On last night’s CBC National, host Diana Swain offered the broadcaster’s “regret” for the Stephen Harper hit piece by Christina Lawand that was exposed by Stephen Taylor.
Stephen has the video.
Nice work!
The CBC Ombudsman is blunt in his criticism. (pdf)
So, the reporter had available a question and answer directly on the subject of the demonstrators but chose a “clip” from a different question to follow the set-up of the demonstrators. I would suggest that it’s just not a “structural” problem, but a misleading use of editing. Very simply, that wasn’t the question he was asked and answered. And when asked directly about the protestors, he gave a more nunaced answer that The National did not broadcast.
Sent to all MP’s, Ombudsman, C. Lawand and CBC Executive Producer Jonathan Whitten.
Whether it’s photoshopped Reuter’s photos or artfully edited news items, bloggers – in this case Stephen Taylor of http://www.stephentaylor.ca/archives/000653.html have again forced the mainstream media to confront their integrity and reliability in presenting the ‘facts’ as opposed to ‘facts as we see and present them’. Click on link for brief 1:23 video.
Diana Swain on last nights CBC National News, admitted that because of editing “it appeared as if” Prime Minister Harper was callous and uncaring when “in fact” his response was to something entirely different. According to Ms. Swain “We (the CBC) did not make that clear. We should have.”
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Followup to above, also sent to all:
CBC not so sorry, after all:
Followup from the CBC Ombudsman’s report: http://www.cbc.ca/ombudsman/page/Lawand.pdf
“Jonathan Whitten, the Executive Producer of The National, replied saying, in part, that while he agreed with concerns about the structure of the report, he felt that the segment selected was not a misrepresentation of Mr. Harper’s position. He wrote that he regretted not taking the time to make it clear what prompted the Prime Minister’s response.”
It is apparent that while the Executive Producer of the National regrets not ‘making clear what prompted’ the PM’s response, he has no regrets about rejigging the editing. Knowing what lies in the PM’s heart, the Executive Producer clearly believes his implication that the PM is completely callous to the pleas of the Lebanese is completely accurate.
However, the Ombudsman clearly sees it differently than the Executive Producer:
“In this case, the most dramatic element of the item was just unfair and, as I said above, violated the direct prohibition on using an answer from one question as if it were an answer to another. The producer argues that Mr. Harper’s views were fairly stated, but the context and structure were such as to mislead the viewer.”
It seems that Executive Producer Jonathan Whitten just doesn’t get it. He is unable to divorce his personal evaluation of the Prime Minister from his job of accurately and fairly reporting the news.
But since the Ombudsman closes with “I applaud the willingness (of the CBC or Executive Director?) to revisit the issue.” It seems there is a wee bit of contrition but still no responsibility for a direct violation of the Journalism Standards and Practices Code.
Mr. Whitten needs to go back to Journalism school.
Doowleb..
Agreed.The more partisan and statist you are,the more that you lie for gain,the closer you are to liberal sainthood and federal appointment.
Everytime i hear Susan Delacourts’ propaganda i think back and shudder at all the half truths,mistruths and obsfucation she regurgitated (on behalf of her new masters) for years..how many minds has she and her ilk poisoned over the years for the “cause” while being funded by the non-liberal taxpayer?
randy’ conclusion re the CBC’s Executive Producer Jonathan Whitten just not getting it : “Mr. Whitten needs to go back to Journalism school.” I know what you mean, randy, but:
Journalism school is a big part of the problem. Damn.
The old system worked much better: cub reporters, mentors among the older reporters, on-the-job training. Now four years in Journalism School simply indoctrinates would-be reporters/journalists into the left-leaning, pro-gay, pro-feminist, anti-c/Conservative worldview. If you don’t toe that party line, you’re toast, and down the drain goest the $60,000 it’s taken you and/or your parents to pay for your brainwashing.
‘Need some proof of what I’m talking about?
