On enablers

The most significant issue arising out of the latest Con detainee scandal may be the Harper government's continued refusal to allow anybody in its inner circle to bear responsibility for misleading the Canadian public. But another facet to the story - being the media's reaction to obvious Con falsehoods - doesn't seem to have received the attention it deserves.

Indeed, contrary to what Greg posted yesterday, it seems to me that the Cons did indeed get a free pass initially: not because a significant portion of Canada's media didn't see through Buckler's falsehoods, but because it declined or refused to report on the inaccuracy.

Here's what the Globe had to say in yesterday's followup article:

Ms. Buckler was quoted in news reports this week saying the military had kept the government in the dark about a halt in the transfer of prisoners to Afghan jails last November.

The transfers were halted amid mounting evidence of abuse by Afghan officials, which would place the Afghans and the Canadians who turned them over in possible violation of the Geneva conventions against torture.

When asked why the government withheld information from the public, from Parliament, and from the blue-ribbon panel hired to chart Canada's future policy in Afghanistan, Ms. Buckler said the Canadian Forces had kept it secret.

Ms. Buckler's statement provoked outrage within her own government and particularly infuriated military officials.

Some news organizations gave little prominence to her remarks because they simply assumed them to be untrue. But at least one newspaper — the Globe and Mail — quoted her in a front-page news story.

Now, the Globe itself may not have included quite as much scrutiny as would have been ideal when it reported Buckler's comments. But at least it served to keep the issue alive, and allowed for some sorely-needed corrections from other parties.

In contrast, consider what the other news organizations mentioned in the Globe's article seem to have done. Having heard an inflammatory and inaccurate comment from the federal government's official spokesperson on a major national policy issue, it looks like several major sources of Canadian news decided that the best course of action was to look the other way. On a quick review, plenty of articles from the middle of last week included Buckler's comments at best as a throwaway conclusion to what was reported. And none even hint at any conclusion that what Buckler said was untrue.

Fortunately, in this case one media organization did put enough emphasis on Buckler's comment for the truth to emerge. But there's plenty of reason for concern if any substantial amount of the Canadian media is actually so cowed by the Harper government that it doesn't consider Con lies to be worth reporting.