every poll and letter writing campaign done by the “Friends” on behalf of the CBC.It costs nothing,although they do solicit funds.
There’s nothing like defeating the opposition by placing observers in their headquarters. Think of your self as a character in a John LeCarre or Robert Ludlum novel,and have fun.
My god, is there ever a Liberal partisan who, as long as they can fog a mirror, are running a con and lying through their teeth about it.
Liberalism – It’s genetic, it’s a mental illness, it robs its victim of all moral direction.
dmorris
That could be fun!
Syncro
CBC spokesperson, “We have examined our souls deeply and have come to the conclusion that we are as pure as the driven snow. If you want a second opinion, we will examine our souls deeply again and come to the same conclusion. PS, Stephen Harper is scary.”
“Pynenburg ran unsuccessfully for the federal Liberals in the 2004 and 2006 elections in the Lower Mainland. Her 2004 campaign became controversial when it emerged she was soliciting donations from developers while working for the New Westminster planning department, creating concerns about a conflict of interest.” Kelowna Daily Courier. Conflict of interest?? Ya think?
Privatize socialism.
Trent What if a Consevative had done that:
The internment of Japanese Canadians in 1942 has yielded a growth industry for drama and documentary writers at the CBC. No Canadian event is more important in the entire 1939-45 period. No mention is ever made that two Liberal PMs were involved in this policy. Obviously MacKenzie King was PM at the time, and the justice minister signing the order was Louis St. Laurent.
Good one, EDB. Always enjoy your stuff.
dmorris is the moniker Lucy available at Friends of Canadian Broadcasting?
CBC doesn’t care what Conservatives and their supporters think of them. Brazen in their arrogance they are. They’ve already made the calculus: those who know their Liberal bias aren’t likely to vote Liberal anyway so they can be easily written off without much immediate consequence. The program execs aren’t saying, “Gee, our critics are on to us, we have to prove them wrong or we‘ll otherwise look bad… let’s show them we’re not bias with truly balanced political news coverage from this point on.”
Their only interest is keeping Liberal voters in the fold and hope that the uninformed and undecided electorate vote Liberal out of the fear the CBC hopes will result from the recent ramping up of culture war type segments. And on that note, one has to wonder if the CBC didn’t already know at the time that Graves was advising the Liberals on such strategy and were simply reacting to the Lawrence Martin story after it broke. Considering that Graves was back on with Solomon and it was business as usual, that’s what I now firmly believe. Either that or the CBC can say it just enjoys provoking the Conservatives. Neither one makes them look good. In fact, considering what poll question was asked and by whom the question was submitted, both are probably true.
CBC. ’nuff said.
The only way we will rid ourselves of the CBC is to remove ourselves from Canada. What remains of CBC in our new country can be sold off or simply dismantled. But even that won’t be enough to make be plug in my TV again and subscribe to cable.
Is this Mary Pynenburg’s husband?
“Jacques Leger was president of the New Westminster-Coquitlam federal Liberal association and, along with Cheema himself, an organizer in the Ignatieff leadership campaign.
An e-mail from Takhar to Butt referred to the upcoming election and said: “keep updated, read below … our final surprise will be, guess who … Jacques (sic)!! DELETE THIS E-MAIL RIGHT NOW, and from your trash folder!!”
http://www.proudtobecanadian.ca/blog/index/weblog/printer-friendly/7384/