Following up on the interest in The National’s additional coverage of Canada’s armed forces this week, anchor and chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge weighs in with his thoughts in today’s Review section of the Globe and Mail:

Over the past five years, CBC News has spent considerable time and resources covering Canada’s armed involvement in Afghanistan. Not only is Afghanistan this country’s most challenging military operation in a half century, it is a crucial public policy issue that engages and concerns most Canadians.
     Our reporters have been covering every aspect of this operation – including the continuing debate as to “why” Canada is there. We have covered it from the front lines in Afghanistan to Canada’s Parliament in Ottawa, as well as many international conferences in between. We are proud of our coverage. And we know, from the positive response of so many Canadians to it, that it has been helpful to many in understanding the important issues in front of us all.
     Yesterday, The Globe’s TV columnist John Doyle, writing from the vantage point of what he calls his “TV Cranny,” found this effort positively “creepy.” He took particular exception with Monday’s special “On the Road” broadcast of The National from Edmonton, which looked at how families of those serving in Kandahar, or soon to go, are coping (rather well) and are helping support one another through the long separation.
     Doyle found this somehow a lapse in journalistic responsibility. He wrote: “Of course, any thinking, feeling person can grasp the difficulties facing families with a member serving in Afghanistan. It’s tough and emotionally wrenching. But we don’t need to be hit over the head with the message. Besides, the population is not united in support of our current role in Afghanistan.”
     Indeed, the public is not united over this role – as the CBC has clearly reported. In a poll this autumn, we showed that the Canadian public was split 52-48 per cent in favour. We also reported that 58 per cent did not believe the mission would succeed.
     The very same poll, however, showed the overwhelming majority of Canadians, whatever their views of about the Afghan mission, thought very highly of the military (73 per cent). So we don’t feel an obligation to act as if soldiers and their families should somehow remain an overlooked minority of no account, mere shadows in the corner of the holiday season.
     We have no apologies to make. Our coverage of the war has been praised by those for the mission and by those against. Reporters have in the past explored a great deal of the dirty underbelly of this war, often at personal risk.
     The CBC has operated 24/7 on the ground in Kandahar since the current mission landed there and is on frequent patrol with our forward troops.
     We have reported extensively not only on the heavy fighting of recent months, but also on the extremely difficult attempts to get civilian reconstruction programs under way.
     Brian Stewart’s recent documentary Road to Kandahar for the first time revealed the infighting within the military and cabinet over Canada’s initial role in Afghanistan. His regular “Inside the Mission” segment on The National examines the high cost and casualties of the war along with the shifts in public attitudes toward our commitment.
     There has been a countless number of reports, documentaries and interview segments on The National and our other CBC News television, radio and online programs and services.
     What is particularly offensive about Doyle’s column is his charge that CBC’s actions “give the appearance of an obedient press corps, placating the government.” What absolute nonsense.
     Not only has CBC News been covering this conflict – from all perspectives, including those who oppose Canada’s involvement – for several years before this current government was even elected, the CBC has been reporting on Canadian troops in war and conflict zones for 67 years.

War coverage is part of our network’s heritage. This does not show an obsession with the military     War coverage is part of our network’s heritage. This does not show an obsession with the military, as Doyle claims, but rather a determination to cover the story from all angles, with balance and an openness to many views, including those of family members missing loved ones at the front.
     These people do exist, and CBC News will continue to listen to them
too….. whatever the distress level in Doyle’s “TV Cranny.”

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	News & Journalism, The National	Posted at 1:32 pm (14 Dec 2006)

Update: Army.ca has critical comments about Doyle’s comment.

In an article called “CBC’s military obsession just feels creepy” Globe and Mail writer John Doyle opines that the CBC — in particular, The National — has become obsessed with presenting stories about Canada’s military

The other night, I turned on The National on CBC… [Peter Mansbridge] informed viewers that this special edition of The National was about “the home front” or some equally inane phrase. It was about our military and the mission in Afghanistan, in other words. But it was couched in we’re-all-in-this-together coverage of the military and their families in that Edmonton location.
     There was an air of giddiness and excitement. It was easy to tell how important it was — the actual news of the day was hurried along so that we could get back to talking about how great the military is….
     The CBC’s obsession with the military bespeaks a diminution of journalistic standards that is reprehensible at any time, but the clear and obvious linking of the military with the holiday season is simply appalling.

Blog reaction:

• Robin Rowland on military history (great article; recommended reading)

• To You From Falling Hands (military blog): “I have only one thing to say to John Doyle: pull your head out of your…” er, maybe you’d best read it yourself.
• Parkdale Pictures: “From the moment I heard that CBC News and the National were going to do a week of news from the “homefront” of the war in Afghanistan I felt uncomfortable. How was Afghanistan the homefront? Don’t the majority of Canadians oppose the mission there?”

