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CTVNews and it's lack of objectivity
December 6, 2008 - 4:49pm
How can Canadians put pressure on CTV to be more objective. They tear apart the Liberals and the Coalition and don't mention the strange eccentric behaviour of the Conservatives. Boycott their advertisers. How does one choose and go about it?
A web site would be a good start.
I don't know about convincing cable and satellite providers. I thought perhaps to choose one of their more lucrative advertisers and then everybody write to them and to CTV or Globemedia then boycott their goods. It's a matter of choosing the company and passing around the word.
In my research I found out CTVGlobemedia is not 40% owned by The Ontario Teachers Pension Fund. How does one contact them to register a complaint.
Boycotts are ineffective because they are extremely undemocratic; only people with a lot of money to throw around are effective boycotters. I rarely buy anything advertised on CTV anyway. The corporate advertisers certainly have no interest in ensuring that we have a robust and free media. A boycott of their products certainly isn't going to make them pressure CTV to change the very bias that serves them so well.
I like the idea of a website and bumper stickers. What if we could create a small poster and post it online for people across the country to print and post in their communities? The poster could outline the disgraceful state of the media in Canada (which is certainly not limited to CTV) and point people to independent media like Rabble and Democracy Now, which most people have never heard of.
What do you think?
Complaints to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council?
Complaints on their message boards?
Pickets outside of CTV stations?
I think boycotts can be effective.
Success depends on picking the right target. Some company that is vulnerable economically, and would be made very uncomfortable by public protests.
Remember, it's a free country. I am not for changing CTV's editorial mind, or it's style of reporting, or anything like that. They are free to do what they want.
But so am I. If I choose not to spend my money at a certain establishment, and tell them it's because their advertising money supports unballanced news reporting, I'm free to do so, and free to tell others how I feel.
Success wouldn't be measured in whether the advertiser stops it's economic support of CTV news. I would doubt very much that such an endeavor would be rewarded with such an obvious "win".
But the larger the frufra made over this, the more likely-- in fact certainty-- that CTV will find getting new advertisers much more difficult, as companies who don't want to invite controversy will shop elsewhere for air time.
"Welcome to the age of persuasion."
Remember, all this we are talking about, the government, the economy, ALL of it has to do with money.
CTV would love to film people picketing thier studios. A cheap four minute news story to them. And, it would play nice to the crowd they preach at.
It's all about money.
Go after the money. It's the only way to make them hurt.
In the States an effective campaign was waged by Ron Paul supporters against "fair and balanced" Fox News.
Rather than trying to get a national boycott going, which they realized wouldn't work, they instead targeted local businesses which advertised on Fox News affiliates and sent letters to the affiliates telling them of their displeasure and what they were doing about it.
They approached the local businesses, politely and in person, to show them proof of the UNfair and UNbalanced reporting and to register their displeasure that local dollars would support that. There were numerous reports of local businesses cancelling their advertising with their local Fox affiliates and moving that business to a competitor.
The affiliates, of course, got upset and in turn took their complaints to HQ. The result was that Fox News backed off, not a whole lot but enough to be discernible.
CTV doesn't even feel that a 300,000 person market is worth having a regional relay station down here. I feel almost like boom boom though we aren't issolated. Sure it's on our cable but that isn't enough. I can see how a boycott woulddn't hurt them much. I think rabble rousers needs to get neilson boxes. Then we make sure we never ever turn to that disgrace or turn the channel at any mention of negativity(that is unfair) to the left. Squeaky wheel theory.
______________________________________________________________________________________ "Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it." Noam Chomsky
In response to Naci_Sey on boycotting local businesses:
Okay, I can see that boycotting small, local businesses could be more effective than the large corporations, but I still think it's a bad idea. Small local businesses need our support. These businesses are in constant danger of being driven out by box stores and discounters. It is hard enough for these businesses, who from my perspective are the good guys, or at least the better guys, without targeting them for something that has nothing to do with them. At a time when we need to be shopping locally and supporting small business, I feel this is not fair.
That is an excellant idea...besides documenting the incidents it would also provide the documentation necessary for the CRTC to pull their licence and fine them when a new government takes over.
Starting a ctv bias thread/blog or forum subject heading would be good for people to chime in the incidents they have witnessed for you to place on the website. Dates would be critical as well as times when the incidents occur. It would also provide discussion of the incidents so you don't accidentally defame the network. Or open yourself up to conservative entrappers.
