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 Continue Reading CBC Ombudsman: Trump vs. The NFL
We are witnessing a campaign south of the border to diminish journalism. It is tactical: News reporting holds lawmakers and other powerful people accountable for their actions. At the same time, with the easy proliferation of conspiracy sites and Russian bots on social media, it is becoming more difficult to separate the real from the…
The complainant, Geoffrey Donaldson, considered reporting about an increase in publicly-funded opioid prescriptions in New Brunswick misleading. He did not agree that there is any concern in the increase. He believed that CBC coverage is conflating legitimate use and the growing number of overdoses. The story provided sufficient context to indicate how the two are…
To say every picture is worth a thousand words sorely underestimates the impact of photojournalism. Think the Vietnam war and what comes to mind? The photo of a girl named Phan Thi Kim Phuc running from a napalm airstrike. The photo was taken by Associated Press photographer Nick Ut in 1972. Think of the protest…
Headline presented Alex Trebek’s feelings for big winner as fact, when it was actually the columnist’s own view. Continue Reading Toronto Star Public Editor: Jeopardy! headline a case study on need to clearly label opinion content
The complainant, Dieter Buse, objected to a Viewpoint segment by Robyn Urback, calling into question Canada’s desire for a seat on the UN security council. He thought it was a one-sided diatribe. It presented a single point of view. It was clearly labelled as Opinion and was not obliged to present other perspectives. There was…
‘As mishaps of misinformation and disasters of disinformation spread through the digital ecosystem, determining who you can trust for news and verified information is more important than ever.’ Continue Reading Toronto Star Public Editor: Who can you really trust for news?
The complainant, Meer Sahib, thought the phrasing of a reference to the insurgent attacks that sparked the current action against the Rohingya people left the impression that the host of The National was “blaming the victim.” The visuals and the account of the military response provided a broader context in a very short report. There…
The complainant, Chuck Erlichman, thought an article about the issue of property rights in relation to the shooting of a young Indigenous man was irresponsible and could fan racist sentiment. The story was flawed but publishing an article addressing the issue was not in and of itself a violation of policy. COMPLAINT In August of…
The Star must draw clearer distinction between news and opinion. Continue Reading TORONTO STAR PUBLIC EDITOR: Readers need to distinguish news from opinion