Canadian FCC (the CRTC) bans Canadian NPR (the CBC) from quoting title of famous Quebecois book because it has the n-word in it

Canadian FCC (the CRTC) bans Canadian NPR (the CBC) from quoting title of famous Quebecois book because it has the n-word in it

SOURCE: [link to crtc.gc.ca (secure)]

FACTS: On 17 August 2020, in a segment called Actualité avec Simon Jodoin : Certaines idées deviennent-elles taboues? presented during the radio program Le 15-18 on ICI Radio-Canada Première, commentator Simon Jodoin and host Annie Desrochers discussed the launch of a petition to demand the dismissal of a Concordia University professor who quoted the title of Pierre Vallières’s book, Nègres blancs d’Amérique, in class. The commentator shared his opinion on the acceptability of naming the title of the book and, more specifically, the consequences stemming from the controversy surrounding its mention, claiming that it obscures the content of the work and the author’s thoughts. During the discussion, the host and the commentator used the “N-word” four times, three times in French and one time in English, in a segment of 6 minutes 27 seconds.

REASONS FOR THE DECISION: The social context related to racial issues is changing. The rise of the Black Lives Matter movement and the wave of global protests following the death of George Floyd in May 2020 represent an axis of societal change that propelled public reflection on issues related to racism and systemic racism. Consequently, following these events, the use of the term has evolved, in both French- and English-language contexts, and the Commission must take this into account in its analysis of the complaint.

In light of these social changes, the Commission considers that the social responsibilities of broadcasters surrounding the use of the “N-word” have increased. Broadcasters need to take a more sensitive look at the use of language that is potentially offensive to certain communities when carrying out their role of informing citizens and fueling public interest debates.

While the “N-word” is a discriminatory term that should not be used to refer to Black people, the Commission acknowledges that the word was not used in a discriminatory manner in the context of the segment, but rather to quote the title of a book that was central to a current issue. However, the Commission acknowledges the current social context related to racial issues and recognizes the need for broadcasters to be very vigilant in dealing with potentially offensive language. Therefore, broadcasters are responsible for ensuring that all necessary measures are in place to mitigate the impact of a statement that may be perceived as offensive by its audience.