FACT CHECK: Did CBC News Publish An Article On Media Trust Being At An All-Time High?

Christine SellersAugust 12, 2022

An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows a screenshot of an article from CBC News about Canadians’ trust in the media reaching an “all time high.”

This screenshot is digitally fabricated. A spokesperson for CBC News denied the authenticity of the purported article.

Nearly half of all Canadians who participated in an online survey last year said they believe journalists are “purposely trying to mislead people by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations,” according to a March 2021 article published by CBC News. About 52 percent of those who participated in the survey also claimed that the media is partisan, the outlet reported.

Now, an image shared on Facebook appears to show an Aug. 9 article from CBC that claims Canadian trust in media is at an all-time high. “Canadians’ trust in the media is at an all-time high, study finds,” reads the alleged article’s headline. “Nine out of ten Canadians polled said they had strong or absolute trust in CBC News, a CBC study has found,” the subheadline continues.

The image is digitally fabricated. The alleged article cannot be found on CBC News’ website or any of its verified social media accounts. There are likewise no credible news reports about CBC News or any other news outlet publishing such a headline. (RELATED: Did A Study Find That Americans Trust Dr. Pepper More Than Dr. Anthony Fauci?)

Brodie Fenlon, the editor-in-chief of CBC News, posted a statement on Twitter denying the authenticity of the supposed headline. “This is a faked image,” Fenlon wrote in response to a user who shared an image of the fake article. “CBC News did not publish a story with this headline,” he added.

“I can confirm that CBC did not post this story,” said CBC News spokesperson Kerry Kelly in an email to Check Your Fact.