Columns - J-Source

CBC Ombudsman: Quebec Nationalism – Criticism isn’t bashing, it’s opinion

By Esther Enkin, CBC Ombudsman The complainant, Will Dubitsky, thought characterising the 1995 Quebec referendum as the “abyss of ethnic nationalism” was Quebec-bashing and tarred all Quebec nationalists as xenophobes. It was a passing comment and an opinion expressed in context. One might not like or agree with the sentiment, but it doesn’t cross a…
CBC Ombudsman: Donald Trump’s Ban on Muslims

By Esther Enkin for the CBC The complainant, E. Gelb, accused CBC of bias by omission in a story that dealt with Donald Trump’s call for a ban on Muslim immigration. Failure to mention the ban would be until officials “figured out” what is going on, was an attempt to discredit him, according to her.…
CBC Ombudsman: True or False—There aren’t always absolutes

By Esther Enkin for the CBC The complainant, Stephen Birch, took issue with a Metro Morning interview with Finance Minister Bill Morneau. He said the minister had made a false statement about how Canadians are taxed and it was the responsibility of the program host to challenge it. It is not at all clear that…
Globe and Mail Public editor: A banner year for investigative journalism

By Sylvia Stead for the Globe and Mail It has been a banner year for investigative journalism in Canada. Witness the recent spate of awards for work that uncovers malfeasance or shines a light on deeply ingrained societal prejudices and problems. This is an area where the established media excel – if only because it…
Toronto Star Public Editor: Updating the bear facts

By Kathy English for the Toronto Star “Did Nunavut hunter shoot grizzly-polar bear hybrid?” read a headline in the Toronto Star some six weeks ago. As it turns out, the answer to that question is no. The bear that Inuit hunter Didji Ishalook shot during a sanctioned hunt in Nunavut in late May was not…
Toronto Star Public Editor: Estimating crowd sizes is always tricky

By Kathy English for the Toronto Star Canada’s new National Newsmedia Council has dismissed – with reservation – a complaint about the Toronto Star’s March report of the Ford family event held at the Toronto Congress Centre to celebrate the life of Toronto mayor Rob Ford. The complaint concerned a question of the accuracy of…
Brunswick News Ombudswoman: Is it possible to be private at a public event?

By Patricia Graham for the Brunswick News On the night of June 13, a vigil was held in Fredericton to mourn those killed and injured at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. The vigil was mentioned in a story in The Daily Gleaner about the response to the tragedy by St. Thomas University and the…
CBC Ombudsman: Truth in Syrian coverage—It’s not that simple

By Esther Enkin for the CBC The complainant, T.A. Anderson thought a piece on The National marking the fifth anniversary of the start of hostilities in Syria was distorted and biased. He thought there were many facts and perspectives that should have been included, and provided many links to that information. The story was far…
CBC Ombudsman: Context Matters—Sometimes you have to look at the big picture

By Esther Enkin for the CBC The complainant, Carman Miller objected to a reference that it’s hard to spot Canadian flags in Quebec. He thought it was inaccurate and amounted to Quebec bashing. It was a passing reference in an article about the results of a survey of Muslims in Canada. In its context, I…
Globe and Mail Public Editor: Credentials must always be checked

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