The internet would serve that purpose well as there is no agency out there that makes news stories about the media, hence documenting incidents easily.
Why waste your energy fighting the bad guys when you could be promoting and helping to build progressive media?
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In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Baby
I agree that CTV is becoming Canada's version of FOX news. One of the worst examples was their 'EXCLUSIVE!!' scoop of a 'secret tape' of the NDP caucus conference call. Halfway through the article, they reveal that the meeting was secretely taped by a conservative....who gave it to CTV, the official mouthpiece of the Tories. This needs to be challenged.
Some of the most important work that the US blogosphere has done over the past few years has been to hold their media accountable. Boycotts and targetting their advertisers is one way. Organizing to complain to the CRTC is another.
However, I think that the most effective way is to challenge them directly. Swamping their comments boards, complaining to their 'contact us' links, letting them know that a majority of Canadians do not feel that their point of view is represented. A website, such as Media Matters in the States, to document the bias and to galvanize opposition would be ideal.
Create a media accountability action kit and I'd like to use it to get the Edmonton Sun shut down forever.
Although, Frustrated Mess makes a very important point:
Because you need to show why your side is correct and what kind of obstacles your side needs to get through to educate people. Yes educate because as this last week shows, people don't read between the lines as far as media goes and people don't understand how democracy not in the US works. Hence the further problem of US media creep that has been happening over the years.
______________________________________________________________________________________ "Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it." Noam Chomsky
CTV is no worse than Global, as I noted in another thread:
___________________________________________________________ "watching the tide roll away"
Media literacy is something that many teachers try to work into their curriculum. An organization that would monitor worst examples of biased reporting could put CTV, Global or other broadcasters on the spot with a media literacy kit distributed through teachers' unions, supportive folks in school boards, maybe get some exercise book published and distributed by a major player. The kit could be geared toward suggesting ways to take action, that would translate into grassroots pressure from students, unions, advertisers displeased to be associated with the worst examples being featured.
THREAD DRIFT: Hey, I read this morning that Playboy Inc.'s share has fallen 80% over a year. (Quick, where are those little blue triangles?!) Christie Hefner even resigned!
Well that only holds true, if people do not boycott sponsors. People boycotting sponsors would force to holders of the pension fund into different actions, poerhaps selling their shares off into a more ethical position/holding, considering the fact should a boycott happen, the pension funds lose their worth, if shares in CTV diminish.
___________________________________________________________ "watching the tide roll away"
This string should also apply to the CBC. TERRIABLE REPORTING!
You won't find too many arguements here about how pro conservative the CBC has become
______________________________________________________________________________________ "Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it." Noam Chomsky
I have done more research and find that Ontario Teachers Pension Fund now owns 58% of CTVGlobemedia. Write to them asking for objectivity. They have contact addresses on their web site. Then write to CTV and CTV News. Ontario teachers, retired and otherwise, might be persuaded to put some pressure on their fund managers to pay attention to this issue. I'm sure they are in favour of more balanced reporting. If you know any Ontario teachers mention it to them. Teacher usually care a lot.
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Did Teachers go through with the purchase? Last I heard, they were getting ready to pay the $1.2 billion penalty for bailiing out of taking on the burden of debt and falling share prices.
Really like to know.
I think the competition bureau said they also wouldn't allow it or something.
Kinda fishy now that an union(albiet at arms length) want to be a major stakeholder in a communications firms. Never any overview when it comes to the rogers or aspers uying yet another radio station(in the same city even) or newspaper or tv network.
______________________________________________________________________________________ "Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it." Noam Chomsky
"Why waste your energy fighting the bad guys when you could be promoting and helping to build progressive media?"
Not only are these not mutually exclusive but they're actually the same thing. The only way to really effectively fight the corruption and bias of the media is to go out in the streets and confront the effect it has.
You can do boycotts, and put pressure on advertisers. That's perfectly fine, but the lies will stay because they represent interests that are far greater than any inconvenience you can cause. There's no shortcut to this. We need to send our messages so constantly and cleverly that it becomes louder than the media. Posters, websites, pamphlets, conversations, etc. It's a huge job. I don't deny it. But there isn't any other way. They won't stop planting their lies no matter what you do, so you just have to go out and pull them up one by one, and make a garden of truth.
The Chamber of Sober Second Helpings?