CBC / Radio-Canada has apologized for the repeated use of the word N in a Radio-Canada program in 2020, but will appeal a CRTC decision related to the segment, saying the regulator has exceeded its authority.
“We consider that the CRTC has exceeded its authority with regard to the independence of the public broadcaster,” it said in a statement.
“Its decision on June 29 poses a threat, because the Commission has tried to grant itself the power to interfere in journalistic independence.
“It was a serious mistake. We just don’t accept CRTC interference in journalism in Canada.”
Order to apologize
The statement comes after the CRTC ordered the public broadcaster last month to apologize in writing for the use of the word N on its airwaves.
Annie Desrochers and columnist Simon Jodoin uttered the word N several times during a segment of the afternoon program from August 15 to 18, August 17, 2020. It was part of an on-air discussion about a petition that demanded the dismissal of a Concordia University. professor who had quoted the title of a famous book by Pierre Vallières that includes the word N.
This sparked a complaint to the CRTC from Ricardo Lamour, a black Montreal resident.
The CRTC then ruled that Radio-Canada did not implement all necessary measures to mitigate the impact of the word N on its audience. In addition, he said the broadcast of the program segment “did not offer high-level programming and did not contribute to strengthening the cultural and social fabric and reflecting the multicultural and multiracial nature of Canada.”
This sentence provoked a reaction from journalists. Some 50 Radio-Canada personalities said in an open letter to La Presse that the decision threatens journalistic freedom and independence and “opens the door to the dangers of censorship and self-censorship.”
In its statement Wednesday, CBC / Radio-Canada said dissenting views from the regulator itself indicated that it has neither the authority nor jurisdiction to make that decision.
“We need to appeal to the CRTC’s jurisdiction on issues that should fall to our news leaders. Journalistic independence is vital for all of us,” the statement said.
Recognized wounded
CBC / Radio-Canada acknowledged that while the word N was used in a journalistic context, it was detrimental to some audience members and employees.
“Some of our journalists have expressed the view that this is only a matter of freedom of expression, but we all know that words can hurt and should be used with care. That is why we will apologize to the listener. who filed a complaint “. said the statement.
“The use of that word hurts a lot of our audience and our own employees and that’s why we feel so sorry for it.”
He said he was also adding a notice to the show where he appears online to prepare listeners. In addition, Radio-Canada will launch an internal review to examine its policies and standards regarding language that may be harmful.
The CRTC had ruled that Radio-Canada should report, no later than September 27, “on the internal measures and good programming practices it will put in place to ensure that it better addresses similar issues in the future.” Both the report and the written apology should have been made public.
The CRTC has also told Radio-Canada that it had until July 29 to find ways to mitigate the effects of the use of the word N in this segment, as it is still available online.
“We do these things because we believe it is right, not because the CRTC tells us so,” the CBC / Radio-Canada statement said.
Lamour, the Montreal resident who filed the complaint, told CBC News in June that he had been in the CBC / Radio-Canada building in Montreal, listening to the 15-18 program with headphones when he used the word. Lamour, a local artist and social worker, had been invited to the show to talk about a different topic.
Within two weeks of the show airing, Lamour filed a complaint with the CRTC and the Radio-Canada ombudsman.
Message error
Myrna Lashley, an adjunct professor in the psychiatry department at McGill University, who also does consulting work on equity and inclusion issues for all levels of government, said CBC / Radio-Canada made a mistake in the message that he was sending.
“It sounds like ‘I’m sorry, I’m not sorry.’ I think it’s two different stories that have combined, and I think that’s unfortunate,” he said.
“They should have stayed with apologizing and leaving it there. But now it seems like a qualified apology.”
He said the statement is written in a style that apologizes to those who have been offended instead of apologizing for the offense itself.