Even though the CBC is committed to transparency, it does not keep a record of corrections made to its news stories..A CBC News statement said they only acknowledge corrections considered “notable,” according to a new policy started in 2021..“The CBC News department does not maintain records,” the network said. .“Corrections do appear on air or online in real-time, with the most notable being listed.”.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the network in 2021 announced it would, for the first time, publish “significant corrections or clarifications” for transparency. .Asked through Access to Information how many requested corrections it received monthly and how many times its stories were rewritten, the Crown broadcaster replied “No records were found.”.In 2021, the organization admitted to 36 corrections, and in 2022, it recognized 35 corrections. So far this year, they've acknowledged 19 corrections..“CBC News is committed to transparency and accountability to our audience whenever we make an error or need to clarify a story,” management said in a statement..The CBC runs 27 TV stations and 88 radio stations across the country. The federal government spends $1.3 billion every year on the CBC..“As Canada’s national public broadcaster, we take very seriously our obligation to be transparent and accountable to Canadians,” said its last Annual Report to Parliament..CBC corrections acknowledged to date include a false story that staff to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith emailed Crown prosecutors with instructions on managing Freedom Convoy protesters, “a series of factual errors” about a natural gas plant, misleading video of a crocodile purportedly eating an illegal immigrant, misstatements on the inflation rate and misleading data on the number of pandemic deaths and hospitalizations..“If there is one thing we have learned in the last year, it’s that independent and trustworthy news and information are vital to a healthy democracy,” wrote Michael Goldbloom, chair of the CBC board. .“Around the world, public media helps blunt the edge of false and misleading information.”.In her last appearance at parliamentary hearings, Network CEO Catherine Tait described the CBC as a “beacon for truth” in a sea of bad reporting..“How do we protect and defend our citizenry from this unbelievable tsunami of disinformation?” Tait asked a 2019 hearing of the Commons Heritage committee. .“In a sense, we become a beacon for truth.”.“We need the public to feel safe, that we are a beacon for that truth,” said Tait. .“We may make mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes. But the journalistic standards and practices state very clearly, we measure. We research. We’re transparent.”
