I am fascinated to hear Ezra Levant stating that “The one thing they (CBC) will never tolerate is a diversity of opinion” and “Only now that the Sun News Network is alive has there ever been any other points of view on TV.” Of course Mr. Levant realizes this is an over-the-top exaggeration. Still, the game – and it clearly is a game – it to present any even vaguely leftish comments uttered by anyone on the CBC as representing the views of the entire institution.
One has to assume that when our not-so-trusty-reporter talks about the left-wing-NDP-supporting-CBC he is somehow managing to avoid the voices of folks such as Kevin O’Leary, Don Cherry, Rex Murphy and Tom Flanagan. Why, I even seem to recall that Prime Minister Harper appointed a former CBC journalist to the Senate. How is this possible? Perhaps these conveniently omitted journalists and commentators are not true conservatives in Mr Levant’s view. One wonders if he is questioning their conservative credentials. Clearly Mr. Levant needs to take this issue up with Mr. Cherry.
Of course to maintain their underdog/oppressed/lone-voice-of-reason status Sun editorialists must present the CBC as a monolithic left-wing conspiracy … and most insulting to these pseudo-mavericks of journalism is that this media monopoly scheme is supported by tax dollars. Public institutions - the horror! One has to assume the logic is that only rich private individuals are entitled to publicly express their opinions on the airwaves. Yes, that is what democracy is all about. In the view of many Sun editorialists, the sin of the CBC is that they don’t always offer an unquestioning conservative viewpoint – the nerve of those Commies! Mr. Levant just can’t seem to imagine news stories which are multifaceted and nuanced. Why have range and complexity when yelling and props are so easy.
Of course Mr. Levant realizes this is how the ‘oppressed little guy’ game is played. It is all about Sun media elites (and they are elites whether they like it or not) taking cheap shots at an exaggerated/invented enemy. Perhaps Mr. Levant feels his boringly-predictable overt biases will be ignored if he constantly accuses others of bias. This is the dull edge of journalism.
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