Gatekeepers 

Gatekeeping according to Shoemaker (1991) is: “the process by which the billions of messages that are available in the world get cut down and transformed into the hundreds of messages that reach a given person on a given day.” Hence, to reduce the amount of information and create news reports, it requires a systematic strategy to determine which information to keep or eliminate. This part I will use Chomsky’s propaganda model and the 5 levels of information filtering to understand the political economy in communications of CBC, and by using this framework, we can analyze the CBC article and identify the structural forces shaping its contents and highlight the potential gatekeepers involved.

  • Ownership

CBC is a public broadcaster funded by the public though government fundings, this means its operations are influenced by the political, economic, and diplomatic priorities of the state and the public perspectives. While CBC maintains editorial independence, its financial reliance on government funding creates structural incentives to align with policies that reflect the interests of the public and government focuses. Hence, article reflects a measured tone, avoiding overt support for Palestinian statehood or criticism of Israel, showcasing CBC’s tendency to balance perspectives to maintain its position as a neutral, state/public-aligned outlet. For example, the government officials and ministers can gatekeep some pro-Palestine information to influence the narrative (Governors like Alexsander Lévêque). Also, CBC is also accountable to the Canadian public, which includes diverse groups with conflicting perspectives on sensitive issues like Palestinian statehood (different advocacy groups like B'nai Brith Canada and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs gatekeep the human right information to emphasize the state security). This dual accountability to both the government and the public constrains the editorial narratives.

  • Advertising

Although CBC is less dependent on advertising compared to private media, its financial sustainability still involves maintaining broad audience appeal. However, the major corporation that has ads on CBC like Desjardins can also gatekeep the information. For example, Desjardins has investments within Israel and $750,000 to the Jewish General Hospital, this shows the ties between the corporation and the Jewish community/Israel. Hence, corporations can act as gatekeepers depending on their narratives and economic focuses on influencing this article’s information.

  • Sourcing News

The article heavily relies on government officials (like Alexandre Lévêque, Louis-Martin Aumais) and established advocacy groups (like Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, B'nai Brith Canada). These sources are part of the elite class that dominates the media narrative and able to gatekeep certain pro-Palestinian information.

Picture from: https://medium.com/@aatra/choose-your-news-an-analysis-on-how-does-news-coverage-differ-between-news-outlets-ae718b2fba2a 

  • Flak

Flak represents the potential backlash, negative responses, and criticism directed at the media for publishing certain content, it is usually originated from powerful institutions like the government, advocacy groups, or influential individuals. The flaks in the articles, such as the governor officials and the Jewish advocacy groups can create a chilling effect on journalists and CBC by increasing cost (reputational, economic…) of producing pro-Palestinian contents. Hence, the potential gatekeepers at the flak level are: journalists and editors avoiding pro-Palestinian content, corporations that have ties with Israel, and advocacy groups.

Picture from: https://xtremepape.rs/threads/noam-chomsky-the-five-filters-of-mass-media.112135/ 

  • Anti-Communism/Alignment with the Western Rhetoric

While the anti-communism narrative is less prominent compared to the post-Cold war era, but the major public news agencies still involve in aligning with the dominant western rhetoric. The article echoes broader Western discourse framing Hamas as a terrorist organization, which aligns with Canadian and allied states' policies, while cautiously exploring the Palestinian statehood issue without diverging significantly from Western norms. The potential gatekeepers at this level are: the government institutions, the advocacy groups, and the media editorial practices. 

Picture from: https://www.novel-software.com/western-and-eastern-storytelling/ 

The Interconnectivity Between Different Levels and Gatekeepers

The relationships between ownership, advertising, sourcing news, flak, and ideological alignment in CBC’s media operations form a complex web. CBC’s public funding intersects with corporate sponsorship, shaping editorial decisions and reinforcing state-aligned narratives. Reliance on government officials and advocacy groups for sourcing news ensures alignment with state priorities, while these same sources also generate flak if content deviates from acceptable narratives. Advertiser sensitivities further influence editorial choices, reinforcing the avoidance of controversial topics. The alignment with Western narratives, particularly regarding anti-communism or geopolitical issues, is reflected in sourcing practices. Finally, CBC’s structural vulnerability to flak from government-aligned entities underscores the challenges it faces in maintaining editorial independence while balancing state interests.

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