CRTC plan to lift ban on false news prompts political investigation
GLORIA GALLOWAY
Ottawa From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
Published Monday, Feb. 07, 2011 8:23PM EST
Last updated Wednesday, Feb. 09, 2011 7:20AM EST
A CRTC proposal that could make it easier to broadcast false or misleading news has prompted confusion and criticism among opposition MPs and consternation in at least one of the unions that represents Canadian journalists.
It has also led to allegations of interference by the Prime Ministers Office and a hastily called investigation by federal politicians, who were caught off guard by the move.
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Then, on Jan. 10, the commission announced it was seeking comments on a proposal to change the wording of the regulation to say that it applied only in cases in which broadcasters knew the information was false or misleading and that reporting it was likely to endanger the lives, health or safety of the public. The cut-off date for public input was set at Feb. 9.
The decision caught many people by surprise.
Weve looked everywhere to try to find out whos pushing this, and we cant find anybody, said Peter Murdoch, the vice-president of media for the Communication, Energy and Paperworkers Union, which represents more than 20,000 journalists, including those at The Globe and Mail.
Its totally bizarre. Nobody in the industry has called for it, Mr. Murdoch said. Where is the motivation for change that would lower the standards of truth and fairness in broadcast journalism?
CRTC plan to lift ban on false news prompts political investigation - The Globe and Mail