Like a lot of folks, there was a
time when I never went to bed without watching CBC’s The National. Like a lot
of people now, I almost never turn the program on.
The National began losing thousands of
viewers many years ago when it opted for personalities and style over solid,
serious journalism. It became a water-filled balloon that developed a pinhole.
Viewers dripped away, then dribbled and squirted out until the pinhole widened into
an escaping torrent.
Now it routinely runs behind the CTV
and Global national news in audience ratings. Its ratings are somewhere in the
range of a specialty channel.
The problem with The National is that
personalities are more important than the story. And in journalism, there is
nothing more important than the story – the fair and factual story.
The most important personality at CBC,
of course, is Peter Mansbridge, aptly named Pastor Mansbridge by Globe and Mail
columnist John Doyle. He has announced he is leaving The National but is not
retiring from the Mother Corp. He is 68 and will show up doing something else
at CBC, no doubt being paid his million-plus bucks.
Nothing illustrates the CBC’s cult of
personality more than his departure announcement. His last broadcast of The
National will be July 1 next year, Canada’s 150th birthday. How
excellent! Two major Canadian events the same day: Mansbridge’s last broadcast
of The National and Canada’s 150th. Which would you vote for as the
most important?
The National lost touch with Canadians when
it decided that its intellectual superiority makes it the best editor of what
news the great unwashed should receive. It represents the Toronto left-leaning establishment
and Peter Mansbridge is the voice of that establishment.
We’ve all seen the scandalous results
of the personality cult developed during Mansbridge’s painfully long run at The
National. The Amanda Lang scandal in which the National’s star business
correspondent was accused of taking speaking fees from companies on which she
reported. She had a too cozy relationship with the Royal Bank of Canada.
Then Evan Solomon, once touted as Mansbridge’s
successor, was fired when it was learned that he pocketed tens of thousands of
dollars in secret commissions for art sales to people he dealt with as a CBC TV
on-air host.
And Jian Ghomeshi, the CBC star who
admitted a fondness for non-consensual rough sex and who was accused of sexual
harassment and assault. He stood trial for sexual assault and was found not
guilty. The CBC had to dump him.
Mansbridge and Rex Murphy, The
National’s annoying know-it-all, both crossed journalism’s ethical boundaries by
taking big buck speaking fees from companies or others who might be in the
news. CBC management said it was disappointed anyone would think that taking
large speaking fees would affect any on-air person’s journalistic integrity.
Then it turned around and forbid on-air staff from taking paid speaking gigs.
What it should be doing is forbidding
anything that nourishes its personality cult. Like Mansbridge accepting the
Order of Canada, which should be for people who work tirelessly, often without
reward, for the good of their communities.
Mansbridge’s semi-retirement is a huge
opportunity for CBC management to return The National to its years-ago position
as a powerful news source for Canadians. It is an opportunity to give the news
operation back to real journalists who see the story more important than
themselves.
A ‘star anchor’ to replace Mansbridge
is not necessary. Let a variety of news people with on-air competency present
the news stories that they are involved in.
Aside from dealing with its inner
cancers, CBC also must reshape itself to become relevant in the online world of
news. Online news is a revolution that has brought incredible changes, with
more to come. We no longer need to turn on the TV at 10 p.m. to find out what
is happening in the world. We already know because we get online news every
minute throughout the day.
All traditional news outlets are struggling
with how to survive in the new and changing world of news. When it all shakes
out, one longstanding axiom will still be there: Content, not style and personalities
is the key to good journalism.
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