Radio-Canada Fans the Flames of Language Hysteria

The Journal de Montreal, the French language newspaper, will certainly never be compared to the New York Times. In fact, it's more like the New York Post, a sensationalist rag that plays to the lunch pail crowd. There's nothing wrong with that, I don't want to be accused of snobbism, my point being that journalistic integrity is not high on the list and catchy headlines are more important than the stories behind them.

While on the subject of the New York Post, I cannot resist adding a picture of my very favourite trash headlines here, highlighted by perhaps the greatest and most notorious headline ever written.
"Headless Body in a Topless Bar." PRICELESS!
Let's be honest, who could resist buying a copy of that newspaper?

And so the headline on this particular issue of the Journal de Montreal pictured below, is in the best tradition of this type of attention grabbing reporting.

Last year, the newspaper did an 'investigative' article decrying the fact that in downtown Montreal the percentage of clerks unable to speak French was alarmingly high.

Of course the journalistic portion of the story left a lot to be desired since it was painfully short on details and never quite explained its methodology.

In this type of reporting the facts are never the most important element, but hey, we expect that when we buy these type of newspapers.
A Quebec humorist INFOMAN did an excellent and hilarious send-up of the newspaper and the story. Watch it here. (with English subs)
 
Radio-Canada, on the other hand, is not anything like the Journal de Montreal. Supposedly it strives for journalistic excellence.

The French version of the CBC, is the dominant television choice for French Canadians.

As such it has a bigger per capita annual budget (about twice as large as that of its English counterpart, the CBC) and has a much bigger relative viewership than the CBC. It  plays a greater role in influencing opinion in French Canada than any other media source.

And so, it's a bit ironic that of all the big media organizations in Canada, this federally funded institution is the most virulently sovereignist and nationalistic.

In spite of that, I still expect a certain  level of journalistic excellence, especially on its nightly national newscast.
Unfortunately, last week, the broadcaster chose to go down the Yellow Journalism path,  by doing an exact rip-off of the Journal de Montreal story, this time in Anglophone districts of the city.
A reporter was sent to different stores where he encountered immigrants with difficulty speaking French.

Now throughout the story the reporter reminded us that these scenes were completely atypical and that good service in French, in Anglo districts is the norm, not the exception.

If that was true, what was the point of the story, other than to enrage French language hawks?

 

I've added subtitles to the piece, which is only about two minute long. 

As the old saying goes, one picture is worth a thousand words. The sight of immigrant after immigrant unable to speak French fans leaves the impression that this situation is the norm. Reminding viewers in a voice-over that this is not the case is a device worthy of a cheap defence lawyer.

Why? Why?
Why run a story depicting immigrants unable to serve customers and then tell the audience that it's a rare exception, unless it is meant to pump up the volume in relation to language hysteria?

While it may be acceptable reporting for the Journal de Montreal, it's shameful for a serious national news organization.

By the way. Did you notice that not one Anglo could be found who didn't speak French?

Nary a soul!.....Now that speaks volumes!

I'm curious to know how many stores they visited to come up with this atrocious piece of journalism.

This whole report was a manufactured piece of crap.

Shame on Radio-Canada.