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PrintCanadian ombudsman declares journalist’s Israel reporting biased
TORONTO (JTA) -- A Canadian journalist's reports from Israel have been declared biased and inaccurate by her own news outlet's standards watchdog.
In a pointed rebuke, the ombudsman for Radio-Canada, the French-language arm of Canada's state broadcaster, said reporter Ginette Lamarche was biased, used unverified facts and was inaccurate in her recent reporting on Israel.
Pierre Tourangeau late last week overturned Radio-Canada's earlier dismissal of complaints from Honest Reporting Canada over five reports by Lamarche from the Middle East that aired in December.
Tourangeau found that the reports failed to show balance, impartiality and accuracy as required by Radio-Canada's journalistic standards.
In one report, Lamarche claimed that "many Palestinians spend a good part of their youth in jail for participating in a demonstration or throwing stones" without citing a source. According to Honest Reporting Canada, convicted stone throwers in fact spend an average of seven months behind bars, with the longest sentence consisting of 15 months.
Tourangeau also found a lack of "diversity of opinion" required for news coverage of controversial subjects; use of unverified facts; and failure to challenge claims that led to "at least an appearance of bias."
He said the reports offered only a Palestinian viewpoint, and that Lamarche did not verify or challenge claims or data submitted to her.
"I am very happy with the decision obtained by Honest Reporting," said David Ouellette of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, which regularly collaborates with Honest Reporting Canada.
Ouellette added they had received similar decisions about Lamarche since 2008.
He said officials from Radio-Canada assured him last September that they took complaints related to Mideast affairs seriously.
"However," Ouellette told Sun Media, "we do not notice any improvement."
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