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Top Media Exec. Asked CTV News Dept. To Be More Positive About Bell
You gotta love Bob Fife. The Globe & Mail reporter finds the dirt and lets you see it. His latest story - alleged "suggestions" from the president of Bell Media that the newsroom try to present a positive spin about the company wherever possible.
It comes following the 2015 ouster of a previous management type for allegedly trying to influence the coverage of another story concerning Bell.
"Mr. Oosterman said CTV journalists should be helpful in reporting on the telecom giant whenever possible, although he stressed that he did not want them to “shill for the corporation. I am not saying to distort reality to help.”
“But for God’s sake, if there is a choice between helping and not helping – help,” he said, using an example of reporting on BCE’s financials...
"Mr. Oosterman’s comments appear to run counter to BCE’s journalistic independence policy that was designed to reinforce “independence and non-interference” between BCE and CTV News."
And that's just part of what an audio recording of the current exec. appears to show about balanced political coverage at CTV News.
Top Bell Media executive urged CTV to avoid ‘negative spin’ on coverage of parent company
- Tomas Barlow
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Re: Top Media Exec. Asked CTV News Dept. To Be More Positive About Bell
He is a treasure. He has broken more Canadian political stories this year than everyone else combined. I hope younger people at the paper are learning from him so we'll continue to be well served when he retires.
- BowmanvilleBob
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Re: Top Media Exec. Asked CTV News Dept. To Be More Positive About Bell
Fife is great at getting and printing leaks. He doesn't "break" stories per se. He takes what people feed him. I have no doubt that someone in the middle management or perhaps one of the scores of people who've recently been laid off but remain friendly with those at CTV fed him the recording to settle a score with senior management.
Back in 1979, Pope John Paul II made his historic first visit to Poland. The CBS TV news department, lead by Ed Joyce, planned extensive live coverage of his arrival, which was promptly vetoed by CBS management as "too expensive". CBS was the only network not to break away from daytime programming to cover the event and was promptly roasted by the public. Joyce and others leaked news of who had made the decision to some friendly newspaper reporters, who promptly "broke" the story. The executives who made the call found themselves in the spotlight.
As always when dealing with "scoops", remember who has the most to gain by the information becoming public. That usually leads you to the source of the leak.
Last edited by BowmanvilleBob (June 28, 2023 11:48 am)