Experts
EN
Allison Inquiry | Rodney Palmer | Day 4 September 11th, 2026
Journalist Rodney Palmer, a former CBC, Globe and Mail and CTV correspondent, argues that the CBC shifted from public news gathering to state-style propaganda during COVID. He presents CBC coverage on the virus's origin, vaccine safety, effectiveness and injuries, and says reporting on vaccine injuries was suppressed.
Rodney Palmer worked as a Canadian journalist for 20 years, including as a general assignment reporter at The Globe and Mail, a daily reporter at the Vancouver Sun, an investigative reporter and producer at CBC Radio and Television, and CTV's foreign bureau chief in India, Israel and China. Invited to testify about the difference between news gathering and propaganda during COVID, he argues the CBC, where he was trained, changed during the pandemic from a public broadcaster working bottom up to a state broadcaster delivering messages top down, and compares it to state media he saw in China, Syria and North Korea. He presents examples of CBC coverage on the virus's origin, a children's segment on vaccine safety, the later use of on-air experts he says had undisclosed ties to a federally funded vaccine-uptake group, and a regional story on vaccine injuries that he says was delayed and blocked, prompting the reporter to retire. He points to Health Canada figures on reported deaths and heart inflammation, argues that words such as anti-vaxxer, conspiracy theorist and misinformation work as censorship, and describes a March 2023 protest at CBC headquarters by injured Canadians. He says he believes the CBC acted as told and that other outlets did the same. In questions, he says he does not know who directed CBC but points to a media standards group. His claims and characterizations are his own, and several are contested. The exhibits will be posted with his testimony.
Rodney Palmer worked as a Canadian journalist for 20 years, including as a general assignment reporter at The Globe and Mail, a daily reporter at the Vancouver Sun, an investigative reporter and producer at CBC Radio and Television, and CTV's foreign bureau chief in India, Israel and China. Invited to testify about the difference between news gathering and propaganda during COVID, he argues the CBC, where he was trained, changed during the pandemic from a public broadcaster working bottom up to a state broadcaster delivering messages top down, and compares it to state media he saw in China, Syria and North Korea. He presents examples of CBC coverage on the virus's origin, a children's segment on vaccine safety, the later use of on-air experts he says had undisclosed ties to a federally funded vaccine-uptake group, and a regional story on vaccine injuries that he says was delayed and blocked, prompting the reporter to retire. He points to Health Canada figures on reported deaths and heart inflammation, argues that words such as anti-vaxxer, conspiracy theorist and misinformation work as censorship, and describes a March 2023 protest at CBC headquarters by injured Canadians. He says he believes the CBC acted as told and that other outlets did the same. In questions, he says he does not know who directed CBC but points to a media standards group. His claims and characterizations are his own, and several are contested. The exhibits will be posted with his testimony.
