In the name of political correctness

 

In the name of

political

correctness

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC,

FEC, CET, P. Eng.

Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East

As the world economy, politics, culture, and communications face a growing wave of globalization and new economic and social challenges that are likely to continue for a long time, ethical challenges for journalists have also gone global, taking on new dimensions.

As we are living in interesting times marred by pandemics, economic and not to be ignored societal challenges, the journalistic profession is certainly facing a new world full of surprises.

As the challenges mount and information and data envelop us with the inevitability of an exploding volcano, the so called establishment's elite journalists operate out of their protected world; in their ivory tower. From this seemingly untouchable place of safety, they tend to interfere with increasing frequency in the political field, seemingly working to undermine the due political process. They are becoming imperial in trying to impose their unelected views on the public and shamelessly attempting to undermine the democratic political process. Unelected and free of any responsibility, they act in the name of a false political correctness. These days it is difficult to distinguished between the "Fake News" and the "Elite Fake News" promoted by syndicated journalists to push their own agenda.

Instead of abiding by ethical principles when they are challenged, they take immediate refuge in the defence of the freedom of the press. This subterfuge must change drastically because they are an important part of society, and the journalistic profession must sooner or later get rid of the weeds and seriously pursue the business they were meant to do.

There is a very real and immediate need for an overview of the code of ethics that applies to journalism, and an even more dire need for the strict application of those ethics to ensure that practitioners abide by them in real life. In today's society, journalism and the use of journalistic ethics are more important than ever.

The number of ways journalism can impact society and the lives of people around the word is infinite. However, the impact can quickly be turned from a positive to a negative, thus losing public trust in the media.

Journalists must believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. Ethical journalism strives to ensure the free exchange of information that is accurate, fair and thorough. An ethical journalist acts with integrity.

The ethical principle seek truth and report is particularly important, especially today. We are living in an era where lies are spread for political and social gain no matter the situation it puts others in. As journalists it is a duty to inform the public of accurate information in order not to tarnish the good name of a person, organization, or event.

Being accountable and transparent in journalistic work is possibly the most important principle to follow to ensure a journalist will not break any other principles. If someone does not understand the context of something said, it can ruin the mentality or meaning for the rest of the work.

Most stories have at least two sides. While there is no obligation to present every side in every piece, stories should be balanced and add context. Objectivity is not always possible, and may not always be desirable (in the face of brutality or inhumanity for example), but impartial reporting builds trust and confidence.

Journalists should do no harm. What they publish or broadcast may be hurtful, but they should be aware of the impact of their words and images on the lives of others.

Now let us have a look at some unfortunate events that have taken place in Canada in the last few years where journalist have influenced the political process in this country.

You may well remember the Mike Duffy affair, which was brought to light by one of his former journalist colleagues, Robert Fife. The timing of Fife's revelations was particularly interesting, because it seriously influenced the people's faith in the Conservative government of Prime Minister Harper, as the news broke just before the election was called. At the end of the affair, and after millions of taxpayer dollar had been spent on an investigation, Senator Duffy was cleared of all charges. The same journalist brought the SNC Lavalin affair to light, just before the last election in 2019. This, too, influenced the election; the country ending up with a minority Liberal government.

These are clear cases of political interference from the media in the electoral democratic process, in influencing the vote of Canadians.

Currently, there are many other examples of these kinds of Journalist "influencers" blatantly interfering in politics and showing bias in their reporting of the news.

For example, just days ago Robyn Urback a Globe and Mail columnist wrote and article entitled: "Anti-vaxxers have found their useful idiot in Conservative MP Derek Sloan". Of course the Globe and Mail was completely silent on the characterisation of an elected MP as an idiot by one of its rising stars and politically correct journalists. Even if you do not agree with the action of an MP, you do not have the right to call him names. Furthermore, the implication is that he is an idiot because he sponsored a petition, which does not mean support, in case the journalist would like to be informed in parliamentary procedures. This shows the journalist's own bias and reveals a possibly ill-informed opinion funnelled to the public. In publishing such blatantly biased and opinionated material, is the Globe and Mail abiding by ethical standards in journalism?

The question of the day is: Are the media trying to run a parallel government in Canada? You decide.