CBC's Heather Mallick on Palin

[White Doors]

Anything to the left of Fox News "has a leftist agenda" to some.

The wit!

[capricorn]

Looks like a number of people, Canadian and American, disapproved of Mallick's column.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is reviewing complaints from both Americans and Canadians about a Web site columnist who recently described Sarah Palin’s supporters as “white trash,” compared the vice presidential candidate to a “porn actress” and called her daughter’s boyfriend a “redneck” and “ratboy.”

----

CBC Ombudsman Vince Carlin told FOXNews.com that he has gotten “quite a few complaints about [the column], both from Canada and the U.S,” and said he’s reviewing its contents to see if it meets CBC’s journalistic standards and practices.

But he noted that Mallick is a “columnist not a journalist.”

CBC spokesman Jeff Keay said Mallick’s column does not reflect the views of CBC or the Canadian government, which owns but does not directly control CBC.

“She’s an opinion columnist. I think by definition they can be expected to occasionally use provocative language,” he said. But in this case, Keay said the column “could be perceived as excessive or offensive to some people.”

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/18/co...at-canadian-tv/

Interesting that the higher ups at the CBC didn't see this backlash coming.

Mallick's also under fire for an opinion piece she wrote for the UK Guardian.

We love our own north to the point of covering our eyes and humming as it melts (yesterday the BBC headlined the collapse of Canada's ice shelves; Canadian papers and websites missed the story) but Alaska is different from our north. We share a 1,500-mile border with a frontier state full of drunks and crazy people, of the blight that cheap-built structures bring to a glorious landscape. Canadian firms invest billions in the place and mine its ores. One hundred thousand Canadians visit Alaska every year, and we like to pass by in cruise ships. But it never goes further than that. Alaska is our redneck cousin, our Yukon territory forms a blessed buffer zone, and thank God he never visits. Alaska is the end of the line.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/20.../usa.sarahpalin

Both the CBC and Guardian articles are dated September 5, 2008. The ink was flowing on that day but it looks like the brain was disengaged.

Edited September 19, 2008 by capricorn

[bush_cheney2004]

Looks like a number of people, Canadian and American, disapproved of Mallick's column.

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/18/co...at-canadian-tv/

Her opinion piece has unintended consequences, as Bill O'Reilly picked up the story last night and he ran with it, complete with indignant stance, Canadian flag, and shocked opinion. This will only make new Palin voters out of fence sitters. I don't think Alaskans are too pleased either.

Where are the Canuck hate speech police when you need them?

[capricorn]

Where are the Canuck hate speech police when you need them?

The CBC brass must sense a Conservative Party victory in the making.

Yesterday, FOX News picked up the story, reporting that "CBC Ombudsman Vince Carlin told FOXNews.com that he has gotten 'quite a few complaints about [the column], both from Canada and the U.S,' and said he’s reviewing its contents to see if it meets CBC’s journalistic standards and practices."

Looks to me like the CBC will be revising what it considers "journalistic standards and practices", not just for Mallick's writings, but to fit the government of the day.

Note that to cover its a**, the CBC rep goes on to defend Heather Mallick...just in case the election's outcome is not as is presently expected.

The CBC is perfecting its ability to survive. The Mothercorp would do well to continue reading the signs of changing times.

[BC_chick]

Ummmm, no. No it's not. CBC is "a Canadian crown corporation," with your government funding two thirds of it. You're comparing it to "an independent, self-supporting media organization" that gets 1 to 2% of it's funding from federal grants sought out by the NPR.

Not the same thing at all, therefore not comparable at all.

Slam dunk.

[Smallc]

The CBC brass must sense a Conservative Party victory in the making.

Looks to me like the CBC will be revising what it considers "journalistic standards and practices", not just for Mallick's writings, but to fit the government of the day.

I seriously doubt that it will affect the way they do actual news in any way.

[capricorn]

I seriously doubt that it will affect the way they do actual news in any way.

"Doing news" is just one part of CBC's operations. I don't doubt that the upper echelons of the CBC are discussing the advent of a new culture of doing things as we speak. The prospect of a Conservative majority government will do that.

[Smallc]

"Doing news" is just one part of CBC's operations. I don't doubt that the upper echelons of the CBC are discussing the advent of a new culture of doing things as we speak. The prospect of a Conservative majority government will do that.

I agree with that to a point. I always thought that the CBC should be more news focused like the BBC. I really hated when they took the focus away from news on RCI.

[Smallc]

I also think they need to find ways to help create their own funding in order to put less of a burden on the Federal coffers. The money is needed for other things.

