In brief, I was reading this post by Jeff this AM afternoon, and I have to say along the same lines that for a pro vs con debate on a controversial topic, such as Omar Khadr, CTV can certainly bring on to debate whoever it wants - the choice of US Navy JAG Lawyer Lieutenant Commander William Kuebler, who is defending Khadr, is a solid choice, and good on CTV for bringing him on. Everyone knows quite crystal clear where he stands and why his views are what they are.
But, CTV has a duty to the viewers to properly identify the representative of the opposing viewpoint above and beyond the rather vague description of him as a security analyst and former Crown prosecutor. They should have mentioned, in my view, that he worked in Stockwell Day’s office at one point, and let people know this fact so they could see where his point of view is partially coming from. The fact he has rather extreme views on the Charter of Rights and the judiciary in Canada, as Jeff has pointed out at his blogpiece, also makes one wonder if CTV couldn’t have found a better representative to articulate that side of the argument.
I couldn’t agree more. Canadian media have become so lazy in their adherence to journalistic ethics that they don’t even bother to inform their viewers of obvious conflicts or bias on their part or that of their guests. Too many times they are advancing an agenda and cover up/ignor known links and biases to further their goal. There are many many examples of which this is one. If we keep calling them on their lack of journalistic rigor, perhaps one day we will get a decent level of reporting.