Letter sent to Stéphane Bureau,
journalist at Radio-Canada

 

Dear Mr. Bureau,

I am writing to congratulate you on the aplomb you have shown regarding the blame for the way you conducted your interview with Dr. Didier Raoult on May 26.

Your interview was of an irreproachable journalistic quality in its concern to reach an objective understanding of certain inconsistencies that surround this “crisis” and that leave many citizens doubtful. In my opinion, if the Radio-Canada ombudsman has followed up on the complaint filed by the journalist of the magazine Québec Science, Marine Corniou, this is a result of purely political pressure. Otherwise, how else can we explain this “Urticairian” reaction. There was nothing in this interview, which you rightly described as “normal”, to make a fuss about. Radio-Canada therefore found itself caught between two chairs and could not fire you, because that would have thrown a harsh light on the nature, I repeat, of such a “political” decision, since your professionalism could never have been questioned.

The figures clearly explained by Dr. Raoult, during this interview, notably on the tiny mortality rate observed in several countries, undoubtedly seemed to the listeners to be over-inflated by a threat that they now understand more and more as being the result of a climate of fear maintained by the media. This is why Dr. Raoult’s words were so disturbing, not the accuracy, according to Mrs. Corniou, of the information that this high level scientist exposed. And the role of the true journalist that you are consisted, as it should be, in letting Dr Raoult express himself in all impartiality in order to let the listeners, who are also endowed with common sense, to sort things out; which caused Mrs Corniou an inflammation that added to her initial outburst of buttons.

State radio and the other major media, of which Quebec Science magazine is a part, are careful not to paint such a global picture of world reality; focused, as they are asked to be, on a political verbatim of fear. I am talking about global pictures based on the analysis and research of internationally renowned scientists who are discredited or denied the right to communicate their results on the major official information networks controlled by governments, and even higher.

Fortunately for all those who are thirsty for the truth about what is going on, the competence and thoroughness with which you have provided us, Mr. Bureau, have been, to the dismay of some, like a breath of fresh air that has blown over this ocean of lies. I am most pleased to recognize in you the integrity that we should expect from any journalist worthy of the name. The media that promote governmental measures that have nothing scientific about them make them accomplices to the dramatic erosion of individual liberties, whose objective I dare not imagine. They reveal to us the face of almost all of your colleagues that we still thought, and wrongly, a year and a half ago, were made of the same substance as you.

Thank you for reading me, Mr. Bureau, and we hope with all our hearts that your uprightness will encourage many of them to stand up and stop doing what you refused to do; crawl.

Sincerely and with admiration,

 

Martin Hétu,
Special collaboration

 

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