[Carinthia]

"Doing news" is just one part of CBC's operations. I don't doubt that the upper echelons of the CBC are discussing the advent of a new culture of doing things as we speak. The prospect of a Conservative majority government will do that.

If Harper gets a majority Government, that will be the end of CBC. Gone, toast, buh bye!

Edited September 20, 2008 by Carinthia

[Smallc]

If Harper gets a majority Government, that will be the end of CBC. Gone, toast, buh bye!

Extremely doubtful.

[Riverwind]

If Harper gets a majority Government, that will be the end of CBC. Gone, toast, buh bye!

That would be as dumb as trying to bring in an abortion law - it would start a battle royale that would undermine the government. Better to stick with pragmatic governance issues.

[jdobbin]

That would be as dumb as trying to bring in an abortion law - it would start a battle royale that would undermine the government. Better to stick with pragmatic governance issues.

More likely that he will just cut their budget.

[Murray B.]

Why in the world is a "journalist" with the Canadian Broadcorping Castration (original name) attacking foreign political candidates. It is not like she will sway many Canadians to vote Democrat in the next election. The U.S. still does not allow persons of differing nationality to vote in their elections.

Maybe Ms. Mallick would be more at home if they shifted the border slightly north of Toronto. It's not like the city was Canadian in most respects anyway.

Sadly, these central canadian lunatic elites do get attention in the U.S. and the bad relations they create do cost Canadians dearly.

I am Canadian born and raised and am neither Republican or Democrat as weren't my parents and grandparents before me. If the Democrats win then that is fine and ditto for the Republicans. Hopefully we will have good relations with either group.

If living next to the U.S.A. is like sleeping beside and elephant like Trudeau said then how will the situation be helped if the mouse bites the elephant in the butt? Isn't it harder to sleep by a raging elephant?

[Smallc]

Why in the world is a "journalist" with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation attacking foreign political candidates?

She's not a journalist, shes a columnist and a professor.

Edited September 24, 2008 by Smallc

[Riverwind]

CBC ombudsman responds:

http://www.cbc.ca/ombudsman/page/MALLICK-PALIN.pdf

But there is another significant aspect to our policy. As mentioned, it calls on CBC outlets to touch on the widest range of views possible. On CBCNews.ca, there does not appear to be a wide range of “pointy” views. For instance, many of those who complained claimed that there is no one of an opposite ideological viewpoint readily apparent on the service. Unfortunately, this appears to be true. As I observed in an earlier review concerning CBC Newsworld programming, the CBC should not necessarily avoid having people of strong views on the air, but we must ensure that people of differing views are given a fair opportunity.

Portions of Ms. Mallick’s column do not meet the standards set out in policy for a point-of-view piece since some of her “facts” are unsupportable. She may, of course, resubmit her column taking account of our editorial standards. The editors are free to, in fact obliged to, exercise appropriate editing standards.

[bush_cheney2004]

She's not a journalist, shes a columnist and a professor.

...and based on her photos, certainly no one would mistake Mallick for a "porn star"!

[kimmy]

CBC ombudsman responds:

http://www.cbc.ca/ombudsman/page/MALLICK-PALIN.pdf

Nice find, Riverwind!

The ombudsman's analysis is very fair, and backs up what some of us here have been saying.

This portion...

But there is another significant aspect to our policy. As mentioned, it calls on CBC outlets to touch on the widest range of views possible. On CBCNews.ca, there does not appear to be a wide range of “pointy” views. For instance, many of those who complained claimed that there is no one of an opposite ideological viewpoint readily apparent on the service. Unfortunately, this appears to be true. As I observed in an earlier review concerning CBC Newsworld programming, the CBC should not necessarily avoid having people of strong views on the air, but we must ensure that people of differing views are given a fair opportunity.

...is something August has been saying for years about the CBC.

This part...

Portions of Ms. Mallick’s column do not meet the standards set out in policy for a point-of-view piece since some of her “facts” are unsupportable. She may, of course, resubmit her column taking account of our editorial standards. The editors are free to, in fact obliged to, exercise appropriate editing standards.

...supports my earlier comment that the real fault was with the editor who put Ms Mallick's piece on the CBC website.

However, Mr Carlin is off-base in his suggestion that Ms Mallick could re-submit her piece to comply with their editorial standards. Why would she resubmit it, when her article remains on their website, unaltered from its original form? There's nothing on the article's webpage indicating that the article was found to not comply with CBC's standards, no link to the ombudsman's report, not even an acknowledgment of the complaints against it.

In short, good work, Mr Carlin... too bad your boss doesn't care.

If an ombudsman's report falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a sound?

