Thread by @Norlaine

What is going on in Canadian news media? This does not apply to ALL reporters, or all media sources all the time, but it applies to many of them all the time and all of them some of the time. #cdnmedia #cdnpoli 1/12

Reporters ask "gotcha" questions, then report on a lack of answer. Like reporters at the start of the pandemic demanding to know when the pandemic would end, then posting stories about how PMJT "refuses" to tell them when the pandemic will end. 2/12

News completely ignores good news stories, like water advisories being lifted. This does a disservice to all Canadians. Good news is worthy of reporting and is, indeed, important to report. If you only report things you deem negative, the media actually skews the news. 3/12

News media takes stories and twists them. Like today's story about how 3 or 4 far-right MPs in Europe (some non-media sources say fascists or neo-Nazis) criticized Trudeau. And Canadian media is screaming "European MPs call Trudeau a dictator of the worst kind" 4/12

Without explaining that it is not ALL European MPs, but 3 or 4 out of 705, and the specific individuals have a history of far-right allegiance and crackpot accusations. That is sh*tty, sh*tty journalism. 5/12

If fact, Canadians should be delighted. If we are making some nazis upset, we must be doing some very good things. Only the CBC bothered to explain the story in context: 6/12
cbc.ca/news/politics/…

The others either are purely going for click-bait, or they are on the side of those who wish to overturn our democracy. That's a harsh criticism, I know. But I am shocked that allegedly middle of the road media like CTV are using the story to condemn the PM. 7/12

As journalists, you have certain very basic rules for stories:
1. Is it true?
2. Is it verifiable (can you prove it's true)?
3. Is publishing it in the public good?
8/12

I would like to understand how journalists think publishing stories that seem aimed at destabilizing our democracy could, in any context, be considered in the public good. 9/12

The overall behaviour of Canadian media appears to indicate that they have a vested interest in unseating the duly elected government and installing some far right bunch, like the UCP in Alberta but worse. Before you @ me... 10/12

I have heard all about how "we must not criticize the media because being a journalist is a dangerous job these days, plus criticism undermines the all-important trust people have in the news media". Yes, I got it. 11/12

But things cannot go on as they are. If you don't want Canadians like me criticizing you, stop acting the way you have been. It's that simple. If you want people to trust you, act trustworthy. The slanted, hostile government-bashing over nothing has to stop. 12/12

Here is an example of the Toronto Star with a misleading headline suggesting that the PM is frivolously using public monies to improve his cottage. It is paywalled, so that is all most people will see.
thestar.com/news/canada/20…