What do you think? Is it journalistically unsound to present stories about Canada’s military? Are we doing too many stories about the military? Is our coverage balanced in your eyes?

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	News & Journalism, The National	Posted at 11:44 am (13 Dec 2006)

The final chapter in Harpergate (hey, somebody had to use it) occurred last night with an apology from The National.
     The issue at hand: A Conservative blogger found what he believed was a clip of Stephen Harper taken out of context during a report on The National.
     The National agreed in a letter to a complainant and tonight mentioned it on its broadcast: “It appeared as if the Prime Minister was responding to that particular protester. In fact, he was responding to a general question from a journalist about public reaction to his stand on the war. We did not make that clear. We should have. And we regret that we didn’t.” [video]

Blog reaction:

• Stephen Taylor: CBC offers regret for Lawand piece: “One reader has already emailed to complain that an apology was not forthcoming (the CBC “regrets” what happened).”
• Abandoned Stuff: CBC regrets bad editing, but not bad debates yet: “Congratulations Stephen on your ability to get CBC to reconsider a broadcast element. If you can also assist with getting the CBC to broadcast the next Leaders Debates with all registered party leaders, that would be appreciated by even more Canadians.”
• Teamakers: Flinching and Smirking: “But instead of a straight-up apology he got a a strangely smirking flinch from Diana Swain, a performance worthy of a Gemini nomination.”

Low-blow, Ouimet and others. While at first it appears this “smirk” people are talking about is at the beginning, it’s clear to anyone who watches closely that Swain was reacting to an item prior to the apology. There’s no smirking throughout the rest of text of the apology.
     Usually the very last item in a newscast is a “kicker” — something oddball or humourous. (The only reason a kicker would be positioned penultimately is when there’s a programming note or apology. As in this case.)
     But alas, in this edited video, Swain’s previous story is clipped out, making her appear to smirk about the apology. Which makes the video posted on YouTube quite a bit out of context.
     Ironic, non?

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	The National	Posted at 8:41 pm (22 Aug 2006)

Did you know you can watch The National on-demand for free? Yep, just click here to watch (you need the free RealPlayer installed). (The link is at cbc.ca/national under “Watch The National Online”) I never catch it at night, so I usually watch in the morning while I’m doing my first sweep of email. (This has been around for a while now, but many people don’t know about it.)

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	Asides, On-Demand TV, The National	Posted at 10:33 am (21 Aug 2006)

Updating the brouhaha around a report from The National in which conservative blogger Stephen Taylor said the report took Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s comments out of context, making him appear heartless.
     The National responded to a complaint from a blogger. In it, Jonathan Whitten says:

In the bulk of his answer, however, he explained that the issues were far larger than the concerns of some communities. These are “serious international issues, he said, “there are not only many lives at stake, there are a lot of long term strategic interests of this country and of the world.…” He talked about two major elements of the Canadian policy, about terrorist groups, both in Canada and abroad. He talked about humanitarian concerns, including evacuation and re-construction as being among the “focuses of our activity.”
     Then he returned to where he had started his answer and repeated: “I’m not concerned or preoccupied in any way with reaction within individual communities. I think that reaction is very predictable.” That was the clip included in the report following the protestor. It is logical to conclude here that the reaction he is “not concerned” with, is the kind of reaction personified by the protestor seen at the beginning of the report. Mr. Harper was talking about predictable reactions in general of which the protestor was a specific example. Some have argued that he was talking about polling within the Arab and Jewish communities, and while that’s possible, he was also discussing, in addition to polling, “reactions within certain domestic communities.” Far from being unrelated, as you suggest, the two are directly related.

However, Whitten added:

I do, however, agree with your concern about the structure of the report. The construction of the piece did make it appear the Prime Minister was responding directly to the woman protester, and that was not the case. We should have taken the time to make it clear that the Prime Minister was responding to a general question, and not a specific question about the woman’s concerns, and I regret that. While this does not constitute a misrepresentation of Mr. Harper’s position, or the position of his Government, the program could have, and should have, taken the time to be clear about what prompted the response.

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	The National	Posted at 11:07 am (14 Aug 2006)

Although CTV and Global may dispute this, turns out more Canadians watch The National every night than any other national newscast. How is that possible, you ask, since ratings show The National so much lower? It’s because Global and CTV focus compare their single main-channel broadcast against the edition of The National that competes with them (e.g. CBC 10pm vs CTV 11pm vs Global 5:30pm.) The problem with their math is that The National is aired over three or four broadcasts on CBC TV and Newsworld. When you compare all airings of The National against all airings of the competitors, you realize The National simply has more viewers each night. Now you know.

