FACT CHECK: No, CBC Did Not Report Canadian Psychiatrists Are Pushing Medical Assistance In Dying For Men

Anna Mock | Fact Check Reporter

An image shared on Facebook allegedly shows a CBC article reporting that Canadian psychiatrists have been pushing for “angry young men” to receive medical assistance in dying (MAID).

Verdict: False

The image has been digitally fabricated. CBC posted no such article, a spokesperson for the outlet confirmed in an email to Check Your Fact.

Fact Check: 

A wildfire has spread through the town of Jasper in the Canadian Rockies, forcing over 25,000 people to evacuate, according to The Guardian. Alberta’s premier, Danielle Smith, gave an update on the destruction, saying, “There is no denying that this is the worst nightmare for any community,” the outlet reported.

A photo allegedly shows a CBC News article with the headline, “‘Too many angry young men with no prospects’, say top Canadian psychiatrists leading push to expand MAID access as means of combating growing ideological extremism.” Underneath this shows a subhead that reads, “These mental health specialists argue many young men prone to extremism would likely opt for MAID over engaging in acts of terror if the option was available to them.”

The image has been digitally fabricated, however. No such article can be found via a search of the CBC website or the outlet’s social media accounts. (RELATED: Did CBC Report That Justin Trudeau Is Calling For An Investigation Into Canada’s Security Services?)

The writer listed in the screenshot, Christian Paas-Lang, does not have the alleged article under his author page.

“We can confirm that this is not a CBC story,” a CBC spokesperson said in an email to Check Your Fact. “We are aware of an increase of false ads and news stories claiming to be from, or endorsed by, CBC or CBC-employees appearing on social media platforms and websites and are working to curb this alarming trend and to remove any false or inappropriate posts from social platforms.”

Anna Mock

Fact Check Reporter

Trending