CBC Ombudsman: Trump vs. The NFL
The complainant, Dan Bourque, objected to CBC Halifax’s Mainstreet coverage of the President of the United States and his interactions with both NFL players and the Pittsburgh Penguins. CBC Halifax staff thought because they provided perspective that the Penguins and Captain, Sidney Crosby, should accept a White House invitation, there was balance to the strongly negative characterization of the President. There should have been more thought in achieving balance.
COMPLAINT
You had concerns about three episodes on Mainstreet, the afternoon radio programme broadcast in Halifax. You thought the coverage was completely unbalanced and showed a strong anti-Trump bias.
How is it possible that a news agency with the resources of the CBC, is incapable of, or unwilling to solicit opposing viewpoints with respect to this concern?
It is apparent that the social justice agenda, as defined by the CBC, has elicited a descent into partisan, American style ‘news’ advocacy.
There were three broadcasts you cited. The first was on September 25th, concerning the ongoing controversy over NFL players going down on one knee during the singing of the U.S. National Anthem at football games – and U.S. President Donald Trump’s reaction to it. Mainstreet host Bob Murphy talked with Toronto Star sports reporter, Morgan Campbell. You objected to the reporter’s reference to Donald Trump as a “white supremacist,” and to his characterization of the president’s supporters as poor, white, working class and racist.
Such an uninformed and overtly hostile, evangelical anti-Trump zealot should be balanced with a more reasonable pundit capable of objective, intelligent discourse.
You mentioned two later broadcasts, September 26th and 28th, which included derogatory remarks about Mr. Trump from commentators interviewed by the programme host. These two interviews centred around the announcement that the Stanley Cup winning team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, would accept an invitation to the White House. Since Sidney Crosby is from Nova Scotia, the programme devoted time and attention to the imminent visit and whether Crosby should have accepted. You thought that commentators who support Mr. Trump’s agenda should have been included in the discussion. You pointed out there were only critical voices present in all three broadcasts.
Continue reading this on the CBC website, where it was first published.
