Canadian Media Gives American Fighter Jets More Favourable Coverage

 

Champions of the F-35 fighter jet deal were quoted 41 per cent more often than critics.

Canada’s major media outlets have overrepresented proponents of a massive fighter jet deal between the federal government and American arms company Lockheed Martin, an analysis by The Maple has found.

Under Justin Trudeau, the federal government announced the deal for 88 F-35 jets, which would carry an estimated lifetime cost of nearly $74 billion.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, however, threw the deal up in the air in March 2025, announcing that while Canada had already paid for 16 F-35s, the government would review whether the additional 72 jets were needed.

The decision to undertake the review came following U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to turn Canada into the “51st state” and his imposition of steep trade tariffs.

Now, it appears the Carney government is putting down funds to buy just 30 F-35s from Lockheed Martin.

The Maple analyzed 55 news articles and columns published by CBC News, the Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail and National Post about the F-35 purchase since Carney announced his government’s review of the deal.

Champions of the deal were quoted 41 per cent more often than critics.

Steven Staples, founder and vice-president of the board at the Rideau Institute, said he wasn’t surprised by The Maple’s findings.

“You just can’t underestimate the power of the defence lobby to mobilize experts, academic researchers that they fund, military leaders who hope to retire early and work for defence contractors at some point, or even just ideologically aligned people in government or in the national security establishment who really have a great allegiance to working closely with the United States,” he said.  (more...)

Canadian Media Gives American Fighter Jets More Favourable Coverage