, 01.31.2020 08:58 AM

Coronavirus claims a Canadian victim

…for a joke.  A joke.

It may have been a bit too soon, or too edgy, or whatever.  That’s fair.  But to destroy an award-winning journalist’s entire career over it?

Full disclosure: Peter Akman is a former neighbour our of mine.  He is a great guy with a great family.  I am rumoured to know a thing or two about racism, and I can assure everyone: Peter is not even remotely racist.

But CTV has fired him. For a lame tweeted joke.

You know, CTV: the network that has permitted Jess Allen to remain employed on their network – after Allen said that those who play hockey are “white boys…who weren’t, let’s say, very nice.”  And: “They were not generally thoughtful, they were often bullies.”

Yes, CTV.  The network that promotes, funds and airs Canada’s Walk of Fame – which couldn’t find one non-white inductee in 2019 – and which had only one (1) token woman.

CTV and Bell Media, who this week were telling us all about the importance of understanding and forgiveness, have frankly acted like thugs, here.  And their hypocrisy, it seems, is bottomless.

Bring Peter back.

10 Comments

  1. Pipes says:

    CTV weaponized this and he should sue their asses off

  2. How many of us have gone down that road and had to quickly offer up at least an I’m sorry or an apology? People make mistakes — especially on real-time platforms. But to fire someone after they apologized? That’s going a bridge too far.

  3. Steve T says:

    The Jess Allen situation will, I hope, go down in history as the seminal moment of racial hypocrisy in North America. Don Cherry gets fired for saying “you people”, while Jess Allen keeps her job after targeting a specific race.

    This situation with Peter Akman is of the same vein. He is a white male; ergo he must be punished severely for any errors.

    I’ve also noticed that CTV Evening News has become even more politically-edged than The National. If I have to watch their reporters’ facial (and sometimes verbal) judgments one more time, it will be one time too many. Hey CTV, it is supposed to be the news, not a half-hour editorial piece.

  4. Gyor says:

    Welcome to cancel culture, which regular folks are increasingly becoming sick up.

  5. Bud says:

    I just googled the PR department of Bell Media, it’s all very clear now. Just look who’s running it, LOL!

  6. lyn says:

    If they fired him because of this one thing is CTV even worth going back to…if they were to offer him his job back. If Peter Akman is as good as you say…he will find a BETTER job and be more appreciated. Media as we know it is gone..it is not news it is what they want us to know and nothing else. I want the whole truth and nothing but the truth and I will decide want I want to listen to. If I don’t like it I will just turn off the TV or Radio etc. I don’t want it white washed by their thoughts and innuendo!

  7. Doug says:

    I don’t support the firing, but using what is essentially a work Twitter account to comment on a personal activity, and make a statement that could potentially be misinterpreted shows a serious lapse in judgement. With social media at once encouraging provocation and hyper sensitivity, anyone posting through a work account should run through some sort of editor.

  8. Nasty Bob says:

    Social Media is EVIL !
    Not only does it alienate humans from nature it alienates them from their souls. And don’t be giving me excuses about all the good it can do cuz …you know …the trains ran on time in Berlin 80 years ago too.

  9. Derek Pearce says:

    1) if Bernier had made this exact same “joke” y’all would be screaming for his head
    2) Jess Allen is white- yes people, that does make a difference
    I don’t think he should’ve been fired after apologizing but points 1&2 stand.

  10. PAM LEVY says:

    His little joke was certainly insensitive and not appropriate regardless of his other wonderful qualities and showed a serious lapse in judgement. Perhaps he could reach out to our PM for advice.

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