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	Asides, CBC Newsworld, The Media Landscape, The National	Posted at 10:27 am (08 Aug 2006)

Although it will take a while to get precise audience numbers for all of CBC’s services, there are definite signs that Canadians have been turning to CBC News during this middle-east crisis.
     Newsworld audiences have been unusually strong throughout the day and evening, and audience feedback to the CBC’s work on CBC Radio and CBC News Online has been exceptional.
     Last Thursday evening (the latest day for which we have audience numbers), The National attracted 1,260,000 viewers on CBC Television and Newsworld — considerably more than its competition (Global National with 952,000 viewers and CTV National News on CTV and Newsnet with 780,000).
     As an aside, a special accomplishment for The National last week, was its series of unprecedented programs from the Arctic. Anchored by Peter Mansbridge and featuring a small CBC News team led by executive producer Jon Whitten aboard the icebreaker Louis S. St. Laurent, these were the first live national television newscasts broadcast ever from the Arctic. “[The shows] dealt with two issues — climate change and arctic sovereignty — that matter a lot to Canadians,” said CBC news chief Tony Burman. “Proof of that was evident throughout the week with very high audience numbers.”
     Some other numbers:

• CBC Radio is number one in many Canadian markets
• CBC Newsworld is Canada’s top-rated television news network
• CBC.ca is Canada’s top-rated news web site
• The National is Canada’s leading national newscast.

One more thing. Is it just me, or is Tony Burman Bill Kurtis‘ long-long twin brother?

All-staff email from Tony Burman

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	CBC Newsworld, News & Journalism, The National	Posted at 10:16 am (08 Aug 2006)

This video clip has been circulating around the Internet for a while, but it’s still quite amusing to watch. It’s a report from The National in 1993, with the late Bill Cameron ‘splaining the then-new magical computer network called “Internet.”
     Besides the nostalgic sounds of a 14.4k modem handshake (oops, sorry… geeked out there for a second), it’s interesting to watch the wide-eyed enthusiasm over things we use every day today like emoticons.
     According to anchor Peter Mansbridge in this report, people on Internet are “sharing scientific data, arguing philopsophy, or passing on cooking tips or gossip.” Much like we do today, of course. Ahem.
     It’s worth a watch: CBC TV reports on Internet

CBC archives

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	Archives/Vintage Media, The National, The Odd File	Posted at 12:12 pm (16 Jul 2006)

Canadian Press reports [see Macleans coverage] that Canadians are fairly divided in their preference for CTV or CBC national news. The Decima poll says 40% favour and 38% prefer CBC.
     But the poll found that among those who said they watch The National, 57% would be less likely to watch it if the program were moved permanently to 11 p.m. Only 14% said they would be more likely.
     CTV has been successful in building its national news audience partly with popular lead-in programs, Decima said.

Truth is, I switch between the two. It has nothing to do with the quality of reporting; it has everything to do with the time-slot. (I’ve got a PVR so I don’t ever need to be “led in” to news.) If I happen to be ready for news at 10, I watch Peter. If I’m around at 11, I’ll watch Lloyd.
     If the CBC were to move Peter to 11, then I’d have to make a real decision. Which, as a Canadian, makes me somewhat uncomfortable.

My source: Found it in one of my usual Google News searches.

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	CBC Television, The National	Posted at 10:48 am (30 Jun 2006)

By now you may have heard of CBC-TV’s plans to displace its flagship news program this summer to make way for a U.S. reality show. On Tuesday nights this summer, The National will air early on the East Coast and be delayed an hour in Ontario and Quebec so that CBC-TV can simulcast ABC’s new reality show The One: Making a Music Star. From Manitoba westward, The National will not be affected.

Here is the schedule. The National will be seen on the main network at:
9:30 p.m. Nfld
9 p.m. in the Maritimes
11 p.m. in Ontario and Quebec
10 p.m. Manitoba West

The National will available on Newsworld at: 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern Time everywhere. 80% of Canadian homes have cable access to Newsworld.

(The One will follow young musicians competing for the chance at a recording contract, under the tutelage of industry experts and vocal coaches. The CBC has also planned to launch a Canadian version in late 2006 or early 2007.)

There are two main schools of thought that most people on the net and in the press are talking about so far on this:

1. The CBC shouldn’t be airing American shows just to “chase ratings”; it’s the public broadcaster and it should air Canadian programming only.

2. Why not let the CBC have a couple of popular shows on air, even if they are American; it can fund itself, then, instead of through the taxpayer?

On what side do you stand, and why?

UPDATE: Dead Things on Sticks has some interesting points on this topic.

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	Programming, The National	Posted at 1:45 pm (21 Jun 2006)