CBC parrots local cranks in ostrich farm smear, Drea Humphrey pushes back
Rebel News' Drea Humphrey is digging into a story the mainstream media seems determined to flatten into a punchline.
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In our upcoming documentary Culling the Cure, Humphrey investigates Universal Ostrich Farms, where farmers say their birds were part of antibody research, work they believe showed promise before it was abruptly shut down when the birds were euthanized by the CFIA after suspected exposure to avian flu nearly a year prior.
But before that story could be fully told, CBC rolled out its own version. In The Ostrich Con, the public broadcaster leaned heavily on local critics, amplifying their claims with little skepticism while casting the farm itself as suspect.
Humphrey says that’s where things went off the rails.
Instead of scrutinizing all sides equally, she argues CBC gave a platform to outspoken detractors, some with axes to grind, while brushing aside firsthand accounts and failing to seriously examine the underlying research claims. In other words, skepticism flowed in one direction only.
In this interview, Humphrey walks us through what she uncovered on the ground, how the story evolved, and why she believes the public was served a narrative instead of an investigation. She also responds directly to CBC’s framing, pointing to key omissions and unanswered questions.
Because this isn’t just about ostriches.
It’s about whether taxpayer-funded media applies the same journalistic standards across the board, or whether some stories get the benefit of the doubt, while others get buried under it.
