CBC Bans Paid Appearances by On-Air News Staff

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CBC Bans Paid Appearances by On-Air News Staff

Postby jon » Thu Jan 22, 2015 5:45 pm

No more paid appearances for CBC and Radio-Canada on-air talent
By The Canadian Press
January 22, 2015 4:50 PM

TORONTO - The CBC says it will no longer approve any paid appearances by its on-air journalistic employees.

The embattled public broadcaster issued the directive in a memo to staff on Thursday, saying "paid appearances can create an adverse impact on the corporation."

The memo says on-air journalists may speak at public events, moderate debates or take part in other public appearances.

But they "must make sure that the activity does not represent any real or perceived conflict of interest" and "get permission from his or her supervisor to do so" beforehand.

The memo was co-signed by CBC News Editor-in-Chief Jennifer McGuire and Michel Cormier, Radio-Canada's executive director of news and current affairs.

It adds that the CBC also plans to "continue to disclose all appearances" on its websites.

"CBC/Radio-Canada holds itself to the highest standards of journalistic integrity. Our standards and practices are among the most rigorous in Canadian media," reads the memo.

"However, a changing environment in which the public expects more transparency from institutions and the media is making the practice of paid outside activities for our journalists less acceptable to audiences."

Last week, the media website Canadaland published a report alleging that the CBC's star business reporter Amanda Lang had tried to "sabotage" a 2013 story on the Royal Bank of Canada.

Canadaland also reported that Lang was in a relationship with an RBC board member and had been paid to speak at public events sponsored by the bank.

The CBC came to Lang's defence and said her paid speaking appearances were approved and did not violate any rules.

Lang also said that she had disclosed her personal relationship to the CBC and denied she did anything to scuttle the story referenced in the Canadaland report.
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Re: CBC Bans Paid Appearances by On-Air News Staff

Postby jon » Thu Jan 22, 2015 5:47 pm

Not sure if they even exist anymore, but the CBC used to have News-writers who never appeared on-air.

This seems not to apply to them. But, since no one knows them, they probably aren't in Demand as Speakers.
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Re: CBC Bans Paid Appearances by On-Air News Staff

Postby Mike Cleaver » Thu Jan 22, 2015 6:01 pm

No broadcasters seem to care about Conflict of Interest rules any more.
Back in the day, it was an immediate firing offense.
Newscasters, reporters and talk show hosts should not be allowed to do commercials and yet I hear and see this every day.
Newsrooms belonged to RTNDA which was a self policing organization which was not above publicly shaming news people who crossed the line.
A Toronto TV News Anchor who did commercials for his families car sales business was told to choose one or the other.
He dropped the commercials and continued doing news on air.
At CHUM, Dick Smyth regularly rotated beat reporters assignments so they wouldn't get too close to their sources.
At the CBC, Lang, Mansbilge and Wrecks should be gone.
O'Leary was just as bad.
Here in BC, we have three Legislative reporters whose wives work for the Provincial Government, one in the Premiers Office.
The CBC's Ombudsman ruled theirs was in Conflict of Interest but management did nothing, not even the CBC President.
Newscasters, reporters and talk show hosts should not be allowed to do commercials and yet I hear and see this every day.
It's similar to stations who have stock brokers doing their business reports.
You think they're not going to shill stocks?
Corruption is everywhere in the MSM today.
Corporate and government handouts simply parroted with no questions asked.
Where are today's Harvey Oberfelds and other legendary reporters and talk show hosts who challenged everyone and everything?
Investigative journalism died under the spell of cheapdom.
Mike Cleaver Broadcast Services
Engineering, News, Voice work and Consulting
Vancouver, BC, Canada

54 years experience at some of Canada's Premier Broadcasting Stations
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Re: CBC Bans Paid Appearances by On-Air News Staff

Postby Tape Splicer » Thu Jan 22, 2015 9:45 pm

"Believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see".
(Edgar Allan Poe in Graham's Magazine in 1845.) - Just as relevant today!
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