In another followup to my article Manufacturing Democracy: The politics of media coverage: Haiti, Ukraine, Georgia, and a recent weblog post, I sent the following letter to the CBC:

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Dear CBC,

It's clear that there is an overwhelming desire for democratic changes in the former Soviet republics, and the energy to back it up.

However, it is equally well established that these democratic movements are being backed by tens of millions dollars by western countries like Canada and the US.

The CBC does a major disservice to its readers by systematically leaving out this fact, even when it is reported on wires (e.g. the AP) that the CBC normally uses.

If the NDP or the Conservative Party was receiving millions in funding from the Swedish government, wouldn't the CBC question their motives and their agenda? I would hope so.

So why doesn't the same standard apply when it's Canada and the US doing the funding?

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If other outlets pick it up, I'll send them the letter, too.