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The Canadian mainstream media particularly CBC have become cesspools of corruption and bias operating as little more than mouthpieces for the Liberal government while leeching off taxpayer dollars to the tune of billions over the past decade. CBC the publicly funded broadcaster has gorged itself on $1.4 billion in 2024 alone with a $42 million top up from the Trudeau government despite its funding dropping in real terms due to inflation since 2014. This cash cow which should serve the public instead churns out Liberal friendly narratives downplaying scandals and framing opposition parties like the Conservatives as villains. CTV owned by Bell Media might not get direct handouts but it slurps up $40 million a year in regulatory relief plus tax credits covering 35% of journalist salaries up to $85000 each not to mention millions in COVID era emergency funds. These outlets have betrayed their role as watchdogs choosing instead to cozy up to power and shield politicians bureaucrats and law enforcement from scrutiny enabling a culture of corruption that festers unchecked.
The public’s trust in these media giants is crumbling and rightly so. A 2024 survey from the Reuters Institute pegged CBC’s trustworthiness at a measly 63% down from 71% in 2020 while CTV barely scrapes by at 62%. Canadians are waking up to the reality that these outlets aren’t reporting the truth but peddling government approved stories. CBC has been caught red handed soft pedaling Liberal policies and ignoring their missteps with critics like Dr Ravinder Tulsiani pointing out in a scathing October 2024 Medium article how it paints the Liberal NDP alliance as heroic while dismissing Conservative efforts as chaos. CTV’s no better stumbling into infamy in September 2024 when it doctored a clip of Pierre Poilievre prompting the firing of two staffers for what they called an editorial breach but what the public saw as blatant manipulation to favor Liberal talking points. These aren’t isolated slip ups they’re symptoms of a rotten system where taxpayer money buys loyalty not accountability.
The corruption runs deeper than biased reporting. CBC’s $1.4 billion budget is a direct pipeline from taxpayers to a broadcaster that seems more interested in serving the Liberal elite than exposing their failures. Over the past ten years CBC’s funding has hovered around $1.3 to $1.4 billion annually with reinvestments like $150 million a year starting in 2016 yet it’s failed to deliver impartial journalism. Instead it’s accused of whitewashing Liberal scandals and asking softball questions as noted in a scathing Conservapedia piece from 2023 that claimed CTV and others took $660 million in government funds to cover for Trudeau. While that figure’s contentious the sentiment resonates on platforms like X where users like tomazzz1 in July 2025 branded both outlets as Liberal bought propagandists. CTV’s indirect subsidies through tax credits and the Canada Media Fund only deepen the rot tying private media to government purse strings and eroding any pretense of independence.
These outlets’ failure to hold power to account is a betrayal of democracy itself. CBC’s own ombudsman might handle complaints but it’s a toothless gesture when the broadcaster’s funding depends on pleasing the government. CTV’s complaints go through the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council but incidents like the Poilievre clip show how little they care about getting it right. Both have been criticized for ignoring bureaucratic overreach and law enforcement abuses with CBC cutting local news during key events as the Canadian Media Guild noted weakening its ability to expose regional corruption. The public’s outrage is palpable a 2024 Hub poll found just 12% of Canadians trust mainstream news to tell the truth while 70% oppose government subsidies for private media like CTV. This distrust isn’t abstract it’s fueled by years of watching these outlets prioritize Liberal narratives over hard hitting journalism letting corruption flourish under their watch.
The hypocrisy is staggering. CBC and CTV position themselves as pillars of Canadian journalism yet their actions scream complicity. CBC’s Power and Politics and CTV’s Power Play might toss out the occasional tough question but it’s all theater when the broader pattern shows deference to the Liberal government. The $1.4 billion poured into CBC in 2024 alone could fund hospitals or schools but instead it props up a biased behemoth that fails to challenge Trudeau’s missteps. CTV’s $40 million in regulatory relief and millions more in tax credits are just as grotesque rewarding a network that manipulates footage and dodges accountability. These outlets aren’t just failing to hold politicians bureaucrats and law enforcement accountable they’re enabling corruption by providing cover with taxpayer money. Canadians deserve better than media that trades integrity for government handouts leaving democracy weaker and corruption unchecked.
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