《大中报》调查报告为何障碍重重？

 

“实在是讶异…..我从来都没听说过这些选举，”Meghna Randhawa先生向《环邮》表示。Randhawa是保守党渥太华选区居民，其电话和姓名出现在安省保守党党员名单上，而该党员名单遭某安省保守党议员竞选人的滥用。

“I’m shocked. … I never heard of these elections,” Mr. Meghna Randhawa, a resident in Ottawa riding told the Globe, referring to the fact that his name and phone number ended up on a list of party members in Ottawa misused for a candidate’s election campaign.  

《环邮》就Patrick Brown任党领期间安省保守党提名竞选中出现的种种赤裸裸的欺诈进行调查，从投假票到非选区居民参与投票，到假党员等等。作为普通学生的Randhawa接受了《环邮》的采访。尽管与《环邮》调查对象，曾犯欺诈罪的政治投机人士Dhillon的某位同僚相识，Randhawa勇敢地向《环邮》提供了其真实姓名，以及采访词。

Randhawa was a student who was interviewed in a Globe investigation over alleged blatant fraudulent activities in contentious PC nomination race under Patrick Brown – including ballot-box stuffing, ineligible voters and fake memberships. Despite known to an associate of Mr. Dhillon -- the target of the Globe investigation and a political operative convicted of fraud, Mr. Randhawa provides the quote to the Globe, allowing his real name used in the story.

尽管提名竞选是重要的民主进程，且是政客获选的第一步，但却不在联邦和省选举监管机构的管辖范围内。因此，由公众参与配合的媒体监督则对约束参选人的不良行为及保证民主进程能选出诚实和正直的政治领袖起着重要作用。最终，加国的民主完善很大程度上依赖于每一个普通人士的社会责任感，而这些普通人士就是每一名乘Bloor-Spadina线上班的妇女，和坐士嘉堡轻铁回家的男士。

While nomination races are a cornerstone of democracy and the first step to winning elected office, there is no independent oversight by federal or provincial electoral watchdogs. As such, media watchdog role, supported by public participation, plays a crucial part in restraining politicians’ behavior and ensuring that elected leaders possess honesty and integrity. In the end, Canadian democracy largely depends on the civic responsibility of the average Canadian – a woman on Bloor-Spadina subway, or a man taking Scarborough RT.

在调查报告中使用揭发者真实姓名可让其指控更具力度并更为可信，特别是在假新闻泛滥的今天。但华人社区却缺乏像Randhawa这类大胆直言者。在《大中报》对某位华裔候选人的“购买选票”的行为进行调查过程中，《大中报》收到数名“线人”的投诉，但没有一名“线人”愿意公开其身份并接受《大中报》的正式采访。

Sources with the real name made the allegation in the investigation story more convincing and credible, especially in an era of fake news. However, people like Mr. Randhawa seemed hard to come by in the Chinese community. In investigating an alleged vote-buying practice by a Chinese Canadian candidate, Chinese News has heard complaints from multiple sources, but none of them agreed to go on the record or to have their real name used in the story. 

《大中报》的第一名线人A是候选人不端行为的直接证人。虽然A称对此类行为看不惯，但却以弱势群体自居，顾虑重重，不肯直言揭露。

Source A said that she was a witness of the candidate’s questionable practice. While A frowned upon such behavior, A didn’t want to become a whistleblower, out of fear from a “marginalized individual.”

线人B称其为候选人不端行为的另一名证人。《大中报》为了证实其指控，要求B提供其真实姓名并要求与B见面。但B却不肯透露其真实姓名，并一直以某假名与《大中报》交谈。在预定会面之前一日，B突然以工作太忙为由取消见面。《大中报》再次联系B的努力却如竹篮子打水一场空。 

Source B claims to be another witness in the alleged wrongdoing. In its effort to verify the allegations, Chinese News asked for source B’s real name and wanted to meet in person. However, source B used his alias in talking to the paper. One day after the planned meeting, B suddenly canceled the meeting, citing packed schedule at work. Chinese News further effort to contact B turned out to be futile.

线人C的指控呈现于一名旁观者拍摄的视频中。拍摄者拒绝让《大中报》拥有或拷贝该视频。 

Source C made her allegations through a video taken by a bystander, who refused to allow the paper to either possess or make a copy of the video. 

媒体调查报告中经常使用匿名线人提供的信息，即使在主流媒体比如《环邮》和《华盛顿邮报》中也是如此。最著名的匿名线人以代号为“深喉咙”的前联邦调查局副局长莫属。因为他提供的信息，《华盛顿邮报》发表了导致前总统尼克松下台的水门事件的重磅调查报告。

Anonymous sources are frequently used in investigation reports – even though in mainstream media such as the Globe and the Washington Post. The most popular anonymous source was Deep Throat, then the associate director of FBI. The data he leaked to the Washington Post reporter had led to the Watergate story that brought down then-president Richard Nixon.

《华盛顿邮报》准许“深喉咙”这一重要线人以匿名身份出现，是因为他在美国警察部门担任重要职责，暴露其真实身份会对其工作，声誉和真实身份带来严重负面影响。

The Washington Post granted Deep Throat anonymity because he was holding a key position in a US law enforcement agency, and exposing his identity could comprise his job, reputation, and livelihood.

但新闻从业者在使用匿名线人过程中必须遵循一定准则。最重要的是媒体本身必须了解线人的真实姓名和详细身份。在没有任何正当理由的情况下使用匿名线人或称所有指控都来自“某线人”的做法有违新闻从业标准，并让指控失去可信度。

However, journalism must abide by specific policies in using anonymous quotes, and most importantly, the source’s name and full details must be known to the paper. By granting anonymity unjustifiably and merely attributing all allegations to “a source,” it would degrade the quality of journalism and ruin the credibility of the claims. 

显然，《大中报》调查过程中的这些线人的身份没有一名可与“深喉咙”相提并论，作为公开揭发者，其面临的危险度也与其相差甚远。但他们缩头缩脑之举动很大程度上可归咎于华人社区“事不关己，高高挂起”的流行通病。但加国的民主进程之成功却取决于老百姓的政治觉悟和公众参与度。在2019年，请记住这一点。

Apparently, none of the sources in the Chinese News investigation would have as much at stake as Deep Throat if they come forward with their real names. The risks they are facing pale in comparison with his. They are reluctant to do so because of the widely spread Not In My Backyard syndrome in the Chinese community. However, it is the civic engagement and political participation that has led to the success of Canada’s democracy. Remember that in 2019.