CBC Ombudsman’s office hears complaints from Canadians – will they care that CBC is censoring the news about CBC human right abuse ?
The Office of the CBC Ombudsman represents the public to ensure CBC upholds its information standards and practices.
I filed a complaint with the CBC Ombudsman this week.
The human rights abuse of the CBC Charlottetown office is so egregious, it just called out for a formal complaint.
A lawyer friend said yesterday “I just don’t get it. What’s in this for the CBC to harass you and then hide the story?”
Ester Enkins, the current CBC Ombudsman, replied that she got the complaint but made no other comment.
I don’t know how much a complaint is worth. Does the Ombudsman just excuse bad journalism and defend the CBC or do they represent the public? I will ask them how many complaints are resolved in favour of the complainant.
CBC Ombudsman
The CBC Ombudsman exists to listen to complaints from the public about CBC reporting and broadcasting. The former Ombudsman was Vince Carlin, a CBC journalist. Mr. Carlin worked with my father at CBC Radio Canada Montreal in the 1970s. I remember him from dinner parties. Call me a CBC brat.
Esther Enkins Ombudsman for CBC English Services. Represents public’s interests re CBC news and information content. Intrigued by challenges for modern journalism.@CBCOmbudsman (Twitter photo)
The current CBC Onbudsman is Esther Enkin. She ”was appointed Executive Editor, CBC News in 2008. Ms. Enkin has worked in radio and television at CBC since 1975. She was a founding member of The Journal, and went on to be a documentary field producer.
In her position of executive editor CBC News, Ms. Enkin was responsible for the quality and standards of CBC journalism. She oversaw policy and standards, developing policy and ensuring CBC’s journalistic standards were met nationally and regionally. (Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma)
CBC Ombudsman Complaint
You can only complain about news reporting with the Ombudsman. They will not fix human rights problems, just how the story is told.
Here is the Complaint -
“I am an internet journalist. In October 2009, the press gallery of PEI expelled me for trumped-up charges that amounted to human rights discrimination on the basis of disability and association with a disability advocacy group.”
“For 2.5 years, CBC fought the complaint. Then in April 2013, the Chairperson of the PEI Human Rights Commission granted me the right to a Panel Review.”
“What did CBC do? They filed for a judicial review to quash the panel.”
“So far so bad for Canada’s public broadcaster with a policy of inclusion and human rights for all.”
“When a CBC reporter, of his own volition, tried to interview me and cover the story, Andrew Cochrane told him to stop.”
“CBC is effectively covering up the story about my allegations of human rights abuse, and trying to derail the legal process of a fair hearing.”
“Tell me how that fits into the policy of the CBC both in Human Rights and in freedom of the press? Here’s what happened in the newsroom in Charlottetown when the story broke.
“This is the short version of the story and all stories have at least two sides. CBC is censoring all sides of the story. Shame on them.”
Sidebar – PEI Human Rights Commission – Pate v Thibodeau, Wright, Allen and Press Gallery of the PEI Legislature
Complaint – On October 19, 2010 Stephen Pate (complainant) filed a complaint against The Press Gallery of the PEI Legislature and Wayne Thibodeau (Guardian), Teresa Wright (Guardian) and Donna Allen (CBC) (respondents) alleging discrimination in employment and membership in a professional organization on the basis of association, physical or intellectual disability, and source of income.
Pate is self represented and the complaint runs over 330 pages with more than 200 exhibits, including an audio recording of the meeting which forms the basis of the complaint. During the meeting, the respondents stated 10 times they objected to an advocate, or lobbyist as they called it, for a disability organization in their membership.
Important dates - On November 2, 2012 the Executive Director of the PEI Human Rights Commission (PEI HRC) dismissed the complaint because he found it had no merit.
On December 2, 2012, Pate filed a request for a review by the Chairperson of the PEI Human Rights Commission.
On April 4th, the Chair of the PEI HRC issued her ruling that the executive director was in error and that their was enough evidence to call for a Human Rights Panel under the PEI Human Rights Act.
Before that panel could be organized, the respondents, represented by a CBC and Guardian appointed lawyer, filed a motion on to cancel the human rights panel. This is a legal tactic to delay, stall or end the human rights process.
The court can refuse to hear the judicial review until after the public panel hearing, send the decision back to the Chair of the PEI HRC, stay all proceedings, among other decisions.
This sidebar is summary of the Complaint and is not a complete legal statement of the complaint. Specific details of the complaint and response are confidential until they are revealed in court or at a human rights panel.
