Is the Ceeb biased?

The Conservative government's recent tyraids against the CBC for a supposed Liberal/liberal bias deserve some measured consideration. The Tories, given their previous lack of support for the public broadcaster's role, have taken several examples, and through their usual strategies of distortion and decontextualization, have attacked the CBC for their "unfair" coverage.

The Conservatives cite EKOS pollster Frank Graves' suggestion that the Liberals wage a "culture war" against the Tories as proof of the CBC's bias. This argument, proclaimed with the usual outrage and indignation, fails to account for all the facts. Mr. Graves, whose polls the CBC occasionally uses, had suggested, when asked what sort of strategy the Liberals should follow, that they should pit urban values vs. rural values. Although he was speaking simply as a pollster, who has analyzed his information, the Conservatives managed to distort those facts. It was enough that the CBC used his polling information, somehow discredited by his supposed partisanship.

Following that, the Conservatives pounced on a CBC story that explored the government's connections to the religious Right in Canada. Not that they had any issue with the facts of the story, it was that CBC chose to cover this topic that was enough.

It is certainly no secret that Stephen Harper exerts a huge amount of control over all communication within his party. And that the Conservatives govern in an extremely divisive, partisan manner. So naturally, any news coverage critical of him or his government will be met with hostility. But accusing the CBC of biased journalism because of unflattering coverage lacks reasonable conviction.

As much as Stephen Harper would like to cease funding to the public broadcaster, the CBC plays the same essential role it always has in shaping the Canadian identity and providing fair coverage. The CBC's role is not to a mouthpiece for the government of the day. Stephen Harper holds the support of a minority of the Canadian population, and as much as he dislikes it, his government needs to be held to account. A public broadcaster is in the best position to do so.