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TOD’S RANT
The News is Not Neutral.
And That’s Okay.

Face it:

• The CBC and NPR are both dangerous extreme left-wing woke networks run by a secret cabal of granola-eating, kombucha-brewing, climate-conscious drama majors who cry during Heritage Minutes. 

• Fox News is a far-right fever dream wrapped in a bald eagle onesie, riding a mobility scooter through a Walmart shouting about gas stoves, while waving a Bible in one hand, an assault rifle in the other, and somehow still finding a way to blame drag queens for the price of eggs.

Left and right.
Black and white.
Wrong and right. 

Things are so polarized right now. 

But can we please stop pretending there’s such a thing as a “neutral” media? That magical place where journalists float above the fray like the clouds above the Friendly Giant’s castle, reporting facts without bias, without baggage, without ever having read a book, met a person, or lived a single day in the real world?

That place does not exist. 

Uncoated Reality

When I worked at CBC, I used to explain it this way: There is no spray machine at the front door. We don’t get our past history sprayed off us every morning when we enter the building.

There’s no coating they apply which makes us forget about our own lives and the tiny injustices we think about every day. Injustices that shape our take on our nation, and, yes, its politics.

Ink and Imperfection

Journalists are people. People have opinions. They also have childhoods, rent to pay, exes they avoid at the grocery store, and a deep, abiding hatred for whoever ate their lunch out of the office fridge. See? They’re just like you, only they think a wrinkled blazer counts as formalwear.

Most work hard to make sure they’re being fair, and they do this work because they believe in the importance of informing the public. (They don’t do it for the money, that I can assure you.)

They’re human. Not robots. And in a world where AI is creating more of what we consume than any of us realize, we should be grateful for their humanity. For their service.

Your Bias is Showing

Every day on the various social platforms, people scream that the CBC or NPR is a Liberal mouthpiece or that the National Post or Fox News is a Conservative rag, when what they’re really doing is confessing their own bias. Because if the news doesn’t mirror their worldview perfectly, it must be corrupt, right?

The centre, apparently, is just wherever they stand. Which means everyone else is either a socialist or a fascist, and they’re the only one clinging to the last shred of rationality like it’s a butter tart at a Prairie potluck. 

Balance isn’t about pretending both sides are equal. Fairness doesn’t mean giving airtime to every crank with a Zoom account and a conspiracy theory. It means working to represent reality as best as possible, with transparency, context, and a decent spell-check.

Dangerous Assumptions

What’s dangerous isn’t that journalists have opinions. What’s dangerous is pretending they don’t—and then turning around and only watching the outlet that coddles yours. That’s not being informed, that’s curating your own little bubble and calling it reality. 

Also, grunting that journalists are biased because they’re journalists just… makes you look dumb. Like, we covered this shit in grade 6 social studies.

Why So Mad, Bro?

What we should asking these guys the next time they complain about media bias, is: “Which media? Which story? And why are you mad? Is it because it’s untrue—or because it made you uncomfortable?”

If you only want journalism to confirm what you already believe, you don’t want journalism. You want a mirror.

So beware the political candidates and party leaders, that keep screaming “bias!” every time they don’t like what they hear. These people are either incapable of understanding nuance and complexity, or worse, unwilling to. In their world, there is only right or wrong. Left or right. Black or white.

I’m sure that’s a simpler place to live.

It’s not how a real country works. Those who don’t understand that basic fact are not people you should trust with governing.

The media isn’t your enemy just because it doesn’t cheer for your team. So put down the pitchfork and let journalists do their job—bias, humanity, flaws and all.

Because if we don’t, if we keep demonizing people whose job it is to keep us informed and safe, then all we’ll be left with is your uncle’s Facebook page—and God help us all if that becomes the national record of truth.

First, the Good News 🙂

• Chill TV, Thanks to Moose

  Swedish TV is capturing the annual moose migration, drawing millions of viewers. Fans stock up on coffee and food for a non-stop, 20-day livestream. The show’s chill vibe lets people relax while watching moose wander. Literally, that’s it. Sounds great, tbh. more

• Bookstore Chain

  A beloved Michigan bookstore received an outpouring of community support on moving day. With a human chain formed by 300 volunteers, all 9,100 books were passed hand-to-hand from the old location to the new one—just 350 feet away—and set up in alphabetical order in only two hours. more

• Bag Couture

  A dream sparked a unique fashion twist when Chase Meechance from Saskatchewan envisioned a powwow with ribbon shirts made of Walmart shopping bags. His uncle transformed that vision into reality by crafting a shirt in under five hours.more

Want to Live in a Castle? 🏰

• I Mean, That’s Not a Bad Price…

  A secluded castle in a forest paradise near Christina Lake in West Kootenay is listed for $1.5M, far below Vancouver's detached home price of over $2 million. The property features a three-bedroom tower home with distinctive stained-glass windows and sustainable, self-sufficient amenities set on almost 22 acres. more

Trade War: FAFO Edition 🥊

• Thanks, But We’ll Stay Here

  Major U.S. regions are begging Canadians to return to their areas. Palm Springs hung red banners with a Canadian flag (300,000 yearly Canadian visitors whose spending supports about 2,000 local jobs). The California governor also bought ads all over social media. Travel from Canada to the U.S. is way, way down. Fewer flights and tougher US rules are hurting the tourism vibe. more

Science News You Missed 🧪

• High Schoolers Create Cancer Diagnostic Tool

  A team of high schoolers have developed a smartphone app that uses photos to detect oral cancer with an 82% success rate. The free tool costs just 50 cents per scan in computing time and is ready in 15 seconds, aims to boost early detection, especially in underserved areas. more

• Canadian Find New Dinosaur

  Scientists uncovered fossil footprints in B.C. and Alberta from Ruopodosaurus clava, a newly identified club-tailed ankylosaur. The tracks, featuring three-toed prints and distinctive hand imprints, indicate these armoured dinosaurs likely moved in groups. more

Recalled Products 🔄

• Some acetaminophen and melatonin tablets are being recalled in Canada due to labelling errors. more

• Health Canada issued a recall for some products sold by Raid, a popular brand of bug spray. more

• And it’s not quite a recall, but maybe check your chicken for amphetamines?

The Dystopian Hellscape 🔥

• Press Button to Cross

  Crosswalk buttons across Silicon Valley were hacked this week to play satirical voice messages mimicking U.S. billionaires. (See quote, below.) City officials disabled the voice feature until they could figure out how they were hacked. more

• Or, You Know, Just Call?

  Too busy to call your mom? Let an AI bot do it. A startup called inTouch offers an automaton to call your elderly relatives, checking in on them when you’re “busy.” The service uses AI-generated voices to chat about daily topics and sends summaries to caregivers. more

• Learning How to Sleep?

  An American high school has introduced a course on sleep training for teens, addressing how most youngsters are sleep deprived and its impact on mental health and school performance. more

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