Media Bias: CBC Radio Canada pulls fact-based gun series

In a bizarre move, Radio Canada (CBC) pulled two parts of a four part series on the national gun debate from their website this week, “The Gun Debate in Canada” by Marc Montgomery. This series was taking a factual, almost technical look at the misinformation and rhetoric surrounding what has become one of Canada’s most polarizing political debates – private gun ownership. Our own Tracey Wilson reached out to CBC-RCI to find out why, considering the media has an obligation to publish facts and data. The reason cited; assessed as incomplete. RCI Web Editor in Chief Soleiman Mellali stated that “We plan to produce a long format on this important debate. The different points of view will be expressed and the facts verified. Citizens will then be able to form their own opinion.”

Miss Wilson refutes this statement saying, “When the very things you are discussing are technical and factual in nature and not emotion based ideological arguments, there is no “other side”. Facts are facts so it is impossible to show two sides when there is only truth.”

Part 1 of the series was entitled “The Gun Debate in Canada: Where lies truth”  

This initial segment opened with a review of some of the unsubstantiated data being spread by government, law enforcement and the anti-gun lobby groups. Downright lies actually. The article then went on to a series of questions answered by a panel of experts in the field of firearm regulation; Nicolas Johnson (The GunBlog.ca), Tracey Wilson of the CCFR, Dennis Young (retired RCMP turned researcher), Professor Emeritus Gary Mauser and Blair Hagen of the NFA.

Part 2 of the series was entitled “The Gun Debate in Canada: Assault Weapons”

This portion of the series dealt entirely with the (undefined) terminology the anti-gun lobby, the media and the government use to describe sporting rifles. Panelists responded to questions about what an “assault rifle” really is, why the media and government continue to use it incorrectly and dispelled some of the myths associated with this topic. Experts included; CCFR, CSSA, OFAH, Dennis Young, NFA, and included links to the sources and data cited.

This entire series was essential to bringing back rational, factual discussion to this topic, one that will without doubt play a major role in the upcoming federal election.

Without it we are left with hysterical, emotion based rhetoric like Heidi Rathjen holding up photos in front of media cameras playing the role of a victim, all the while demonizing lawful gun owners and drawing resources away from fighting crime. In a recent interview on “7 Jours Sur Terre” notorious radical anti-gunner Heidi Rathjen said “Ruger mini 14 bullets explode on impact”. This is the kind of ridiculous Hollywood “facts” presented by “the other side”. They have no technical expertise. But what they do have, is a constant and prevalent platform to spread this nonsensical drivel provided to them by the mainstream media.

CBC is no stranger to the very one-sided reporting on this. CCFR CEO & Executive Director Rod Giltaca spent a short amount of time doing some searches of their 2018 stories.

Here are his findings, although incomplete:

Excluded are:
Stories primarily focused on the US
Stories specifically conveying news
The majority of individual radio shows focused entirely against firearm ownership
Video

Stories from 2018, is non-exhaustive and are included from the following searches on https://www.cbc.ca/search

Cukier
Heidi Rathjen
C-71
Bill C-71
Jooyoung Lee
Tracey Wilson
Rod Giltaca

November 13, 2018 – Wendy Cukier, unopposed
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/coalition-for-gun-control-trigger-change-1.4904160

November 13, 2018 – Wendy Cukier, unopposed
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/shows/here-and-now-toronto/segment/15631814

October 25, 2018 – Heidi Rathjen, unopposed
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/gun-control-groups-question-federal-commitment-1.4877752

Sept 14, 2018 – Tracey Wilson, prefaced by a list of shootings
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayedition/the-sunday-edition-september-16-2018-1.4822353/a-canadian-gun-rights-lobbyist-says-banning-firearms-won-t-stop-gun-violence-1.4822643
September 20, 2018 – Response show specifically against Tracey Wilson’s interview
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1326261315826

Sept 28, 2018 – Fair article, tells the story of issues with C71, unopposed
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/karen-ludwig-gun-control-reforms-1.4842639

March 20, 2018 – Wendy Cukier, unopposed
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/shows/calgary-eyeopener/segment/15529668

March 26, 2018 – Unopposed including finding a gun owner who will agree
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/yukon-federal-gun-law-1.4591366

March 21, 2018 – Heidi Rathjen, unopposed
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-gun-control-ottawa-1.4585087

April 4, 2018 – Ryan Slingerland, pro-gun, unopposed
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/coalhurst-high-school-student-petition-bill-c71-1.4605704
Nov 13, 2018 – Wendy Cukier, unopposed
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/coalition-for-gun-control-trigger-change-1.4904160

Nov 20, 2018 – Andrew Scheer, against C-71, multiple opposed comments
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/andrew-scheer-pushes-lifetime-firearms-ban-for-criminals-calls-liberal-policies-lazy-1.4913638
July 23, 2018 – Wendy Cukier, unopposed
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/shows/here-and-now-toronto/segment/15560139

July 24, 2018 – Jooyoung Lee, unopposed
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/guns-domestic-danforth-shooting-toronto-1.4759159
August 29, 2018 – Jooyoung Lee, unopposed
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/illegal-handgun-gun-hamilton-1.4803477

August 21, 2018 – Pro gun control, unopposed
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/gun-violence-canada-1.4792765
June 19th, 2018 – Wendy Cukier, unopposed
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1259355715910

June 19, 2018 – Wendy Cukier, unopposed
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-june-19-2018-1.4711999/increase-in-toronto-shootings-will-continue-without-new-strategy-argues-anti-gun-advocate-1.4712013
July 12, 2018 – Wendy Cukier, unopposed
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1275523651530

May 22, 2018 – Heide Rathjen, unopposed

March 20, 2018 – Wendy Cukier, unopposed
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/shows/calgary-eyeopener/segment/15529668

March 20, 2018 – Balanced
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberals-firearms-bill-c71-1.4584074
March 19, 2018 – Demonstration on what a balanced piece looks like
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/firearms-sales-recording-gun-control-debate-1.4580371

April 10, 2018 – Wayne Easter, making the case for gun control, no opposed view
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-guns-changes-laws-wayne-easter-mp-bill-c-71-1.4612813

April 6, 2018 – Anti gun control article given equal coverage to opposing view
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-firearm-laws-introduced-federal-government-1.4607794

May 25, 2017 – Another balanced article, though it seems the anti gun side always gets the last word.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/guns-firearms-restricted-canada-1.4129994

August 28, 2018 – Reasonably balanced, again anti gun given the last word
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberals-handguns-firears-1.4801700

August 10, 2018 – Balanced, fact-based last word
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/gun-crime-statistics-1.4779702

July 5, 2018 – Long article with 1500 words total, 91 words from the opposing side
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberal-gun-bill-gang-crime-1.4733374

Jan 21, 2018 – 1732 words total, 109 words opposing
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/gun-license-suicide-mental-health-1.4493326

This is only the beginning of our research.

With CBC-RCI holding strong on their claims of the Gun Debate series being one sided, we can’t help but wonder if they intend to go back and pull all the other “one-sided” stories and interviews they have done? Well, you can count on us to file a complaint on every single one of them. You can too by emailing ombudsman@radio-canada.ca and ombudsman@cbc.ca

We will update this story when we have some new information.

JOIN THE FIGHT against the attack on our rights, our sport, our way of life and the undeniable media bias.