Legacy media fumes over independent media’s questions to federal leaders

Legacy media pundits and reporters took to social media to express dismay that a wide range of independent journalists were permitted to ask questions at the French-language federal leaders debate.

Source: True North

Legacy media pundits and reporters took to social media to express dismay that a wide range of independent journalists were permitted to ask questions at the French-language federal leaders debate.

In articles published after the debate, some outlets accused independent media of “dominating” the press conferences.

“Right-wing media including Rebel News dominate post-debate news conferences,” wrote CBC News.

The Montreal Gazette seemed perturbed by the fact that alternative voices in the Canadian media landscape “managed” to ask elected officials questions.

“Rebel News, other right-wing media dominate press conferences after French debate,” reads the gazette’s headline.

“Right-wing media outlets stacked the long lines and managed to get in questions to each of the leaders,” it continued.

The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, CTV News and CP24 all published the Canadian Press’ syndicated article, which again used the word “dominate” to describe the presence of independent media.

Echoing familiar messaging, a CBC panelist said the post-debate scrums “were dominated by right-wing media groups who flooded leaders with questions on topics unrelated to the debate.”

CBC News wanted to clarify to readers in an article Thursday that while they hosted the debate, “the public broadcaster had no part in organizing the Q&A sessions that followed.”

CBC News journalist Rosemary Barton would not acknowledge True North, despite it receiving media accreditation from the government.

Instead, Barton referred to it as a “very right-wing website.”

“There have been issues in the past with who gets allowed into these scrums and who’s allowed to ask questions of the leaders,” said Barton. “The debates commission is the one who decided that these people were allowed to come in to ask these kinds of questions.”

Globe and Mail columnist Andrew Coyne lamented that True North and Rebel News were allowed to ask questions alongside state media like CBC and Global News.

“Rebel/True North got as many questions as CBC, Global, Radio-Canada and Presse Canadienne combined,” wrote Coyne in a post to X.

TikToker and former fact-checker Rachel Gilmore said, “Literally like half of the questions are going to grifter outlets who are using it as an opportunity to spew absolute bullshit under the guise of asking questions or….they’re just straight up asking about themselves”

The Green party also expressed dismay for the presence of independent media after they were removed from the debate for pulling candidates from ridings where the Conservatives are predicted to win.

“Why is the Green Party being silenced by the Debate Commission while Rebel News and True North get press credentials? Something doesn’t add up,” they said in a post to X.