On June 13th, the Racial Equity Media Collective (REMC) received a reply to its June 6 open letter from the office of CBC/Radio-Canada President & CEO Catherine Tait.

The REMC’s June 6 letter alleged the presence of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism in the CBC’s news and documentary units.

The reply from Tait was addressed directly to Julian Carrington, REMC’s managing director, and obtained by Playback, began by acknowledging that the Israel-Hamas war has surfaced tensions between many Canadians, CBC employees included.

“Creating a safe space for our staff to share their opinions and lived experiences is crucial to cultivating an inclusive workplace environment where employees are heard, respected and supported,” Tait wrote. She also admitted that while welcoming respectful debate, that “none of this is easy.”

Tait went on to acknowledge the commitments the REMC June 6 open letter asked for from the pubcaster, with Tait stating that some of the commitments are already in place and that the CBC will take the others under consideration.

“While we can never make everyone feel satisfied or fulfill every request, we are committed to regaining the trust within the documentary community, keep listening and continue to offer many doors for filmmakers to come through with their pitches,” Tait writes.

“Candidly, what we are experiencing at CBC is a microcosm of what’s happening all over the world and that’s to be expected; this is such an emotionally charged topic, personal as it is divisive. Given the strong emotions attached to the catastrophic events that have occurred in the Middle East, seemingly every day is fraught with nuance and contradiction. It’s admittedly challenging for leaders right through the organization just as it is far from the hallways and meeting rooms of the CBC.”

Yesterday, (June 17), REMC responded, stating that the organization “appreciates the CBC’s prompt response as well as its open acknowledgement that “discriminatory conduct” has caused “hurt” and that CBC remains “committed to regaining trust within the documentary community.”

However, the REMC adds that it is disappointed that the CBC response which it says, “avoids substantive engagement with the community’s concerns.” And also that while the CBC’s statement speaks “of creating a ‘safe space for our staff to share their opinions and lived experiences…’ it notably declines to acknowledge the duty of safety that CBC also owes to the independent filmmakers that CBC relies upon to produce much of its documentary content.”

The REMC noted that the June 6 letter urged CBC to “establish a clear channel for independent creators to report instances of discrimination, including how those who seek to report discrimination will be protected, and what kind of procedures and timelines for resolution they can expect.”

The REMC goes on to write that the CBC’s response does not address this concern. “And while their letter speaks of a ‘divisive’ environment that is ‘fraught with nuance and contradiction,’ we would hope this particular demand would be wholly uncontroversial: independent producers deserve clarity as to how they can safely seek redress should they experience discrimination from a CBC employee.”

The non-profit organization notes that the CBC’s reply refers to some of the commitments sought in the group’s June 6 letter as “are already in place” and that “we will take the others under consideration.” But the REMC writes that it “must underscore that CBC’s professed desire to regain the community’s trust will only ring true when CBC makes a detailed, substantive, and public effort to articulate the policies and concrete actions that will address the community’s concerns.

Until such time, REMC says it will continue to consult with racialized creators and the broader documentary community as to “how we can most effectively advance their collective interests in this matter.”

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