In the CBC’s case, it’s more complicated. But we have evidence and public testimonies that say that there was a chain of command. This was particularly the case in the Journal de Montréal, which I’m more familiar with. Guidelines were handed down from one level in the chain to another ordering an attack on a journalist from a competing media outlet.
The testimonies heard at the conference of the Fédération professionnelle des journalistes du Québec in December 2010 were troubling. It was in that state of mind that I wrote the paper you are referring to. It was troubling because it was part of a larger system that I was able to document through previous quantitative research and in the qualitative research conducted with journalists who were asked to provide explanations, rather than simply tick off boxes.
Actually, Quebecor journalists share this feeling of towing a line. But it’s not the case for everyone, we need to be clear on that. Not all journalists do this. Some studies show this, as we've seen in journalism sociology. When it’s time to hire some journalists, some columnists, some freelancers, people who are going to tow that line are chosen.