CBC journalists were asked to avoid saying "mother tongue" outside direct quotes when reporting stories. .“Yes, the old expression ‘mother tongue’ is now widely considered inapt,” said CBC planning producer Allison Brachman in a Wednesday email. .“Therefore, we should generally avoid it unless attributed.” .The email said this information is guidance for reporting on Statistics Canada census data about languages. Brachman said she spoke with CBC Journalistic Standards and Practices Director George Achi to make the decision. .The email said an example of an acceptable time to say mother tongue would be if a teacher talks about the Suzuki mother tongue approach to learning a musical instrument. .It said common acceptable alternatives are first language and native tongue, but the context of native needs to be clarified. .CBC Head of Public Affairs Chuck Thompson said the news outlet strives to use fact-based, precise language. ."We constantly update our language guidelines to help our staff report accurately on current affairs," said Thompson.."Just to be clear, there is no value judgment by CBC News on terms such as 'mother tongue,' even if we choose to use more precise terminology.".He said a memo such as this one is common and "provide quick references to journalists who are on tight deadlines and are looking for practical, accurate, and consistent language.".This email comes after CBC called on Canadians in November to censor their own speech for allegedly racist and discriminatory terms. .The list of words was compiled by CBC employees and vetted by anti-racist and language experts. .Among the words cited as hateful were blackmail, savage, and brainstorm. .CBC turned the record sum of cash they received from the Canadian government in 2020 into its worst ratings in history. .READ MORE: CBC viewership hits record lows as subsidies hit record highs.Despite receiving $1.5 billion of taxpayer money, CBC dropped to less than 3.9% of viewership across Canada in 2018-2019, down more than 25% in one year..The figures showed 53% of Canadians are watching on-demand TV or discretionary channels, and another 25% are tuning into other private channels like CTV or Global..This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.
CBC journalists were asked to avoid saying "mother tongue" outside direct quotes when reporting stories. .“Yes, the old expression ‘mother tongue’ is now widely considered inapt,” said CBC planning producer Allison Brachman in a Wednesday email. .“Therefore, we should generally avoid it unless attributed.” .The email said this information is guidance for reporting on Statistics Canada census data about languages. Brachman said she spoke with CBC Journalistic Standards and Practices Director George Achi to make the decision. .The email said an example of an acceptable time to say mother tongue would be if a teacher talks about the Suzuki mother tongue approach to learning a musical instrument. .It said common acceptable alternatives are first language and native tongue, but the context of native needs to be clarified. .CBC Head of Public Affairs Chuck Thompson said the news outlet strives to use fact-based, precise language. ."We constantly update our language guidelines to help our staff report accurately on current affairs," said Thompson.."Just to be clear, there is no value judgment by CBC News on terms such as 'mother tongue,' even if we choose to use more precise terminology.".He said a memo such as this one is common and "provide quick references to journalists who are on tight deadlines and are looking for practical, accurate, and consistent language.".This email comes after CBC called on Canadians in November to censor their own speech for allegedly racist and discriminatory terms. .The list of words was compiled by CBC employees and vetted by anti-racist and language experts. .Among the words cited as hateful were blackmail, savage, and brainstorm. .CBC turned the record sum of cash they received from the Canadian government in 2020 into its worst ratings in history. .READ MORE: CBC viewership hits record lows as subsidies hit record highs.Despite receiving $1.5 billion of taxpayer money, CBC dropped to less than 3.9% of viewership across Canada in 2018-2019, down more than 25% in one year..The figures showed 53% of Canadians are watching on-demand TV or discretionary channels, and another 25% are tuning into other private channels like CTV or Global..This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.
