CBC in Vancouver. Listening to the Almanac discussion on
The Kinder Morgan poll today, the on air host made the comment that there was a lot of cynicism around the poll and the media. Polls are polls and as some wag said "polls are for dogs". But the MEDIA. I for one am very cynical over the Media coverage in this country (the CBC included) of this issue. I am a morning to night listener of CBC every day and the lack of balance and the lack fact presentation is shocking and disturbing. In the last wk or so it has been wall to wall guests shilling for the pipeline. One day there were 2 pro pipe in studio guests on Almanac and then the same day another pro pipe guest after 3:00pm afternoon show. Nothing but rhetoric, never any actual facts, lots of misinformation around how Premier Horgan was blocking the project, no mention that the protests were led by First Nations, Never any real discussion of the FN rights, always "oh some are for it some are against". I could go on. In a week, other than a brief phone interview with Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, there was no anti pipeline advocates to be heard. No facts from the no side of which there are many. And the people who could present them have been shut out. How can the public be expected to make an informed decision on this if the facts are withheld like this. Do your people not do any research on these issues? Do you not know that the Pipeline will end up costing the people of BC MORE for their gas as the toll on the pipe is going to be raised? Do you not know that the claim that BC is stopping the project is totally bogus as KM has not even been given permits by the NEB to start? Do you not know that KM has not met to this date, 50 of the over 150 conditions that must be met? Do you not know that the much bandied claim that we will have "World Class Spill Response" means only 10 to 15 % or the oil would be recovered. Nationally, the CBC has allowed the duplicitous claims by Premier Notley that there have been no double hulled tanker accidents go unchallenged when there have been 3 very serious accidents in less than a year. And Minister Carr's claim that the existing Trans Mountain pipeline has been carrying Dilbit for 30 yrs without an accident when in fact it is only recently seen Dilbit shipped thru it, again no attempt to put the facts straight. Again I could go on. Why have we never heard form such esteemed Canadian writers on energy issues like Andrew Nikiforuk? Or Mark Jaccard? or Robin Allen? All these people are very senior people in their fields and have presented very well researched arguments with all the factual information on the pipeline and if allowed by you, could get some of these fact out to the general public. It really makes me wonder, do you do any research into the facts before you interview these guests, are you not aware of these facts, or are you afraid to disseminate them. Or is there an agenda in this. Any way you look at it you are doing a great disservice to the public of Canada and I think it is a pathetically poor display of so called factual journalism. Thank You Ken Jeannotte.
