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The CBC journalist Linden MacIntyre has been barred from appearing on CBC News Network this week after executives there objected to a comment he made during an interview with The Globe and Mail in which he compared the workplace behaviour of Peter Mansbridge to that of Jian Ghomeshi.
Mr. MacIntyre, who is leaving the CBC after 38 years, was set to appear on News Network to discuss his final report for The Fifth Estate, which airs Friday.
In the Globe interview, Mr. MacIntyre cited Mr. Ghomeshi’s “tantrums,” and said “he is allowed to bully and abuse people. You know, that’s the way it works, that’s what you put up with, whether it’s Mansbridge, [Peter] Gzowski, whatever. They were not like shrinking violets, either. So along comes Ghomeshi: ‘Oh, yea, he’s in the tradition of that.’ But somewhere along the way, it crosses a line. It does cross a line.”
Late Wednesday, the managing editor of News Network issued a memo, headed “Important – Standing up for Peter Mansbridge,” informing network staff that Mr. MacIntyre was no longer welcome.
“The quote mentioning Peter is a disgraceful comment that is unfair and untrue,” said the memo, written by Jennifer Harwood. “It’s time to stand up for Peter. And stand up for what’s good and right at the CBC.”
On Thursday morning, Mr. MacIntyre said he regretted his choice of words but stood by the essence of his comment.
“I can understand people may have been provoked by an unfortunate juxtaposition in which I allowed the names of people like Peter Mansbridge and Peter Gzowski to enter into the same thought [as Jian Ghomeshi], in which I was trying to explain the phenomenon of abusive stardom,” he said.
“I’ve already apologized to Peter [Mansbridge], because I had absolutely no intention of including him or [the late CBC Radio host] Peter Gzowski in the same frame as someone who is being investigated by the police for such extraordinary abuse that it is, certainly in my experience, unusual.
“[I was] trying to make a larger point in a spontaneous conversation, and I was careless and maybe even thoughtless. But I’m really bothered that the focus on what I believe to be a small detail seems to be obscuring the larger point I’m trying to make, which is that institutions like the CBC really have to be more careful about looking after vulnerable employees.”
He added that he had not been officially informed of News Network’s move.
“I’m frankly extraordinarily disappointed in this unilateral action. The effect is more problematical for The Fifth Estate than it is for me,” he said. “I think it’s really sad that the retaliation for a casual – even if it was careless – comment would go to this extreme.”
Ms. Harwood did not respond to phone calls or e-mails on Thursday morning seeking comment.
CBC News Network bars journalist over Mansbridge-Ghomeshi comparison - The Globe and Mail
The CBC journalist Linden MacIntyre has been barred from appearing on CBC News Network this week after executives there objected to a comment he made during an interview with The Globe and Mail in which he compared the workplace behaviour of Peter Mansbridge to that of Jian Ghomeshi.
Mr. MacIntyre, who is leaving the CBC after 38 years, was set to appear on News Network to discuss his final report for The Fifth Estate, which airs Friday.
In the Globe interview, Mr. MacIntyre cited Mr. Ghomeshi’s “tantrums,” and said “he is allowed to bully and abuse people. You know, that’s the way it works, that’s what you put up with, whether it’s Mansbridge, [Peter] Gzowski, whatever. They were not like shrinking violets, either. So along comes Ghomeshi: ‘Oh, yea, he’s in the tradition of that.’ But somewhere along the way, it crosses a line. It does cross a line.”
Late Wednesday, the managing editor of News Network issued a memo, headed “Important – Standing up for Peter Mansbridge,” informing network staff that Mr. MacIntyre was no longer welcome.
“The quote mentioning Peter is a disgraceful comment that is unfair and untrue,” said the memo, written by Jennifer Harwood. “It’s time to stand up for Peter. And stand up for what’s good and right at the CBC.”
On Thursday morning, Mr. MacIntyre said he regretted his choice of words but stood by the essence of his comment.
“I can understand people may have been provoked by an unfortunate juxtaposition in which I allowed the names of people like Peter Mansbridge and Peter Gzowski to enter into the same thought [as Jian Ghomeshi], in which I was trying to explain the phenomenon of abusive stardom,” he said.
“I’ve already apologized to Peter [Mansbridge], because I had absolutely no intention of including him or [the late CBC Radio host] Peter Gzowski in the same frame as someone who is being investigated by the police for such extraordinary abuse that it is, certainly in my experience, unusual.
“[I was] trying to make a larger point in a spontaneous conversation, and I was careless and maybe even thoughtless. But I’m really bothered that the focus on what I believe to be a small detail seems to be obscuring the larger point I’m trying to make, which is that institutions like the CBC really have to be more careful about looking after vulnerable employees.”
He added that he had not been officially informed of News Network’s move.
“I’m frankly extraordinarily disappointed in this unilateral action. The effect is more problematical for The Fifth Estate than it is for me,” he said. “I think it’s really sad that the retaliation for a casual – even if it was careless – comment would go to this extreme.”
Ms. Harwood did not respond to phone calls or e-mails on Thursday morning seeking comment.
CBC News Network bars journalist over Mansbridge-Ghomeshi comparison - The Globe and Mail
