Terry Newman: CTV’s unbalanced reporting is what is a threat to democracy

The CTV logo outside their studios in Halifax on Friday, Sept. 10, 2010. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Article content

A CTV article published on Tuesday calling Alberta’s choice to use the notwithstanding clause to get striking teachers back to work “a threat to democracy” has caused quite a stir — not for the reasons you might expect, namely, debates between the clause and Charter rights, but because of how CTV crafted the story. Readers complained that the story was biased, sensational, and lacked balance in its sourcing of expert interview subjects, one of whom revealed to the Post that they were recently interviewed by CTV on the topic, but his comments or comments like his, never made it into the article. If anything is a threat to democracy, it’s an under-informed populace.

Article content

Article content

The initial headline for the article, “Experts call Alberta’s use of the notwithstanding clause a threat to democracy.” Two different types of complaints arose in response to this headline. First, that the opinion provided was not expert, nor a balanced view. Second, that calling use of Section 33 a “threat to democracy” is alarmist.

Article content

Article content

Article content

For example, the CTV quoted University Alberta political science professor Jared Wesley, complaining that the Alberta government had, “compressed the legislative process… removed the ability of the courts to weigh in,” and that Premier Danielle Smith had “hopped on a flight to the Middle East and is not listening to her constituents. That’s not the way the notwithstanding clause was intended there in the beginning,” he said.

Article content

Many online disagreed and felt Wesley was not an expert, as was suggested by the article. Wesley, is a political science professor at University of Alberta, who, according to his own website, appears to be largely focused on political culture, communities, policy, knowledge, and public opinion.

Article content

Article content

The article also included two reasons why the notwithstanding clause had been used in the past and repealed, including limiting compensation for sterilization reparations and defining marriage as only a union between a man and woman, sensationally implying this back-to-work situation was somehow similar.

Article content

Article content

In addition to Wesley, CTV quoted two union organizations and a left-wing activist group, all criticizing the use of the notwithstanding clause. No academic experts or advocacy groups who were supportive or neutral of the notwithstanding clause were quoted in the story.

Article content

CTV appeared to acknowledge concerns over the headline, swapping the word “expert” for “critics” and issuing a correction at the end of the article.

Article content

However, what’s worse, CTV had been given expert opinion on the issue recently, but never took advantage of it.

Article content

UBC Okanagan political science professor Geoffrey Sigalet teaches courses on Canadian Charter politics, federalism, comparative constitutional law, and democratic theory, and is one of the best choices to speak on this issue in Canada, certainly over Jared Wesley, whose comments were featured instead. At bare minimum, the most pertinent and contrasting points from both of their perspectives should have been aired.