CBC's Mansbridge takes on Globe's Doyle

And, further to this post of Damian's, insidethecbc.com reports Peter's retort.

Over the past five years, CBC News has spent considerable time and resources covering Canada’s armed involvement in Afghanistan. Not only is Afghanistan this country’s most challenging military operation in a half century, it is a crucial public policy issue that engages and concerns most Canadians...

Yesterday, The Globe’s TV columnist John Doyle, writing from the vantage point of what he calls his “TV Cranny,” found this effort positively “creepy.” He took particular exception with Monday’s special “On the Road” broadcast of The National from Edmonton, which looked at how families of those serving in Kandahar, or soon to go, are coping (rather well) and are helping support one another through the long separation.

Doyle found this somehow a lapse in journalistic responsibility. He wrote: “Of course, any thinking, feeling person can grasp the difficulties facing families with a member serving in Afghanistan. It’s tough and emotionally wrenching. But we don’t need to be hit over the head with the message. Besides, the population is not united in support of our current role in Afghanistan.”

Indeed, the public is not united over this role - as the CBC has clearly reported. In a poll this autumn, we showed that the Canadian public was split 52-48 per cent in favour. We also reported that 58 per cent did not believe the mission would succeed.

The very same poll, however, showed the overwhelming majority of Canadians, whatever their views of about the Afghan mission, thought very highly of the military (73 per cent). So we don’t feel an obligation to act as if soldiers and their families should somehow remain an overlooked minority of no account, mere shadows in the corner of the holiday season.

We have no apologies to make...

What is particularly offensive about Doyle’s column is his charge that CBC’s actions “give the appearance of an obedient press corps, placating the government.” What absolute nonsense...

Brooks' Update: With apologies to Mark for jumping into his post, I really needed to make note of Blatchford's reply to Doyle somewhere, and this seemed most appropriate. As usual, Christie shines:

In my bones, I suspect that when some people criticize the Afghanistan mission, what they are actually uneasy about is the military, and soldiers, and particularly, given the combat focus of the Canadian efforts here, soldiers who actually are shot at and shoot.
...
It is no accident that the single most common observation I have heard first-time reporters, arriving to Kandahar, make after a few days is how bright and articulate the young troops are. It is usually said with considerable surprise. I think it mirrors some of the preconceived notions influential Canadians in the Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal pointy-head corridor hold about their soldiers.
...
Even if The National gave too much time to soldiers this one night, who more richly deserves the country's attention and air time? I'd rather watch 100 hours about those who would lay down their lives for their brothers, than see one more minute about those who debate the merits of sacrifice from the hothouses of Ottawa and Toronto.