By CECCO,
The “As it Happens” program with Carol Off and Jeff Douglas, interviewed an individual yesterday claiming to have been a journalist in Eritrea.
The CBC gave Mr. Mebrahtu Teclesion Berhe the privilege of telling his account of events in Eritrea. We are troubled however that it appears no other point of view was made available by the CBC to its listeners.
We are concerned that only one narrative has been allowed to be heard about Eritrea via the CBC and we call upon it to do more to tell a balanced story. Free expression can only be realized if the mainstream media is willing to hear all sides of an issue. What does free expression mean to us if the media ignores the views of the majority of Eritrean-Canadians? We believe the narrative being allowed to be propagated via the CBC does not provide the context required for its audience to understand the complex issues surrounding matters in the Horn of Africa and especially in Eritrea.
In the last two years, the CBC’s biased and questionable approach appears to have totally shut the door to Canadians of Eritrean origin and their organizations, even when the issues discussed directly affect our realities.
We encourage the “As it Happens” program and Carol Off to develop the appetite required to understand the issues and explore all sides of the argument.
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Background:
CECCO is an organization that represents the following communities across Canada, The Eritrean Canadian Association of Ontario, The Eritrean Canadian Community of the Prairie Inc., The Eritrean Cultural & Civic Centre of Calgary, The Eritrean Community Cultural Centre of London, The Eritrean Community in Quebec, The Eritrean Community in Winnipeg Inc., and The Eritrean Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver.
Press Contact:
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @eritreacanada
Web: www.eritreacanada.org
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