Vince Carlin, the CBC Ombudsman, has just left Ryerson’s School of Journalism to write the kind of suck-up defence of the CBC Executive Producer we’ve seen in his write-up about Christina Lawand, and seems unable to call the CBC to account for its violations against its own Journalism Standards and Practices Code.
I wonder what he was teaching his students about responsibility and accountability to journalistic standards?
ya know, if I had the dough, I’d PAY for some moles in the school of journalism (pick one) and they would do a journal on leftistism quotes and teachings and leanings.
after they graduate with their degree paid by me, then we would all have a little press conference or book unveiling or whatever and SKEWER the lestistists doing the brainwashing.
and EVERYTHING carefully documented like the good little investigative journalists they are….
its the same thing at university. blame the americans, blame the americans.
no, blame george bush if you insist, but ‘the americans’ is just way too wide a brush for my liking.
In defense of the CBC – hmmm, let me think. The only positive aspect is Dianna Swain, she is hot.
I’m with Liz on this one. Lawand herself should have delivered the apology or, at the very least, been mentioned. For me it was striking how they didn’t mention who the “piece” was reported by. I think you’ll find that, in all other cases, when they revisit an older story, they always say something like, “Last week, we brought you a story by [fill in name here]…” That was noticeably missing from the “regret” statement.
My biggest problem with any Crown Corporation is the lack of accountability. While Skip is somewhat right in saying that the “talking head” may not be totally responsible for the editing…she definitely did say, “…Clearly, Harper wasn’t swayed.” She had to at least be complicit in the misleading nature of what was coming. And given her gloating smirk at the end, I think she was all for it.
By the way, I haven’t been catching a whole lot of CBC news since that bogus report, I haven’t noticed any reports by Ms. Lawand. Anyone else?
What a lame “regret”.It should have been Peter Mansbridge front and centre offering a full apology for practicing yellow journalism. Like most of you I read the ombudsman’s report. He clearly stated that CBC had violated their own written policies and practices and that the impact of the report was not as a result of poor editing. The media will soon learn that they are being watched and that any biased or yellow journalism being practiced will be called out by the likes of Stephen Taylor and Kate or any number of other bloggers.
I have written the ombudsman thanking him for his report but suggested that Lawand or the producers of the segment need to be fired. There needs to be more than regrets when the sitting prime minister of the country is maligned in such a vicious and obvious way.
What a lame “regret”.It should have been Peter Mansbridge front and centre offering a full apology for practicing yellow journalism. Like most of you I read the ombudsman’s report. He clearly stated that CBC had violated their own written policies and practices and that the impact of the report was not as a result of poor editing. The media will soon learn that they are being watched and that any biased or yellow journalism being practiced will be called out by the likes of Stephen Taylor and Kate or any number of other bloggers.
I have written the ombudsman thanking him for his report but suggested that Lawand or the producers of the segment need to be fired. There needs to be more than regrets when the sitting prime minister of the country is maligned in such a vicious and obvious way.
Oops…sorry for the double posting.
Round the Block: I couldn’t agree more and obviously I’m being way too ‘Canadian’ about this disgrace.
As a former Simon Fraser U. student and follower of the travesty that is Concordia et al, I know that Whitten probably picked up his views – or at least had them reinforced, in journalism school.
Given that he is quite unrepentent, I think he needs to go. He is not acting in Canada’s best interests.
Lawand is a Concordia graduate.
Hey, Kate. When are we gonna hear from you about the biased reporting at Fox News? Oh right. Nevermind.
Oh yeah. And because this is “treasonous”, shouldn’t the journalists in question be put to death by hanging? I’ve heard that one batted around here quite a few times before.
And you call the terrorists “fascists”? Yikes.
craigfrancis: We’ll get worried about biased reporting at Fox News when it’s allowed to broadcast in Canada and we’re forced to pay for it out of our taxes.
craigfrancis,
What story are you referring to? Remember “real” world counts a little more than fantasy.
>>Lawand is a Concordia graduate.
Is that Concordia Elementary or Concordia High?
