CTV News apologizes for airing video of ‘non-consensual behaviour’

By The Canadian Press

TORONTO — CTV News has issued an apology for broadcasting a video that featured “non-consensual behaviour.”

In the clip, a woman is being interviewed in a Toronto park about masks when a stranger interrupts to kiss her on the lips.

In a voiceover, the reporter says the woman was OK with the “spontaneous kiss” from a man she said she had met minutes earlier with her dog. The woman tells the man to “text me” as she walks away.

The video was shared and subsequently deleted on Twitter on Friday after commenters raised concerns about consent.

CTV Toronto News anchor Nathan Downer told viewers Friday that it was “wrong” to air the video, saying what occurred was “unacceptable.”

A spokesman for Bell Media declined to answer further questions about the video. The reporter did not return a request for comment.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2020.

The Canadian Press

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