The CBC has denied that Amanda Lang, a senior business correspondent and anchor of The Exchange, attempted to stifle a report involving RBC. Photo: CBC The editor-in-chief of CBC News said two reports of ethical breaches on the part of senior business correspondent Amanda Lang “made false assumptions and left out important facts.”
The first report published Monday morning by Canadaland’s Sean Craig alleged that Lang attempted to “sabotage” a story produced by investigative reporter Kathy Tomlinson about the Royal Bank of Canada’s plans to replace Canadian employees with foreign workers.
The report alleges that Lang “lobbied aggressively” for the CBC to tone down their coverage of the scandal, including during a conference call that involved Tomlinson. Lang, according to Canadaland, has spoken at events sponsored by RBC at least six times. RBC spokesperson Rina Cortese confirmed with Postmedia that Lang has spoken at “a very limited number of RBC-sponsored events in the past” but “the only other professional relationship we have with Amanda is the same as with other journalists.”
The Canadaland report said Lang’s attempts to suppress the story were initially successful, with an item on World at Six about RBC dropped “without explanation.” CBC News editor-in-chief Jennifer McGuire said this is not the case.
“We did not kill a story on the World at Six on Monday, April 8, 2013 as Mr. Craig implies in his blog,” said McGuire in an emailed statement.
She said CBC spoke to the producers who organized the call in 2013, as well as more recently, and although the call involved rigorous debate, “there was no ‘sabotage,’ and the notion that ‘Lang’s efforts to scuttle the story were successful, at first’ is categorically untrue. The story rolled out on all platforms,” said McGuire.
Canadaland said their report is based on an interview with Tomlinson’s husband as well as multiple, anonymous sources from within the CBC. Canadaland editor Jesse Brown told Postmedia in an email the publication was approached by three independent sources, all of whom the editorial staff consider “highly credible.” Brown also said another source had agreed to go on the record but then immediately changed their mind, apparently due to pressure from an unnamed person.
“Our sources indicated that her behaviour was bizarre and irregular. One key source in particular told us that Lang had never inserted herself into the process in this way before,” said Brown.
Earlier in the day, Senior CBC News producer Don Spandier tweeted that the piece was aired as planned, reported by CBC Ottawa journalist Tom Parry.
CBC spokesperson Chuck Thompson also denied the report, calling it “categorically untrue.”
“Two points to make, most notably that Amanda Lang did not try to ‘…sabotage a CBC story…’ as the Canadaland blog post claims. The story received wide coverage on all of our platforms including CBC’s two flagship newscasts, The National and World at Six,” Thompson said in an email to Postmedia.
Lang also penned a column for the Globe and Mail defending the bank’s decision to outsource jobs last April, calling the story a “sideshow.” McGuire said that although CBC had no prior knowledge of the piece, the “matter was dealt with at the time and Amanda recognized that this was a breach of process.”
Monday evening, Canadaland published a second report alleging that Lang is in an ongoing relationship with RBC Board Member W. Geoffrey Beattie and that they were involved when CBC broke the RBC story. This relationship was not disclosed to the CBC or viewers, according to Canadaland.
While McGuire did not elaborate of the nature of Lang and Beattie’s relationship, she said Lang’s executive producer “put in place appropriate protocols” upon learning of their connection “and the potential conflict that might create.”
McGuire said it is “ludicrous” to suggest that Lang’s speaking engagements at events sponsored by RBC created a conflict in itself.
“Should we now stay clear of the Scotiabank Giller awards too? Will we no longer participate in worthy causes like Canadian Journalists For Free Expression because Scotiabank is a major sponsor of its gala?” she said.
The RBC story from Tomlinson’s team blew up into a national scandal and changes to Canada’s foreign worker program were announced in the ensuing fallout.
“It is unfortunate that our internal processes are fodder for external debate by people who have their own agendas. If there are any concerns about what we put to air, by all means take them forward and let’s have a robust discussion,” said McGuire.
“Half truths based on anonymous sources is not going to achieve anything constructive.”
This comes on the heels of another Canadaland investigation into Lang’s ethical practices, including allegations that she gave favourable coverage to other financial institutions that paid her for speaking gigs. Canadaland also reported last February that anchor Peter Mansbridge had taken on paid speaking engagements from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. That report prompted the public broadcaster to review their procedures concerning speaking engagements, paid or not.
CBC personalities are not the only high-profile journalists to make headlines concerning alleged conflicts of interest of late. Global’s Leslie Roberts was suspended last week after it was revealed in a Toronto Star investigation that he had a stake in a public relations firm whose clients have appeared on his show. Roberts denied that his relationship with the firm affected his journalistic integrity and Global is conducting an investigation into the matter.
With files from Tristin Hopper.
The full statement from McGuire:
While we welcome discussions and debate about our coverage, this morning’s blog post by Sean Craig on Canadaland about a story from two years ago is based on several misrepresentations. It is misleading and is ultimately damaging to us as a news organization. Despite reaching out to us over the weekend for a response, Mr. Craig deliberately made false assumptions and left out important facts.
It is now important to set the record straight.
CBC News did not kill any story about RBC’s use of the foreign worker program. We did not kill a story on the World at Six on Monday, April 8, 2013 as Mr. Craig implies in his blog. It is not true that we did not speak to people who took part in the call. We spoke to the producers who organized it, as well as some participants, both in 2013 and more recently as Canadaland was pursuing the story. Yes, there was a different point of view about the story and yes that different point of view was aired during the call. There was rigorous debate but there was no “sabotage,” and the notion that “Lang’s efforts to scuttle the story were successful, at first” is categorically untrue. The story rolled out on all platforms.
We continued to invest in the story, and our coverage led to a change in government policy. It is a story we are proud of and continue to follow.
As we all know, story selection and treatment is part of a collective process with many inputs and several checks and balances before we go to air or publish. That includes the live interviews we do. It is legitimate to question the quality of what we air. If there are issues with how interviews are conducted, we have an objective process through the Office of the Ombudsman. To suggest that Amanda deliberately “soft balled” the issue is insulting to all those involved in producing and airing that interview.
CBC News had no prior knowledge of Amanda Lang writing the editorial for the Globe and Mail in 2013. That matter was dealt with at the time and Amanda recognized that this was a breach of process.
Upon learning of Amanda’s personal relationship with a board member at RBC and the potential conflict that might create, her executive producer put in place appropriate protocols.
On the subject of paid speaking engagements, it is ludicrous to suggest that our journalism can be bought by an event’s sponsor. Many events have multiple sponsors. Does the fact that RBC was one of many sponsors of the Mohawk College President’s dinner to support student bursaries mean we cannot be involved? Should we now stay clear of the Scotiabank Giller awards too? Will we no longer participate in worthy causes like Canadian Journalists For Free Expression because Scotiabank is a major sponsor of its gala? Sponsorship is one of the factors we consider when we approve speaking engagements. It is not the only one. And we publicly disclose everything we do – paid and unpaid.
It is unfortunate that our internal processes are fodder for external debate by people who have their own agendas. If there are any concerns about what we put to air, by all means take them forward and let’s have a robust discussion. Half truths based on anonymous sources is not going to achieve anything constructive.
Jennifer McGuire
General Manager and Editor in Chief,
CBC News and Centres
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