30 May 5. Epilogue

The CBC is asking similar questions. In his June 2020 blog titled “On George Floyd’s death, journalism and inclusive newsrooms” CBC Editor-in-Chief Brodie Fenlon asked,  “Can our journalists be active citizens of the world without compromising their objectivity?”¹ Fenlon, Brodie.  “On George Floyd’s Death, Journalism and Inclusive Newsrooms.” CBC News, 8 June, 2020, https://www.cbc.ca/news/editorsblog/george-floyd-editor-note-1.5603018

He admits that he’s heard complaints from within CBC that their interpretation of the Journalistic Standards and Practices is “…so rigid it can muzzle within the organization important voices and lived experiences. Do our definitions of objectivity, balance, fairness and impartiality — and our insistence that journalists not express personal opinions on the stories we cover — work against our goals of inclusion and being part of the community and country we serve?” ²— “On George Floyd’s Death, Journalism and Inclusive Newsrooms.” CBC News, 8 June, 2020, https://www.cbc.ca/news/editorsblog/george-floyd-editor-note-1.5603018  For the moment, the answer seems to be that CBC is not, unlike NPR, going to conduct a major overhaul of their ethics code.  At least not yet.  However, Fenlon writes that CBC is committed to, among other things, ensuring that hiring practices, news and current affairs coverage, and CBC journalistic leadership choices do better at reflecting diverse voices and perspectives in Canada.

As for Ahmar Khan, he now works at Global News as online journalist, where he focuses on issues surrounding vulnerable people, racialized communities and politics

In an interview with J-Source he says he is glad he stood up for what he believed in and fought back, although he admitted the experience took a toll on him, personally, mentally and professionally.  He believes CBC would view things differently today.  “I think nowadays, it [the response from management] would be very different. But this is prior to the social justice and anti-racism movements within the CBC.”³—Interview conducted by Ganimat Kaur and Kiyoung Lee.  18 July, 2021.

Khan told J-Source it felt a bit surreal when he learned that arbitrator Lorne Slotnick had ruled in his favour in January 2021, but he soon came to believe that the decision was not just a positive outcome for him, but a positive outcome for Canadian media as a whole.  

He has this piece of advice for journalistic leadership, when trying to decide how personal is too personal – where to draw the line in allowing editorial staff to express personal opinions on social media:  

“I think it comes back to not micromanage [sic] things. I think there are obviously explicit things that should not be said and can be avoided, but I think we need to realize that journalists are people, right? You can’t try to diminish them all the time.”⁴—Interview conducted by Ganimat Kaur and Kiyoung Lee.  18 July, 2021.

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   Fenlon, Brodie.  “On George Floyd’s Death, Journalism and Inclusive Newsrooms.” CBC News, 8 June, 2020, https://www.cbc.ca/news/editorsblog/george-floyd-editor-note-1.5603018
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  — “On George Floyd’s Death, Journalism and Inclusive Newsrooms.” CBC News, 8 June, 2020, https://www.cbc.ca/news/editorsblog/george-floyd-editor-note-1.5603018
• 3
  —Interview conducted by Ganimat Kaur and Kiyoung Lee.  18 July, 2021.
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  —Interview conducted by Ganimat Kaur and Kiyoung Lee.  18 July, 2021.