Chris Selley wonders why anyone outside the Ottawa media bubble would care about the Sun Media (or as Paul Wells usually spells it in his tweets, “Sun Meida”) faking the citizenship ceremony for a TV broadcast:
“Let’s do it. We can fake the Oath.” That is the universally accepted money quote, courtesy of a Sun News producer, to come out of this week’s fracas involving the fledgling cable news network, the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration and a citizenship ceremony that wasn’t quite what it seemed. On Oct. 19, during Citizenship Week, Sun viewers were told they were watching 10 people become Canadian citizens. Instead they were watching 10 citizens, six of whom were federal bureaucrats, reaffirm their Canadian citizenship.
“Congratulations to all of the new Canadians here,” co-host Alex Pierson gushed. “Ten of you here at Sun News Network, finally Canadian citizens!”
“Fake the Oath” certainly has the ring of legend. I think it could be to the Canadian media what “jump the shark” is to situation comedy. An example: “Oh for God’s sake, [insert media outlet], a talking dog on YouTube is news now? You guys have finally faked the Oath!”
But having gone through the documents behind this story, which were obtained by Canadian Press through Access to Information, I’m struggling to understand the amount of coverage this story got. Well, OK, I sort of understand it: Pointing and laughing at Sun Media is a national pastime among journalists and liberals these days. What I can’t figure out is how this matters.
Interesting story… but I have not found the source of “Fake the oath” other than a “Sun News staffer”, not producer. The name was blanked out, or at least that is what I can find of the story. Sounds like someone with bad judgement to me, about as bad as the judgement as the CBC buying French porn I would say. 🙂
Comment by Dwayne — February 4, 2012 @ 23:07
Oh, but we infidels in the R.O.C. have no right, that’s no right to pass judgement on what French-language stations show to their viewers. That’d be cultural imperialism, don’tcha know?
I did enjoy the spectacle of CBC employees trying to make a big deal about the use of paid public servants as props for a private TV network show. As if we don’t spend enough and more than enough money on the CBC itself. If the CBC thinks we the taxpayers deserve to be re-imbursed for the time of those civil servants, can we also get a rebate for the money the CBC spends?
Didn’t think so.
Comment by Nicholas — February 5, 2012 @ 01:05