SLOBODIAN: CTV's Poilievre hit was not journalism

For years taxpayer-subsidized media groupies have been riding shotgun for the Liberals, the NDP — anyone but the Conservatives and leader Pierre Poilievre who will end those generous subsides.Yet Poilievre keeps climbing in the polls. Canadians like his sound policies so much and are so disgusted with nine years of Liberal failures, Poilievre’s on course to win the next federal election with an expected majority.This deeply distresses an army of lefty media enemies whose aim is to portray him so negatively, he’ll face defeat.But manipulative CTV News staffers crossed an ethical line in an extreme way when they schemed to try to take his popularity down a few notches. They doctored Poilievre’s recorded quotes during a scrum to fabricate his opposition to dental care subsidies, something critically important to many struggling Canadians.He was in fact talking about the now defeated Conservative non-confidence motion to force an early election based on a number of issues including the despised carbon tax, not dental care, according to the doctored quote that aired nationally. CTV News staffers sunk to a negligent level that goes beyond not providing fair and balanced coverage when they manipulatively chopped and sliced his comments a video clip that aired on September 22.Didn’t anyone in the management bleachers at CTV notice no other media outlets reported Poilievre’s heartless attitude towards Canadians with toothaches? They acted only after Poilievre fought back with a fury and raised a ruckus about the “extremely dishonest” and “fraudulent” hit job.CTV announced in a September 26 statement that an internal investigation determined the “unacceptable” actions “violate” editorial standards. The two staffers “responsible for altering a video clip, manipulating it for a particular story” were “no longer members of the CTV News team.”That old saying to keep egos in check and journalists honest — ‘You’re only as good as you last story’ — sure applies in this case.This was not a mistake. Everyone in this profession makes mistakes. There are still some — in all media outlets — who will flog ourselves when we carelessly spell someone’s name wrong or mistakenly take something out of context. Hard to believe isn’t it, considering level of distrust and disgust with media.Predictably, the Liberals unbothered by the dishonesty, lashed out at Poilievre for demanding an on-air apology.Liberal Government House Leader Karina Gould claimed criticism of their media besties is an “attack on Canadians.”With the Liberals, truth is a casualty.“By attacking the media, he is attacking Canadians because the media ask questions on behalf of Canadians. If the leader of the opposition really respected Canadians in this country, he wouldn’t attack people who are asking questions on behalf of Canadians,” said Gould.Doctoring quotes is a far stretch from asking questions.Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge, who oversees media subsidies, claimed Pierre Poilievre's feud with CTV was motivated by his “hidden agenda.”There there’s definitely an agenda, but it wasn’t hidden, and it was on the part of CTV.These are the same Liberal clowns that want to crush truth and free speech with one of the most dangerous, punitive pieces of legislation in Canada’s history.The Liberals, sinking deeper daily, desperately need media support.Lefty scribes fell in line. A couple of journalists suggested that CTV cowered from a threatening thin-skinned Poilievre. See, the victim of shady reporting is actually a vengeful villain. How dare Poilievre denounce what CTV did!“I think this (sic) CTV saying they fired the people who offended a politician,” Toronto Star columnist Susan Delacourt posted on X.“Struck by how terrified CTV sounds in these statements. Not just regretful, but quite abject. As if they fear … retribution,” Globe and Mail columnist Andre Coyne posted on X.Hopefully, neither of these two seasoned journalists who casually overlooked the ethics violation, mentor cub reporters at their Trudeau-subsidized media outlets.Western Standard is among a handful of news outlets that refuses to feed at Trudeau’s taxpayer-funded bribe money trough, opting to make an honest, principled go of it with subscriptions and advertising.“Media companies that beg for the carrot should not be surprised when their new master produces a stick,” Western Standard publisher and CEO Derek Fildebrandt posted on X. “If they had not been a party to the government intrusion into the media over the last 5 years, they would have much less to fear.”Interesting how those staffers thought they could get away with what they did. They were obviously comfortable enough to deceive without fearing repercussions.How did they miss the order that CTV is committed to “accurate, fair and balanced coverage” and does so “fully independently,” as was stated in its apology for the “false impression” they created?Before the two were let go, CTV downplayed their doctoring and said it was just something “taken out of context,” then a “misunderstanding during the editing process.” Then when it ran out of excuses, it had to admit, what they did was really and deliberately bad.This isn’t the first time Conservatives have been targeted with media bias. Apologies they demand are issued — sometimes. Then along comes another biased report.There is one thing about letting these CTV staffers go that isn’t fair. They were, although rightfully, singled out while Chinese media staff in Canada, dominated by Communist Party narratives, get to keep their jobs — while some benefit from Trudeau’s subsidies.Maybe some Canadian media feel invincible watching rabidly left American legacy media get away with spin after spin, lie after lie.The Canadian Press that promotes itself as ‘Canada’s trusted news leader’ gorges itself at Trudeau’s subsidy trough, then asks for more. Yet it feeds Canadians a steady diet of rehashed false accusations and disproven claims about former president and November 5 election Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Reporters and columnists get away with it because management lets them.Anyone who has worked in newsrooms dedicated to delivering facts knows, beyond their own principles, what ethical boundaries management sets.Anyone who works in newsrooms where management overlooks activism disguised as reporting, knows how far they can push those boundaries.And push they do because they can because management lets them get away with it.It isn’t just Poilievre and Conservative MPs who have been targeted.Blacklock’s Reporter, that doesn’t accept Trudeau’s bribe money, was evicted from the press gallery by armed police in December 2022 after complaints were lodged by three reporters — one freelancer and two Canadian Press reporters. This appalling Soviet-style shut up tactic would never have been allowed without the blessing of management. No reporters have that power.Liberals Blacklock’s exposes with pristine accuracy make sport of taking a run at it too.During Freedom Convoy 2022, legacy media propped up Trudeau’s insanity and dishonestly reported that the bouncy castle truckers were really, very dangerous.CBC management not only let whiney staff rail against truckers and Canadians, it fed the deceptive beast by providing every staffer with a taxpayer-funded bodyguard.How many times are apologies made after HonestReporting Canada exposes deep-rooted anti-Israel hatred disguised as reporting, while taxpayer subsidized reporters champion Hamas terrorists. Then the guilty reporters and columnists do it again and again.There’s no excuse for what they do. But the bigger problem is that management, having its own agendas and with hands stretched out for more, manifestly makes insufficient effort to restrain its activist employees. Could the desire to be good little Liberal soldiers get in the way of fair and accurate reporting, so they can pad their bank accounts. It’s a win-win deal for everybody.Except Canadians.