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Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan
That's fair. And FWIW I don't get much of a chance to see CBC down here, but my opinion is that a public network should be held to an even higher standard of neutrality than a network like Fox. If they're failing in that, then they're failing at the basic rationale for their existence, which is an even-handed and neutral news and cultural source for Canadians. I happen to think it's an important mission, but I do sometimes wonder if a funding model like NPR's in the U.S. would work better for the CBC. Just thinking out loud.
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Here's the thing...
Even a neutral positioned media can seem biased when the perspective it is being judged from is from far to one side.
Most people like to think that they are balanced and neutral to a degree, but what "neutral" means changes in different populations. In Alberta, where there is a cultural tendency towards conservatism, a "neutral" position isn't likely to be accepted without some resistance. Vice versa for a liberal province like Quebec.
As a whole, the country tends to be more liberal than Alberta and more conservative than Quebec, which is probably why CBCs middle position always seems to irritate the majority in both those provinces.
I guess the point is that it's all about perspective. Neutrality is defined by the range of opinions in a population. That means that in a Canada, the middle ground might be different than in the States.
One thing about CBC though is that they know where they get their funding. Since Harper has been PM, they have been a lot more friendly to both sides. If the Conservatives win a majority, then I suspect the swing will be even more obvious.