I do think that something important is signalled by this event. In the past, the CBC used to want us to watch them. Now they’re finding out that we are using new technology to actually *watch* them. I don’t know what this means, yet, but I do think we may be witnessing something seminal. My kudos to Mr. Taylor.
“Been around the block’ Excellent comments – I think you have exposed the soft underbelly of the ‘beast’ (Canadian MSM _ CBC in particular). By ‘granting’ an apology to the marvelous ‘coup’ by Stehen Taylor (Congratulations, Stephen. Thank-you), the msm beast of the forked tongue, the back-stabber knife, the sneering, nasty ‘maker of Prime Minister’s’ has become a ‘paper tiger’. They have lost all the power some silly, gulliable Canadian people once gave them. The Liberanos who once pillaged our beautiful country and had us Conservatives trying to ‘please’ the ‘powers that be’ have lost all that power in one year. Why? Because of fearless bloggers like Kate, Shotgun, Angry in the Great White North ,Captain’s Quarters etc. (and their posters) AND because our new Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, has refused to play the msm little game – smile, sneer and smear – if you dare stand up for Canada. Our Prime Minister has them running in circles because he is SOOO much more intellegent than all of the msm collective heads. Stephen thinks way ahead of ‘them’ and they are going down fast. It is all good.
BTW is Perter Pansbride developing an active ‘tic’ when he speaks? Must be nervous jitters, or maybe it is ‘trick’ photography to try and get a sympathy ‘get out of jail free’ card.
I watched the little ‘report’ from the FBI about the Timale Tigers tonight. The CBC forgot to mention that not only did paule what’s his name and a woman MP (Mina____?)go to a Timal Tiger Fundraiser BUT he defended the ‘charity ‘ to Stockwell Day who was on to that criminal outfit YEARS ago. Liberanos WRONG again, I know that the msm don’t watch the House of Commons, good thing some of us do!! We need to keep reminding them again and again about how they have been duped and wrong in the past SO MANY times that no one with any kind of mind would trust anything they say.
Folks,Who cares about Lewand and the latest spoonful from Pravda/CBC….Man alive I would love to see the name MAURICE STRONG in the news on a daily basis.This man’s life and history, exposed for the Canada to see,would finish off the Liberal party for a generation.I am begging Kate and her peers to keep up the scrutiny of Strong,mentor to… Trudeau,Mulroney,Chretien,Martin(Quebec Prime Ministers all)and the UN’s(Kofi Annans)number one dealmaker for the Iraqis OIL FOR FOOD program which just happened to be financed through that pecular FRENCH bank(that the Montreal Desmaris family is highly staked in).The fraud involved here should be “Red Meat” for any reputable,investigative news organization.I her Mr.Strong is hiding in China,presumably because the Americans’s would like to TALK with him.I suspect there may be a few too powerful shoes to walk on for the Canadian MSM TO WANT TO PURSUE THIS STORY WITH THE VIGOR IT DESERVES.Maybe it’s just me but……
When will we finally shut the taxpayer tap off on CBC/Pravda? I am so sick of my tax dollars being used to promote the leftist/socialist agenda in this country. Down with the CBC!!!
When will we finally shut the taxpayer tap off on CBC/Pravda? I am so sick of my tax dollars being used to promote the leftist/socialist agenda in this country. Down with the CBC!!!
We can only hope that the ‘Status of women’, the CBC, and every other taxpayer supported leftist organisation will be ended with a Conservative majority. In that event, the most enjoyable part will be watching the moonbat meltdown.
“Man alive I would love to see the name MAURICE STRONG in the news on a daily basis” (Idfarrer).
I’D love to see PAUL DESMARAIS, the guy who pulls Maurice Strong’s (Trudeau’s, Chretien’s, Martin’s, and Rae’s) strings on the news every day.
Desmarais seems to have an iron grip on the MSM because if they were doing their investigative reporting jobs properly–or at all–they’d be investigating this Canadian kingmaker.
But they’re not. Maybe we should be bombarding the CBC about this ‘oversight.’
