Canadian Broadcaster Latest to ‘Pause’ Twitter Over Funding Label

Improve the News Foundation -

Facts

  • The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) on Monday paused its use of Twitter following the social media platform's decision to label the public broadcaster as "government-funded media." CBC has stated that the label "undermines" the credibility of the organization's work.1
  • CBC reportedly sent a letter asking Twitter to re-examine the label. CBC spokesman Leon Mar argued that the media outlet does not meet Twitter's criteria for the designation as its public funding is voted upon by all members of Canada's parliament, and its editorial independence is secured through the country's Broadcasting Act.2
  • Twitter's label for CBC had stated "70% Government-funded media," however, owner Elon Musk has "corrected" the designation to 69% in response to CBC's protests.3
  • In 2021-2022, CBC received approximately $900M in government funding, with its board of directors determining how the funding is spent. The organization follows the US' National Public Radio (NPR), which quit Twitter last week over the same label.4
  • Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre applauded the decision, stating that the organization was finally being recognized as "Trudeau propaganda" rather than news. In response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the statement as an attack on a "Canadian institution" and Canadian "culture."5
  • Musk took control of Twitter in a USD$44B deal in October 2022. Concerning a similar dispute with the British Broadcasting Company (BBC), which had its label changed from "government-funded" to "publicly funded," Musk stated in an interview last week that he thought such labeling decisions were "a way to be as truthful and accurate as possible."6

Sources: 1PBS NewsHour, 2NPR Online News, 3Reuters, 4Associated Press, 5Guardian, and 6Al Jazeera.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The Star. Debating the role of the CBC is a shared Canadian pastime, however, both Musk and Poilievre have portrayed it in a manner that is both regrettable and altogether strange. There is a marked difference between the likes of Tass, People's Daily, and other literal organs of the state, and the BBC, NPR, and the CBC. The fact that the CBC receives state funding is no secret, but to place it in the same category as other outlets that lack editorial freedom is absurd. Poilievre and Musk are clearly wrong in this matter.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Breitbart. Trudeau and the CBC's hypocrisy are on full display, continuing to promote digital media literacy and yet becoming incensed by the factual statement that the CBC is government-funded. Outlets have thrown tantrums over Twitter's new rules simply asking them to be transparent about their funding models. In reality, however, all that has changed is the ability for people to independently judge whether they are being fed government propaganda.

Predictions