CBC: Bias and secrecy

**Locutus** · 04-01-2011, 05:12 PM

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is not behaving like an independent media company in this election campaign.

They're not even acting like a left-wing state broadcaster anymore.

No: They are looking like a partisan advocacy group, determined to shape the outcome of the election campaign, not just report it.

That is unacceptable.

The CBC has sponsored a website they claim will tell you what party you best fit into. On Wednesday night, the CBC's Peter Mansbridge went further, telling viewers the website is how to "find out where you stand" in the election.

So now the CBC is in the business of telling Canadians what party they stand for. Thanks, but that's called campaigning, not reporting.

The CBC scheme uses a website, Vote Compass that asks questions about your views, and then a magic formula pigeonholes you into a party.

And -- surprise, surprise -- the Liberal Party is the default setting if you are at all wishy-washy about anything. So, Vote Compass helps you out.

By telling you to vote Liberal.

Not exactly shocking, coming from the CBC that gorges on a billion tax dollars a year.

more...

CBC: Bias and secrecy | Ezra Levant | Columnists | Comment | Toronto Sun

Attaboy Ezra.

**dazed&confused** · 04-01-2011, 06:29 PM

The compass isnt telling you to vote any party. All it does is come up which party most closely indentifies with your answers.If your being wishy washy with no opinion or neither agree or disagree of course your going to come up in the center. Which party is most closely identified with the center, I would say the Big Red Tent. Ìf you strongly agree on right wing social, political & economic issues you`ll end up in the right lower quadrant more closely identifying with the Big Blue Machine. Everything is on site to check your answer vs party position. So if you agree where the compass puts the party position, I suppose bias is in the eye of the beholder so I would think its all individual reaction. If compass has misapplied party positions then all bets are off.

**Locutus** · 04-01-2011, 07:08 PM

The libs aren't all center nor are the cons all far right. It's a garbage tool for those with no clue, easily swayed or simply naive.

It's bogus and intended to fill the koolaid cups is all.

Prof. Kathy Brock said she has completed the quiz numerous times with varying strategies, and on each account earned a Liberal result. Over the course of five attempts, Prof. Brock first answered all 30 statements with “somewhat agree,” then with “somewhat disagree,” then with “strongly agree,” then with “strongly disagree,” and finally, she responded with the neutral response of “neither agree nor disagree.”

For the final portion of the quiz, where users rank leaders based on competence and trustworthiness, Prof. Brock said she consistently answered with “I don’t know.”

“Each time, I came up in the centre, so I would be labelled a Liberal,” she said, adding that she does not believe the alleged bias is intentional. “There’s a problem with having only the Liberals in the centre, because I don’t think that’s a fair representation of how the parties are putting together their platforms for this campaign, or even generally.”

CBC’s Vote Compass accused of bias | Posted | National Post

**Mark** · 04-01-2011, 07:08 PM

Actually the science behind it is rather skewed, but the reason conservatives are not scoring as conservatives is due the perception that Canadian Conservatives are representative of American Conservatism.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Canadian conservatives or more representative of American Democrats, which reflects in this compass study. The skewing is in the questions and the assumption that social and environmental issues do not matter to conservatives. Most conservatives I know are socially aware and do care about the environment. As for climate change? Well, the devil is in the details, but they are not the "frothing at the mouth Neocons" they are portrayed as by their adversarial opposites.

**dazed&confused** · 04-02-2011, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by Locutus

The libs aren't all center nor are the cons all far right. It's a garbage tool for those with no clue, easily swayed or simply naive.

It's bogus and intended to fill the koolaid cups is all.

Prof. Kathy Brock said she has completed the quiz numerous times with varying strategies, and on each account earned a Liberal result. Over the course of five attempts, Prof. Brock first answered all 30 statements with “somewhat agree,” then with “somewhat disagree,” then with “strongly agree,” then with “strongly disagree,” and finally, she responded with the neutral response of “neither agree nor disagree.”

For the final portion of the quiz, where users rank leaders based on competence and trustworthiness, Prof. Brock said she consistently answered with “I don’t know.”

“Each time, I came up in the centre, so I would be labelled a Liberal,” she said, adding that she does not believe the alleged bias is intentional. “There’s a problem with having only the Liberals in the centre, because I don’t think that’s a fair representation of how the parties are putting together their platforms for this campaign, or even generally.”

CBC’s Vote Compass accused of bias | Posted | National Post

Bullsh*t. I've massaged the the compass to give me whatever outcome I want to come out. You answer all 30 questions one way and of course your going come out in the bullseye. And Mark is right it doesn't take "Cdn Conservative" position into account. That is why I noted originally if the compass misapplies party position all bets are off.

**Mark** · 04-02-2011, 11:24 AM

Originally Posted by dazed&confused

Bullsh*t. I've massaged the the compass to give me whatever outcome I want to come out. You answer all 30 questions one way and of course your going come out in the bullseye. And Mark is right it doesn't take "Cdn Conservative" position into account. That is why I noted originally if the compass misapplies party position all bets are off.

Ah, but Locutus is not wrong about the bias of the Compass survey, because it considers conservatives in a manner that is unfair and partisan. If you listen to the rhetoric from opposing sides of conservative ideology there has been an ongoing effort to portray Cdn Conservatives in this manner for political gain. So this leads me to believe one of two theories.

Either the CBC is in that camp and shilling for the Liberals by offering up a skewed survey based on their own agenda.

Or they are a group of elitists who believe that Canada is predominantly Liberal and the Natural Governing Party is Liberal.

As my Science teacher Mr. Henry used to say. "Garbage in garbage out."

**Locutus** · 04-02-2011, 11:38 AM

Natural governing party.

What a crock of shit.

**triedit** · 04-02-2011, 02:01 PM

I took the quiz and came out liberal. TOO FUNNY! When I looked at the actual data results, mine scored in the lower left quad, in which there is no party affiliation. And there is a DISTINCT difference in US libralism and CN liberalism (and conservativism, as Mark pointed out)

Im considered a US liberal and a Canadian middle, leaning conservative. I generally relate to some part of each party, even the greens. Ok not the Bloc. I openly admit to abhoring the politics of Quebec and think they need to be spanked and brought into line with the rest of Canada. If I had to pick a party line to tow, I'd be lost, although I generally like the Ndp

As for the CBC--the idea that it is a nonbiased party in ANYTHING is a joke. They could definitely learn a lot from PBS. But then, PBS is developed for the general public. CBC is developed for the Canadian media.

PS If Canada can take a little longer before shitting itself governmentally after this May election I MAY be able to vote in the next one...