They need to go further and replay the exact video you referenced here in the first place. It shows exactly that PMSH’s response was to a question on a polling bounce in the Jewish community.
Sure, it’s great they acknowledged it, and they need to have more pressure out forth, or maybe another network should do the complete story. Let’s start working on City TV. Send them your letters and links to the video.
Excellent work, please don’t believe that this is the best we can accomplish, though.
I’ve sent the video link to every left leaning friend I have, as well as to university students. While they are in the indoctrination centers, they have to learn to question what is presented as fact.
hollinm: You took the words right from my mouth. We were talking about this story this morning, and I said exatly the same thing. It should have been Peter Mansbridge that made the apology, anyone less is just a pee-on. It just sucks that they have been allowed to get away with this for so long. I have copied this story out and giving it to every senior I know that watchs the CBC and takes their words as truth.
For this apology to have any creditablity there needs to be heads rolling down right the line. Only then will CBC be forced into some kind of truthful reporting. Accountablity!
Feedback: This is the BCC official time signel… at the beginning of the long dash following the short dash the time will be exactly:
Busted Sour Grape Time From The Northern Liberal…-
Ok so the Ombudsman saw something wrong with this particular incident but lets see what he has to say about an overall bias at the CBC:
Partisans often see bias in the reporting of criticism, even though it is a news organization’s obligation to report all sides of a controversy. My normal viewing and listening has not turned up a concerted effort to mischaracterize the Prime Minister’s views.
Hmmmmmm….. that little sentence there sounds to me that, at least in the eyes of the CBC Ombudsman, the right wing blogosphere won the battle but lost the war. In the opinion of the Ombudsman this appears to be an isolated incident and not a broader conspiracy against our temporary head of government.
I for one am glad we have the CBC. It is a pleasant counterbalance to the cacophony of right wing voices (The National Post, the Sun Chain, Global, SMALL DEAD ANIMALS, etc.) and I have no moral qualms with funding it with public money.
At least the CBC HAS an Ombudsman. There is no accountability when… saaaayyy… the National Post deliberately alters wording in a Reuters new stories, or when Small Dead Animals misquotes opposition MP’s. Oh wait that’s right–KATE HERSELF has been busted falsifying the truth as recently as yesterday.
Hello!!! How long are we actually going to watch the CBC. Maybe if we all stopped watching it their ratings would drop further and we could finally pull the plug on this dishonest propaganda machne. Apology? Forget about it. I couldn’t care less. Just support the move to pull the plug and be done with it. They wouldn’t be missed for 5 minutes.
Making news out of nothing at all. All MSM do it—particularly all news talk TV/Radio stations. They can stretch out a (non) story for days,weeks, months… Even if the story is dead, they keep bringing it back to life even if nothing new has transpired. Few TV/Radio journalists do any real research anymore or take the time to write a thorough story…they simply are after “the clip” that will rile up the public and make it on time for the 6 o clock news. For those in the media, they know how much pressure there is to get the story in. And the more hype, the better, just as long as it is on the edge of being sued. Lewand should have known better and not have compromised her journalistic integrity as so many of her colleagues have done.
H.I.M.? Nice website, dude.
If this is the music of the whack job right, sane people world wide shouldn’t fear what reactionary, statist, gun toting kooks you are but rather being literally bored to death.
Thanks for the laugh.
“whack job right”
“reactionary, statist, gun toting kooks”
It appears some form of pond life has learned how to write. Maybe Darwin was right.
craig
Put on your pants and go for some exercise.
I guarantee you will feel better.
“It appears some form of pond life has learned how to write. Maybe Darwin was right.”
Listen to that… pure poetry. Thanks, Irwin. It’s almost a haiku.
HIM: Nothing you say to me can be worse than the horrible offense of “Dark Light”. Good luck and rock on.
Fact 1: “The CBC is not bias”.
Fact 2: “The CBC is pro Liberal”.
Fact 3: “The CBC is anti Conservative”.
A combination of any two of the above will give you a true scenario.