-k

[Riverwind]

Nice find, Riverwind!

The CBC emailed it to me after I emailed a compliant to the ombudsman.

The ombudsman's analysis is very fair, and backs up what some of us here have been saying.

I thought so.

? There's nothing on the article's webpage indicating that the article was found to not comply with CBC's standards, no link to the ombudsman's report, not even an acknowledgment of the complaints against it.

Yes - words without follow up action will mean nothing.

[Smallc]

The ombudsman's analysis is very fair, and backs up what some of us here have been saying.

I suppose it is somewhat fair, but not to all programs such as Politics or the National. I realized last night, after watching their election program, Canada Votes, that it was right about many other CBC programs though,

[kimmy]

I suppose it is somewhat fair, but not to all programs such as Politics or the National. I realized last night, after watching their election program, Canada Votes, that it was right about many other CBC programs though,

I'm confused about what you're saying. What in the report do you feel is "right about many other CBC programs"? That they fail to present a broad range of viewpoints?

-k

[Smallc]

I'm confused about what you're saying. What in the report do you feel is "right about many other CBC programs"? That they fail to present a broad range of viewpoints?

-k

Yes, there are some that do present only one view. Local news is guilty of it as are certain other programs. I didn't see it until I really looked.

[kimmy]

Yes, there are some that do present only one view. Local news is guilty of it as are certain other programs. I didn't see it until I really looked.

News content has different standards than editorial content. Mr Carlin discusses that in his review of complaints regarding Neil MacDonald report repeating the Sarah Palin pregnancy rumors.

I think ombudsman Carlin drops the ball on this one a bit. He defends MacDonald's mention of the rumor because the rumor was still circulating at the convention. However, the rumor had been completely debunked 2 days earlier, which MacDonald's report utterly failed to note.

Carlin mentions that MacDonald had submitted several reports which had a more general theme, but the editorial staff at the National selected the one that aired because they wanted to focus on the pregnancy rumor. So again, one wonders at the mentality of the people making the decisions at Mothercorp as well as at the reporter himself.

-k

[Smallc]

News content has different standards than editorial content. Mr Carlin discusses that in his review of complaints regarding Neil MacDonald report repeating the Sarah Palin pregnancy rumors.

I think ombudsman Carlin drops the ball on this one a bit. He defends MacDonald's mention of the rumor because the rumor was still circulating at the convention. However, the rumor had been completely debunked 2 days earlier, which MacDonald's report utterly failed to note.

Carlin mentions that MacDonald had submitted several reports which had a more general theme, but the editorial staff at the National selected the one that aired because they wanted to focus on the pregnancy rumor. So again, one wonders at the mentality of the people making the decisions at Mothercorp as well as at the reporter himself.

-k

I agree with what your saying, but there are some examples, such as the Canada votes program, that seem to show a view from the left and nothing else. I'm not saying its wrong, but the non news programing on CTV is often at least slightly left leaning.

Edited September 27, 2008 by Smallc

[kimmy]

I agree with what your saying, but there are some examples, such as the Canada votes program, that seem to show a view from the west and nothing else. I'm not saying its wrong, but the non news programing on CTV is often at least slightly left leaning.

I'm not actually aware of the "Canada Votes" program. CBC has a "Canada Votes" section on their website, which seems to have a wide variety of news and resources available.

Is this a TV program you're referring to? Is it a series or a one-off? Is the whole series western-focused, or just an episode that you saw?

I kind of wish I'd seen that, because I've never actually heard of anybody accusing CBC of doing anything that was too western-focused (other than "The Beachcombers" and "Little Mosque...") CBC western-centric news programming? Neat! I'd like to see it just for the novelty value.

My impression of CBC election reportage as pertains to regions is more or less a Toronto studio with a Toronto host talking to three Montreal academics and journalists, and three more Toronto academics and journalists about "the Quebec question" ad nauseum, while Roger Gibbins (reprising his role as Token West Of The Great Lakes Guy) sits at the far end of the desk catching up on some light reading. At some point late in the show the host mentions the electoral map, points out that the west has once again crapped on the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives, and asks Roger "Why have western Canadians tuned out the traditional parties to such an extent?" and Roger says "Well, I think that there are several factors in that, Peter, and--" and they get interrupted by breaking news and go live to a speech from Montreal and go back to talking about "the Quebec Question" for the rest of the night.

I mean, that was pretty much every election night wrap-up show from the time I actually knew what an election was right up to a couple of years ago. I don't know that it was Roger Gibbins each time or if they had other Token West Of The Great Lakes Guys, but overall that's the way I'll always remember election coverage gone by.

-k