EXCLUSIVE: CBC planning docs suggest “modernizing” Canadian law, says “fake news” weakens democracy

By Rebel News
|
October 28, 2020

By Rebel News

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An exclusive Rebel News investigation into the CBC's Strategic Plan internal documents shows that the government broadcaster proposed “modernizing” Canadian law and identified “foreign content”, “fake news” and “algorithms” as challenges to their mandate.

This investigation is funded thanks to our viewers. To help us continue to hold the Trudeau Liberals and his friends at the CBC to account, please consider chipping in at RebelInvestigates.com.

CBC proposes changing Canadian law

One of the “proposed key messages/speaking points” in the planning documents includes a proposed timeline to influence Canadian law:

Broadcasting Act and Telecommunications Act Review

New technologies, like streaming services, are changing the way that Canadians discover, access, and consume content. As a result, our legislative framework needs to be modernized so that Canadian creators, consumers and broadcasters can adapt and thrive in a changing environment.

The Department has asked the external panel charged with the review to take into account the realities of consumers, businesses, artists and broadcasters. This includes exploring how the national public broadcaster's mandate can be updated and ensuring its independence and stability over the long-term.

As well, the CBC had plans back in March 2019 to submit recommendations to the government at the start of this year:

The review panel has indicated its intention to issue a report by June 30, 2019, on what it has heard during the consultation process. It is also expected to provide a final report and recommendations to the Government by January 31 2020.

CBC signs on with international journalism group

The following section of the document includes a partly redacted title, “Strategic Plan __________”, and includes what appears to be questions (or likely questions) aimed toward an individual or group which joined something called the “Trust Project” in "October 2018":

News and democracy are included in the areas the Corporation intends to focus on. One of the initiatives which is in line with this area of focus is the Trust Project, which you joined in October 2018. The aim of the project is to establish transparency standards that will help audiences to assess whether news “comes from a credible source”. Can you tell me more about the project and where things are at?

CBC joined the Trust Project in October 2018, which is mentioned on Page 7 of this report.

According to a CBC article on the project,

The aim of the project is to establish transparency standards that will help audiences to assess whether news “comes from a credible source,” a statement on the project's website says.

For CBC News, it means “implementing a series of trust indicators on our digital properties,” general manager and editor in chief Jennifer McGuire said in a statement. “This includes being open about our best practices, labelling our work, publishing author bylines.”

CBC's “New Challenges”, i.e. Competitors

On Page 15, subtitled “How a global marketplace can undermine Canadian culture and democracy”, the CBC identifies the following four “new challenges”:

Proliferation of foreign content: drowns out Canadian voices

“Fake news” and algorithms: weakens trust and democracy

Rising dominance of FAANGs: threatens domestic production model

Unregulated global content: threatens sustainability of Canadian media ecosystem

Since FAANGs stands for Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google — a massive chunk of the Internet — we can guess that everything threatens the CBC and their staffers.

Read the rest of our coverage from this exclusive package of documents related to CBC's Strategic Plan here:

EXCLUSIVE: CBC aims to form “emotional bond” with young Canadians

EXCLUSIVE: CBC loses $175m after dropping Hockey Night In Canada

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Sometimes we get nothing, but sometimes we get something shocking and that makes it all worth it. To help us cover the cost of filing these requests, please help us out at RebelInvestigates.com.

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