PEN Canada is deeply concerned by CTV’s abrupt cancellation of a planned election misinformation segment, following what appears to be pressure from online harassment.
Earlier this month, journalist Rachel Gilmore debuted “Fact-Check Friday” on CTV’s Your Morning, a segment intended to address and debunk false claims surrounding the federal election. The feature was planned as a weekly installment but was cancelled after its first airing. Subsequent reporting suggests that CTV made the decision in response to online backlash, including from what a network executive reportedly referred to as Gilmore’s “troll base.”
If accurate, this decision sets a troubling precedent: that social media outrage can determine editorial direction. In cancelling the segment under pressure, CTV may have handed a victory to those who seek to weaponize online harassment to silence journalists.
This would represent not only a failure to support Rachel Gilmore, but a disservice to CTV’s own audience, who deserve access to accurate, fact-checked information during an election.
PEN Canada affirms the vital role of a free and independent press—one that is not swayed by online intimidation—in safeguarding democratic discourse. At a time when misinformation threatens public understanding and civic engagement, news organizations must stand firm in their commitment to truth. By appearing to bend in the face of online outrage, CTV missed an important opportunity to affirm its journalistic principles and its duty to the public.
