The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) announced its withdrawal from Twitter after its account was labeled as “government-funded media,” which it deemed “unfair and casts doubt on its neutrality.” This move follows the withdrawal of the U.S. National Public Radio (NPR) from Twitter for the same reason, and the successful reclassification of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) from “government-funded” to “publicly funded.”
The CBC and Radio-Canada, its French-language counterpart, stated that Twitter added the label “government-funded media” to their accounts, describing this treatment as akin to how media outlets in authoritarian countries like Russia or China are treated. The Canadian agency noted that while Twitter could be a powerful tool for its journalists to connect with Canadians, it undermines the accuracy and professionalism of their work by allowing their independence to be misrepresented in this way. Therefore, they will temporarily cease their activity on their company Twitter account and all CBC and Radio-Canada news accounts.
Canadian opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, who has been openly critical of the CBC and its funding methods, had written to Elon Musk last week urging him to classify it as “government-funded media” on Twitter. Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized his opponent for attacking this Canadian institution and the local culture and content that are very important to many Canadians. Since Musk acquired Twitter, the company has loosened its content restrictions, allowing the return of previously banned users who were accused of inciting hatred and spreading misinformation.
