After the explosive testimony by Pat Morris on October 21, 2002 in regards to media coverage of the Freedom Convoy protest, consel for the convoy organizers and protesters have requested Catherine Tait, CEO of the CBC, testify before the Public Order Emergency Commission.
Lawyers for the Freedom Convoy protesters are requesting that legacy media organizations, such as the CBC, testify before the Public Order Emergency Commission over what they call fake and misleading coverage on the Freedom Convoy movement earlier this year.
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms wants CBC CEO Catherine Tait to be held accountable for the public broadcaster’s coverage of the convoy, reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.
“The Commission is mandated to investigate misinformation that led to the declaration of emergency. The biggest source of misinformation was the corporate press,” JCCF lawyer Hatim Kheir wrote to the Commission.
Kheir’s argument highlighted Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Supt. Pat Morris’ testimony, in which he questioned media coverage of alleged extremism and violence that wasn’t supported by any facts of the reality on the ground.
“Supt. Morris’ evidence made it clear that members of the media were reporting unsubstantiated and false claims. As the head of Canada’s national broadcaster, Ms. Tait should answer questions on her organization’s role in perpetuating misinformation,” explained Kheir.
The JCCF, the Democracy Fund, and the Freedom Corporation made the request following a report by the Commission that concluded that the media played a significant role in spreading false information about the convoy.
“A question for the Commission would be who the key social media actors were who seeded the convoy movement, both individual and media, and who amplified it,” wrote the report titled Mis-, Dis- and Malinformation And The Convoy: An Examination Of The Role And Responsibilities Of Social Media.
At the height of the convoy protests, inaccurate reports was widely disseminated by the mainstream media, including the absurd assertion that Russia was responsible for planning the demonstrations.
Earlier this month, CBC Ombudsman Jack Nagler concluded that by connecting Russia to the Freedom Convoy, the public broadcaster had breached its journalistic standards.
“The fundamental flaw, in my view, was the use of a speculative question when it was not called for,” wrote Nagler.
“Instead, Power & Politics presented its question without attribution. It was not clear to viewers whether anyone was offering evidence that Russia was involved in the convoy – or why they would have such a concern. As*king the question in this way left room for people to surmise that CBC believed such evidence existed.”
Other false information spread by legacy media included claims that convoy protesters attempted to set fire to an Ottawa residential complex in a separate incident.
