I expressed concern to my team about the frequency of Palestinian guests getting cancelled, the scrutiny brought to bear on their statements, and the pattern of double standards in our coverage. After this, I pitched a reasonable and balanced interview: two genocide scholars with opposing views discussing whether Israel’s actions and rhetoric fit the legal definition of the crime.
Senior colleagues sounded panicked. My executive producer replied that we had to be ”careful not to put hosts in a difficult position.” They wanted time to consult with higher-ups before making a decision. A few hours later, I was sitting across from the same executive, being warned about “crossing the line.”
But that wasn’t the end of the blowback. The next week, late on a Friday afternoon, I received an email from the same two managers who had poured cold water on my pitch. They needed to speak to me urgently. Over the phone, I was asked to keep the conversation secret.
They told me I had hurt the feelings of some of my co-workers. But it was more than just hurt feelings: someone was accusing me of antisemitism. I had, it appeared, “crossed the line.”
I remember when Francesca Albanese was interviewed on Front Burner, Jayme Poisson seemed likely sympathetic to Albanese’s arguments but was dealing with clear lines that had been set for her not to cross and canned phrases that had to be inserted presenting Israel’s narrative. It was awful. That was November of last year and at that time it seemed she was pushing CBC limits just by having Albanese as a guest.
The National cleary pushed the Israeli narrative for a long time, even regularly having Israeli spokespeople on to push their narrative while having no Palestinian representation. They have improved on that now, when it has become completely untenable to deny the horror of what’s being done, but they seem to have been dragged there against their will.
Must be https://breachmedia.ca/cbc-whitewashed-israels-crimes-gaza-firsthand/
I remember when Francesca Albanese was interviewed on Front Burner, Jayme Poisson seemed likely sympathetic to Albanese’s arguments but was dealing with clear lines that had been set for her not to cross and canned phrases that had to be inserted presenting Israel’s narrative. It was awful. That was November of last year and at that time it seemed she was pushing CBC limits just by having Albanese as a guest.
The National cleary pushed the Israeli narrative for a long time, even regularly having Israeli spokespeople on to push their narrative while having no Palestinian representation. They have improved on that now, when it has become completely untenable to deny the horror of what’s being done, but they seem to have been dragged there against their will.