Because this is sometimes a media criticism blog, I want to once again return to the issue of how stories are being framed. The shooting in Minnesota has been of particular interest in the last couple of days, and so many outlets are framing it using the lies from the Trump administration. For most of the day, CBC had on their website a headline to the effect of “Shooting victim ‘weaponized’ vehicle: Federal officials” which frames it with the lie as being the “official” version of the facts, leaving people who only read the headline to conclude that was what happened. (I don’t have exact wording as the headline changed when the story got updated later in the day).

Because CBC will always egregiously both-sides everything in order to avoid being called biased, even though they're still going to be called biased anyway.

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-01-08T16:27:29.959Z

This is both-sidesing at its most egregious, not only because it is not actively calling out what is a clear lie by the administration, but because it is giving preferential treatment to the lie over the version of events that we could all see on the various videos of the incident. This is the kind of behaviour that let parties and political actors realize that they can lie with impunity—because they won’t be called out on it. Legacy media outlets will just both-sides it, and let the lie fester as those who are predisposed to believe it because it came from their preferred party don’t have their beliefs challenged, and they start making up justifications when evidence no longer fits the lie. We The Media created this monster, and we not only don’t know what to do with it, we refuse to change the very behaviours that created the monster in the first place.

Which brings me back to an example closer to home—Conservative MP Garnett Genuis claiming—falsely—that he was being censored on the York University campus. It turns out that he didn’t get the proper permissions for setting up a table to talk to students for his wannabe Charlie Kirk cosplay, but how was this news story framed by both The Canadian Press and Conservative-friendly Postmedia? With Genuis’ claim of censorship, which again, privileges the lie for those who only read the headline. (And yes, Genuis has a history of lying to play the victim as part of his crybully shtick, which he once tried to do to me in an attempt to get my credentials revoked). And once again, it was both-sidesed, and Genuis doesn’t get called out for fabricating the version of events, meaning he will continue to do so because he knows it works. And We The Media keep letting him get away with it.

Ukraine Dispatch

Russian drones attacked Kyiv early Friday morning, killing at least four. There was also an attack on infrastructure in the western Lviv region. Russia is also threatening that any troops sent by other countries as part of a ceasefire agreement would be “legitimate combat targets.” (Some ceasefire that would be).

Good reads:

• Mark Carney’s trip next week will include a stop in Qatar between China and Davos.
• Rebecca Chartrand and Manitoba premier Wab Kinew visited the Pimicikamak Cree Nation in Northern Manitoba, which suffered a frozen water catastrophe.
• The head of the RCAF says they are making progress on their recruitment and retention challenges, and that recruitment is outpacing attrition.
• Emmanuel Macron says that Trump’s annexation threats against Canada are an example of his picking off allies to show his strength.
• Here are some more facts about Greenland and why it’s a target for Trump.
• Michael Kovrig is warning to beware of China’s motives during Carney’s upcoming meeting, as they could be looking to destabilise western relations.
• Here are other calls from Hong Kong and Taiwan activists urging caution when dealing with China, even if it’s economically enticing.
• Stephen Harper’s official House of Commons portrait is set to be unveiled on February 3rd, on the 20th anniversary of his election win.
• The Green Party says they have paid off their campaign debt, confirming that they are in better financial shape than the NDP.
• Doug Ford is calling on Carney to maintain tariffs on Chinese-made EVs.
• Quesnel city manager Joel McKay enumerates the failed projects in the interior of BC, as people demand a new pipeline be rammed through that region once again.
• Patrick Lennox weighs the evidence of Alberta separatists meeting and colluding with the Trump administration, and if that passes the test for a security threat.
• My column calls out the Vichy voices among conservatives in this country eager to throw their lot in with Trump in the wake of the Venezuela debacle.

Odds and ends:

The minister of digital asbestos is committed to doing the absolute least possible about regulating deepfake porn/CSAM machines.

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-01-08T18:28:30.303Z

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