(LifeSiteNews) — The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) announced it will “pause” all activities on its various Twitter accounts on the same day it was slapped with a “69 percent government-funded media” label by Twitter CEO Elon Musk.
The @CBC account afternoon first began to carry the “government-funded media” label right below its logo on Sunday afternoon after many people, including Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) leader Pierre Poilievre, called upon Musk to take such action.
In light of this, the CBC said yesterday that it would “pause” all its “activities on its corporate and news Twitter accounts.
“The pause will also apply to all CBC Sports accounts, entertainment-related accounts — such as for CBC-TV and radio programs — and any regional accounts,” said the CBC.
Later in the day yesterday, after the CBC argued that a portion of its funding was through advertising revenues, Musk took to Twitter to “correct” his initial labelling by tweeting, “Just trying to be accurate. Would they be ok if we said 70% govt funded?”
Just trying to be accurate. Would they be ok if we said 70% govt funded?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 17, 2023
Musk then shortly posted that the CBC’s “concern has been addressed” showing a screenshot with the “70 percent government-funded” label.
However, being cheeky and arguably childish, Musk then decided to change the CBC’s label to “69 percent government-funded,” after Twitter users pointed out that its funding is not quite a full 70 percent.
Good point, generosity is always the right move. 69% it is!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 18, 2023
Canadian Broadcasting Corp said they’re “less than 70% government-funded”, so we corrected the label pic.twitter.com/lU1EWf76Zu
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 18, 2023
Reaction to Musk’s move came swiftly.
“Justin is very mad that @elonmusk labeled CBC ‘government-funded media.’Trudeau gave the Communist Broadcasting Corporation $1.24 billion last year, and $1.39 billion the year before. CBC consistently pushes trans propaganda onto kids,” tweeted Chris Elston, a Canadian father fighting transgender activism in Canada.
Justin is very mad that @elonmusk labeled CBC ‘government-funded media.’
Trudeau gave the Communist Broadcasting Corporation $1.24 billion last year, and $1.39 billion the year before.
CBC consistently pushes trans propaganda onto kids.pic.twitter.com/V9JrEM7JUp
— Billboard Chris 🇨🇦🇺🇸 (@BillboardChris) April 17, 2023
Political analyst for the Western Standard Cory Morgan joked that the CBC was having a “temper tantrum” due to Musk’s actions.
“The CBC is having a temper tantrum & is refusing to tweet since they have been accurately labeled as a government funded outlet. I am sure this will bring @elonmusk to his knees,” tweeted Morgan.
On the same day the CBC was slapped with the “government-funded” label, both Australia’s and New Zealand’s public broadcasters, ABC News and RNZ respectively, also began to carry the label.
The CBC is having a temper tantrum & is refusing to tweet since they have been accurately labeled as a government funded outlet.
I am sure this will bring @elonmusk to his knees
😂😂😂
— Cory Morgan (@CoryBMorgan) April 17, 2023
Twitter users for weeks have been bombarding Musk with requests to label CBC as government-funded, however, its “government-funded” tag is different from the “state-affiliated media” tag put on Russian news outlet RT.
To that effect, LifeSiteNews launched its own petition calling upon Musk to label the CBC as “State-Sponsored Media on Twitter!” This petition as of today has over 3,000 signatures.
Last week, Poilievre wrote a letter to Musk and Twitter that he believed “Twitter should apply the Government-funded Media label to the CBC’s various news-related accounts, including @CBC, @CBCNews and @CBCAlerts.”
CBC claims its journalism is ‘impartial’ – Conservative leader says it is not
In a news report about the government-funded label being added to its main Twitter account, the CBC insisted, “Our journalism is impartial and independent. To suggest otherwise is untrue. That is why we are pausing our activities on @Twitter.”
The CBC’s Editor in chief Brodie Fenlon went on to state that, despite facts showing it gets most of its money from the federal government via taxpayers, “Our journalistic independence is the cornerstone of who we are as a public broadcaster.”
“Suggesting otherwise is inaccurate and untrue,” said the CBC.
Last week, however, Poilievre said that the CBC is “a biased propaganda arm of the Liberal Party and frankly negatively affects all media.”
“We need a neutral and free media, not a propaganda arm for the Liberal Party…When I am Prime Minister we are going to have a free press where everyday Canadians decide what they think rather than having Liberal propaganda jammed down their throats,” he added.
The fact remains that the CBC, per its 2020-2021 annual report, receives about $1.24 billion in public funding every year.
This hefty sum accounts for – as mockingly noted by Musk – roughly 70 percent of its annual operating budget.
Yesterday, Prime Minster Justin Trudeau told reporters that Poilievre and others are trying to “attack a foundational Canadian institution,” and said that “the fact that he has to run to American billionaires for support to attack Canadians says a lot about Mr. Poilievre and his values.”
Jordan Peterson celebrates CBC’s new label
After the CBC was slapped with a “government-funded” label, Canadian best-selling author Jordan Peterson minced no words in celebrating Musk’s handiwork.
“A Twitter triumph for @JustinTrudeau and, indeed, all Canadians! @elonmusk has awarded @cbc the prestigious government-funded media designation! Our humble local broadcaster joins luminaries such as @NPR in receipt of this singular honor. Veritable shades of Pravda!” tweeted Peterson.
A Twitter triumph for @JustinTrudeau and, indeed, all Canadians! @elonmusk has awarded @cbc the prestigious government-funded media designation! Our humble local broadcaster joins luminaries such as @NPR in receipt of this singular honor. Veritable shades of Pravda! pic.twitter.com/zqlLJ17TS0
— Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) April 17, 2023
He then wrote, “Someone has to fight the 1.4 billion per year you pump into your cringing lying woke outdated compassionate-narcissist vassals @CBC @JustinTrudeau.”
Peterson in another tweet suggested that the CBC should “die” of its own “embarrassment.”
DIE at your own hand @CBC you’re an anachronistic audienceless embarrassment emblematic of everything thst has gone wrong with Canada. https://t.co/qfbPNwUndH
— Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) April 17, 2023
Not done yet, Peterson then mocked the CBC for claiming its reporting is “independent” and for “pausing” its tweets.
“No one with an iota of sense believes this. Pause away. You won’t be missed @CBC another step toward your well deserved self-demolition,” tweeted Peterson.
The recent attacks against the CBC come not only from Poilievre, Peterson and other conservatives but from some of their own past employees as well.
Last month, LifeSiteNews reported on former CBC producer Tara Henley, who last year left her job because of the outlet’s “radical political agenda.” Henley said the future of Canadian journalism lies with independent media outlets that don’t have a liberal bias.
In February, LifeSiteNews also reported on how the CBC will be joining a global “Public Spaces Incubator” initiative to combat online “misinformation,” despite recently coming under fire from its ombudsman for violating its own ethics code.
The most recent example came last month when it was reported that CBC ombudsman Jack Nagler said the network violated its own ethics code in 2021 in a piece falsely alleging the nation’s Catholic bishops were not coming through on a promise to raise money for an “Indigenous Reconciliation Fund.”
CBC viewership ratings have been steadily declining for years, with some estimates from 2021 putting the average national viewership rate at less than 3.9% of the Canadian market.