CBC Ombudsman Jack Nagler said uncorroborated childhood memories cannot be treated as facts, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. The advisory followed complaints a Manitoba town was depicted as cruel and bigoted in a Truth and Reconciliation Day story. CBC Winnipeg published an online story in 2022 alleging crimes against indigenous children who attended the public school in the 1970s in Rossburn, MB. The story by CBC Winnipeg reporter Joanne Roberts quoted five former students claiming they were beaten, molested and kept in freezing trailers at Rossburn Elementary School (RES). The former students sought an apology and compensation. “I understand why the reporter and editors would see this as an important issue to explore, but with little to no documentation, it would not be easy to corroborate the memories of the students,” said Nagler in an advisory. While the story was published, Nagler said it “was not the first time, nor will it be the last time, that a reporter would face the dilemma of how to handle allegations that can’t be fully verified.”Nagler acknowledged Roberts “made reasonable efforts to corroborate the facts and nobody who agreed to speak to the CBC would refute the veracity of the allegations.” “To report the story responsibly though required the CBC to be as explicit as possible that these were allegations, not indisputable facts,” he said. “As well, it was important to signal what the reporter knew and what she didn’t.”Rossburn residents who knew RES and former teachers disputed the accounts. One Rossburn resident called this “a serious slight on our community and on our former staff.”“It is not fair that this article was printed without making sure it was factual,” said the resident. Another resident said articles such as this can be printed, but rebuttals and the truth might not be. “Even the small town newspapers are afraid of the repercussions for simply printing the truth,” said the resident. CBC Manitoba managing editor Melanie Verhaeghe agreed the story was more ambiguous than stated. “I believe our article could have been clearer about the extent to which we were relying on the perceptions of children 45 years later,” said Verhaeghe.
CBC Ombudsman Jack Nagler said uncorroborated childhood memories cannot be treated as facts, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. The advisory followed complaints a Manitoba town was depicted as cruel and bigoted in a Truth and Reconciliation Day story. CBC Winnipeg published an online story in 2022 alleging crimes against indigenous children who attended the public school in the 1970s in Rossburn, MB. The story by CBC Winnipeg reporter Joanne Roberts quoted five former students claiming they were beaten, molested and kept in freezing trailers at Rossburn Elementary School (RES). The former students sought an apology and compensation. “I understand why the reporter and editors would see this as an important issue to explore, but with little to no documentation, it would not be easy to corroborate the memories of the students,” said Nagler in an advisory. While the story was published, Nagler said it “was not the first time, nor will it be the last time, that a reporter would face the dilemma of how to handle allegations that can’t be fully verified.”Nagler acknowledged Roberts “made reasonable efforts to corroborate the facts and nobody who agreed to speak to the CBC would refute the veracity of the allegations.” “To report the story responsibly though required the CBC to be as explicit as possible that these were allegations, not indisputable facts,” he said. “As well, it was important to signal what the reporter knew and what she didn’t.”Rossburn residents who knew RES and former teachers disputed the accounts. One Rossburn resident called this “a serious slight on our community and on our former staff.”“It is not fair that this article was printed without making sure it was factual,” said the resident. Another resident said articles such as this can be printed, but rebuttals and the truth might not be. “Even the small town newspapers are afraid of the repercussions for simply printing the truth,” said the resident. CBC Manitoba managing editor Melanie Verhaeghe agreed the story was more ambiguous than stated. “I believe our article could have been clearer about the extent to which we were relying on the perceptions of children 45 years later,” said Verhaeghe.
