7/23/2019 Cover letter to CCRF re: Mainstream Media Propagating Racist Ideology

1/2

December 2, 2015

Anita Bromberg, Executive DirectorCanadian Race Relations Foundation

6 Garamond CourtSuite 225Toronto, Ontario M3C 1Z5

This presentation i!! discuss the ro!e o" mainstream media as a stressor in there!ationship beteen #ndi$enous %ations and the Canadian Sett!er State&Speci"ica!!' in re$ards to its contribution to the propa$ation o" racist ideo!o$'throu$h the use o" unprincip!ed comment boards and de"iciencies in reportin$ onstories ith #ndi$enous components&

Mainstream media (the C)C ebsites, the *ostmedia ebsites, The G!obe andMai!, G!oba! Te!e+ision ebsite) p!a's an important ro!e in shapin$ dia!o$ueithin the communities o" the Sett!er State& )e'ond the "isca! responsibi!ities toshareho!ders and staeho!ders, these entities are ob!i$ated b' -ourna!isticinte$rit' to ensure that content does not, throu$h errors and.or omissions o" "act,become a p!at"orm to encoura$e dia!o$ue and commentar' in-urious tominorities& This presentation i!! demonstrate ho, b' reportin$ and ritin$artic!es ithout princip!es o" accountabi!it' and ob-ecti+it', mainstream medianot on!' "ai!s to hinder racist discourse, but acti+e!' encoura$es it&

#n choosin$ to pro+ide p!at"orms "or comments o" readers, mainstream media isunder ob!i$ation to ensure that/

1& eaders ha+e su""icient in"ormation ithin the stor' to come to anin"ormed opinion

2& Comments are not harm"u! and are "actbased3& *osts are composed ith the understandin$ that reedom o" 4pression

reuires accountabi!it' and responsibi!it' on the part o" the poster&

The data ithin this presentation and the discussion based on this data iscomposed o" screenshot captures o" comments "rom the on!ine discussion boardso" the C)C, CT7, G!oba!, the G!obe and Mai!, and *ost Media.Sun, amassed o+er

a to'ear period& Some samp!in$ has been !imited due to estab!ishment o" pa'"oraccess !imitations& The screenshots ha+e been $rouped into te!+e commonthemes& 4ach theme presents a disassemb!' o" the comment and an ana!'sis o"the ho the post perpetuates a racist "a!!ac' based on the errors or omissions o"the stor' the post is based upon& 8e su$$est remedia! action on the part o" themedia compan' to address the short"a!!s here the' contribute to propa$ation o"racist ideo!o$' and m'th bui!din$&

7/23/2019 Cover letter to CCRF re: Mainstream Media Propagating Racist Ideology

2/2

One o" the phenomena our research has identi"ied is 9"reuent "!'er: racists orhite supremacist that tend to monopo!i;e the comment boards ith a consistentmessa$e to demean, mar$ina!i;e and re+ictimi;e #ndi$enous *eop!e& #n somecases, the' appear across media p!at"orms& 8e present a !istin$ o" theirpseudon'ms&

Our research a!so re+ea!s, ithin the ra data and obser+ations that as thepostin$s are made and counterin$ ar$uments are disab!ed, that there is some!e+e! o" or$ani;ation or communit' amon$ the posters in that the' up+ote eachother in or$ani;ed $roups or mae mu!tip!e "!a$s to si!ence opposin$ posts&

The ra data is pro+ided $rouped b' or$ani;ation& The statistica! ana!'sis o" thera postin$s indicates some media or$ani;ations are better at moderation thanothers and ha+e more e""ecti+e po!icies to determine hat stories i!! be opened"or comments&

The main "ocus is on the C)C, a Cron Corporation "unded main!' b' the tabase throu$h $o+ernment "undin$& )ecause o" this uniue situation amon$ themainstream media estab!ishments, there is an epectation that the C)C there"oreou!d set a hi$her standard "or accurac' and comp!eteness o" reportin$,demonstratin$ due di!i$ence in decidin$ hich stories to open "or commentin$and c!ose!' moderatin$ those comments& The data c!ear!' sho that this is notthe case and se+era! su$$estions are o""ered "or impro+ement o" this situation&

8e reco$ni;e that racism i!! persist re$ard!ess the co!!ecti+e e""orts and $oodi!! o" or$ani;ations and communities hoe+er, e a!so reco$ni;e the abi!it' totae a ro!e in reducin$ the si;e o" the sta$e and p!at"orm "or propa$atin$messa$es o" hate&

8e support the or o" The Canadian ace e!ations oundation (C