Keep Truth In Broadcasting

OTTAWA -- The Green Party of Canada is calling on all party leaders to reject the CRTC proposal that would allow broadcasting of intentionally false and misleading information as long as that information "does not endanger, or is not likely to endanger the lives, safety or health of the public.” 

“Under what circumstances would the commission believe it is acceptable for a licensee to broadcast something it knew to be false? It should always be unacceptable to knowingly tell a falsehood. That is what we teach our children. That is what we expect of our friends. And that is what we should be able to expect from our news reporters,” said Elizabeth May, Leader of the Greens.

“In essence, this proposal would dilute the quality, veracity and integrity of current affairs and news in Canada,” said May.  “It is not in the public interest to permit greater latitude in allowing false and misleading information to enter public broadcasts.  Under the Nixon administration in the US, the FCC rules requiring honesty, fairness and balance in newscasts were relaxed. The impact on US culture and political literacy has been devastating -- from Walter Cronkite to Glenn Beck in a generation.”

Canadian broadcasters have not faced difficulties in adhering to the current prohibition against the broadcasting of false and/or misleading information. The new rule would actually permit the deliberate and willful distribution of false news so long as such misinformation was not a threat to public health and safety.

The attached background documentation on the CRTC website would appear to suggest that the proposed changes were made in response to concerns raised by the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations. “The Green Party has reviewed the publicly-available reports and minutes of proceedings of the Standing Joint Committee and can find no record to indicate the Committee ever discussed, let alone formally recommended, such an Orwellian amendment," said May.

“We find it unacceptable that such a dramatic and regressive step is being proposed with such inadequate public notice. To slip the notion that Canadian newscasts can produce fiction onto a website in early January, provide 30 days notice and then move to relax standards for truth and accuracy is deeply disturbing,” added May.

Take Action -- http://greenparty.ca/stand-up-for-truth

-30-

Contact Information:
Debra Eindiguer
Press Secretary
Green Party of Canada
c: 613.240.8921
media@greenparty.ca
www.greenparty.ca