The Lang-Coyne Exchange

Before the Amanda Lang scandale descends into complete farce, let’s examine one important point that has thus far been ignored by the gutter press.

To summarize, Lang was accused last week of accepting speaking fees from companies whose senior executives she also interviewed on her CBC-TV snorefest, and attempting to snuff an exposé on RBC.

Adding to the outrage was the Giantess of Journalism’s legovering with Geoff Beattie, director of both RBC and the Globe and Minion, which published her sophistic defence of the bank’s use of the Temporary Foreign Worker program to shitcan Canadian employees and ultimately send their jobs offshore.

This shocking betrayal of journalistic ethics (wat dat?!—ed.) was beyond the pale, and sanctimonious cries went up demanding her immediate sacking.

The National Post, which has vast experience in ethical breaches of plagiarism and story torquing, scolded the CBC for being “remiss in not making public its measure to ensure Ms. Lang’s personal connection to RBC [does not] interfere with her journalism.”

Speaking of personal connections, by remarkable coincidence, the editor of Post editorials/comment is none other than Andrew Coyne, who dated Lang for many years.

No one is suggesting, nor should they, that Coyne would let past mambos, however memorable, affect his editorial judgment, but it’s a reminder that the media community in Toronto occupies a shallow and incestuous puddle.

It should be noted, however, that Coyne studiously avoids mention of the CBC. A quick rummage through Google reveals that in the past two years of his columns, Coyne has mentioned the Corpse only three times, and one of those was a defence of the CBC against Tory attacks.

More cynical observers than Frank might suggest that Coyne sells his silence. After all, like Lang, he relies heavily on his CBC paycheck. (Lang earns an estimated $300K as Corpse senior biz thingy, but even more– $350-plus–on the rubber chicken circuit.)

Coyne’s Post salary, an estimated $200K, is enhanced by a six-figure earner for his CBC work on the At Issue panel, plus assorted commentaries. His rate for speaking gigs is $10K-plus.

And don’t even get us started on Rex Murphy.

In all his vitriolic ravings in the Post about how Canada is being overrun by left-liberal, anti-American crypto-Commies, the most obvious target for such criticism —the CBC — somehow escapes T-Rex’s wrath.

Even as fellow travellers like Ezra Levant spew invective on the national broadcaster, Rex remains silent.

In the past two years, his only significant mention of the CBC in the Post was an ode to Glenn Gould.

Lang? Jian Ghomeshi? Not a sausage!

Of no bearing on these curious omissions is that $300,000-a-year salary as host of CBC Radio’s Cross Country Upchuck, or his weekly foamers on CBC-TV’s The National.