Exposing CBC's Role in Dividing Canadians: A Look at Media Bias During the COVID Era
- Jason
- Nov 16
- 4 min read
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadians faced unprecedented challenges to their civil liberties. Lockdowns, mask mandates, gathering restrictions, and vaccine rollouts were enforced with a heavy hand, often backed by police action and government propaganda. While many complied, a courageous segment of the population resisted—questioning the official narrative, declining experimental vaccines, and protesting against what they saw as overreach. These individuals stood as guardians of God-given rights and freedoms, pushing back against a system that prioritized compliance over choice. Yet, mainstream media outlets like the CBC often portrayed them not as heroes of liberty, but as obstacles to progress. One such example is a CBC article from January 2022, which subtly shamed unvaccinated Canadians while debating bioethical dilemmas in healthcare triage.
Comparing those who spoke up against their narratives to suicide bombers in the middle east. Shaming citizens with label, hatred and distain simply for asking questions.
This piece, and many others like it, contributed to a narrative that vilified dissenters, fostering division rather than dialogue. Today, as we reflect on this period, it's clear that a portion of Canada's population continues to grapple with post-COVID PTSD and even Stockholm syndrome—lingering traumas from the era's coercive policies.
The CBC's Pattern of Shaming Dissenters
The CBC, as Canada's public broadcaster, holds a unique position of influence, funded by taxpayers and expected to provide balanced reporting. However, during the height of the pandemic, its coverage frequently amplified government messaging while criticizing those who resisted. Take the aforementioned article, titled "Public outrage over the unvaccinated is driving a crisis in bioethics." It frames unvaccinated individuals as a "science-denying minority" responsible for straining healthcare resources, quoting experts who debate whether to deprioritize them in triage protocols—essentially suggesting that refusing the vaccine could cost someone their life in a hospital bed.
While the piece nods to ethical disagreements, its overall tone stokes public anger, portraying resisters as selfish actors prolonging the crisis. This wasn't an isolated incident; it was part of a broader pattern.
For instance, another CBC report highlighted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's comments that Canadians were growing "angry" and "frustrated" with the unvaccinated, linking their choices directly to overwhelmed hospitals. Labelling Canadians as racists, misogynists and extremists to the extent of even saying should they be tolerated in society echoing a message from world war 2 like Adolf Hitler said to the Jews.
In Alberta, the broadcaster ran stories emphasizing public frustration with the unvaccinated, noting high disapproval rates of government handling tied to this sentiment.
Forcing a two tiered society like all other Provinces with vaccine passports and the mysterious forcefield that protects you from COVID sitting at a restaurant table.
As the pandemic dragged on, CBC coverage shifted "ire" toward the unvaccinated, discussing "rolling stigma" where blame increasingly fell on those who opted out.
Even profiles of unvaccinated Canadians often delved into "hesitancy," implying ignorance or misinformation rather than informed choice.
These articles didn't just report facts; they reinforced a narrative that shunned protesters, such as those in the Freedom Convoy, who rallied against mandates on public gatherings and mask policies. Police crackdowns on these events were often covered with a focus on disruption, sidelining the underlying fight for civil liberties.
Critics have long pointed out the CBC's left-leaning bias, which was particularly evident in its COVID reporting. Analyses have documented instances where the broadcaster displayed impartiality issues, favoring progressive viewpoints and government-aligned narratives.
There's merit to claims that CBC coverage tilts liberal, with hostility toward conservative perspectives on issues like vaccine mandates.
This bias extended to underrepresenting voices questioning the experimental nature of the vaccines or the propaganda surrounding them, instead amplifying calls for restrictions that curtailed freedoms.
Honoring Those Who Stood Firm
Amid this media onslaught, we must celebrate the Canadians who resisted. These individuals weren't "science-deniers"—they were skeptics exercising their right to bodily autonomy, refusing an experimental vaccine rushed through approvals amid global pressure. They challenged the propaganda machine that painted compliance as the only moral path, standing against mask policies enforced by police in everyday settings like stores and schools. Public gatherings and protests became battlegrounds for free speech, with participants braving arrests and fines to defend God-given rights like assembly and conscience.
Their actions echoed historical fights against authoritarianism, reminding us that true freedom requires vigilance. By resisting, they exposed flaws in the system: overreliance on unproven measures, suppression of alternative views, and the weaponization of public health to control behavior. Today, their stance is vindicated by ongoing debates about vaccine side effects and the long-term impacts of lockdowns.
The Lingering Trauma: PTSD and Stockholm Syndrome
The toll of this era extends beyond policy debates. A significant portion of Canadians now suffers from post-COVID PTSD, with symptoms like anxiety, hypervigilance, and flashbacks stemming from isolation, job losses, and coercive mandates. Surveys show PTSD prevalence around 6.9% among adults, higher in women and younger groups, with rates spiking during the pandemic.
Healthcare workers, in particular, reported PTSD symptoms at alarming levels, up to 74% in some studies.
This trauma isn't just individual—it's societal, born from years of fear-mongering and division.
Compounding this is what some describe as "COVID Stockholm syndrome," where victims of restrictive policies begin to identify with or defend their "captors"—the governments and media that imposed them. This phenomenon has been linked to the pandemic, with people rationalizing lockdowns and mandates as necessary, even as evidence mounts of their harms.
In Canada, this manifests in ongoing support for figures like Trudeau despite the erosion of liberties, or reluctance to question past measures. Breaking free requires acknowledging the manipulation and honoring those who resisted from the start.
Moving Forward: Lessons in Liberty
The CBC's coverage during COVID serves as a cautionary tale about media's power to shape public opinion and suppress dissent. By exposing this behavior, we empower future generations to question narratives and defend their rights. To those who fought—protesters, vaccine resisters, and liberty advocates—your stand was not in vain. As Canada heals from PTSD and sheds Stockholm syndrome, let's commit to a society where freedom trumps fear, and media serves truth over agenda.
Jason LaFace
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