''The Fifth Estate'' is an English-language Canadian investigative documentary series that airs on the national

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...

network.Sonya Bell
"The Fifth Estate"
''

The Canadian Encyclopedia ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; ) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with financial support by the federal Department of Canadian Heritage and Society of Com ...

'', September 16, 2022. The name is a reference to the term " Fourth Estate", and was chosen to highlight the program's determination to go beyond everyday news into original journalism. The program has been on the air since 16 September 1975, and its primary focus is on

investigative journalism Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crimes, racial injustice, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend m ...

. The show was launched in 1975 by Ron Haggart. It has engaged in co-productions with the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

'', the ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...

'', and often with the

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

program '' Frontline''. ''The Fifth Estate'' is one of two television programs (with ''The Twilight Zone'' being the first) to win an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

, a prize presented to theatrical films: '' Just Another Missing Kid'', originally a ''The Fifth Estate'' episode, was released in theatres in the United States and won the 1982

Academy Award for Documentary Feature The Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film is an award for documentary films. In 1941, the first awards for feature-length documentaries were bestowed as Academy Honorary Award, Special Awards to ''Kukan'' and ''Target for Tonight''. The ...

Journalists

The program is currently hosted by Mark Kelley and Steven D'Souza, with Ioanna Roumeliotis slated to join the show in spring 2025, following the retirement of longtime host Bob McKeown in fall 2024. Other past personalities associated with the show have included: *

Theresa Burke Theresa Frances Veronica Burke is a Canadian writer, journalist and producer for the CBC's television newsmagazine, '' The Fifth Estate''. She was born in Toronto. On May 20, 1999, Burke was on the telephone with bank robber Ty Conn, an escapee ...

* Marie Caloz *

Stevie Cameron Stevie Cameron (née Dahl; October 11, 1943 – August 31, 2024) was a Canadian investigative journalist and author. She worked for various newspapers such as the ''Toronto Star'' and ''The Globe and Mail''. She co-hosted the investigative new ...

* Harvey Cashore *

Adrienne Clarkson Adrienne Louise Clarkson ( zh, c=伍冰枝; ; born February 10, 1939) is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as the 26th governor general of Canada from 1999 to 2005. Clarkson arrived in Canada with her family in 1941, as a refuge ...

* Neil Docherty *

Gillian Findlay Gillian Findlay is a Canadian television journalist who has worked for the CBC and ABC. Biography She studied history and literature at Simon Fraser University and she holds a diploma in broadcast journalism from the British Columbia Institute o ...

Declan Hill Declan Hill is a journalist, academic and consultant. He is one of the world’s foremost experts on match-fixing and corruption in international sports. In 2008, Hill, as a Chevening Scholar, obtained his doctorate in Sociology at the Universit ...

Hana Gartner Hana Gartner CM is a retired Canadian investigative journalist who is best known as the host and interviewer of several programs for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Early life and education Gartner was born in 1948 in Prague, Czechoslo ...

* Ron Haggart * Bob Johnstone * Joe MacAnthony *

Linden MacIntyre Linden Joseph MacIntyre (born May 29, 1943) is a Canadian journalist, broadcaster and novelist. He has won ten Gemini Awards, an International Emmy and numerous other awards for writing and journalistic excellence, including the 2009 Scotiabank G ...

Sheila MacVicar Sheila MacVicar is a Canadian television journalist most recently with Al Jazeera America as the host of ''Compass with Sheila MacVicar'' and a correspondent for ''America Tonight''. A native of Montreal, she worked for CBS News from June 2004 ...

Victor Malarek Victor Gregory Malarek (born 26 June 1948) is a Canadian journalist and author, known for his book ''Hey, Malarek!'' and his tenure as one of the hosts of CBC's '' The Fifth Estate'', as well as his depiction in the movie '' Target Number One'' ...

* Eric Malling *

Habiba Nosheen Habiba Nosheen () is an Investigative journalist. Her film ''Outlawed in Pakistan'' premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2013 and was called "among the standouts" of Sundance by the ''Los Angeles Times''. A longer version of the film aired on ' ...

* Ian Parker * Francine Pelletier * Sally Reardon * Peter Reilly * Glenn Sarty * David Studer * Robin Taylor * Warner Troyer * Anna Maria Tremonti * Jim Williamson * Trish Wood

Episodes

News reports aired on ''The Fifth Estate'' have included investigations into and reports about: * 9/11 truth movement * Death of Ashley Smith * Airbus affair,

Brian Mulroney Martin Brian Mulroney (March 20, 1939 – February 29, 2024) was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau, Mulroney studi ...

and Karlheinz Schreiber * William Francis Melchert-Dinkel *

Airport Security Airport security includes the techniques and methods used in an attempt to protect passengers, staff, aircraft, and airport property from malicious harm, crime, terrorism, and other threats. Aviation security is a combination of measures and hum ...

Al-Qaeda , image = Flag of Jihad.svg , caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions , founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden , leaders = {{Plainlist, * Osama bin Lad ...

in Europe *

Benny Hinn Toufik Benedictus "Benny" Hinn (born 3 December 1952) is an Israeli-born Palestinian-American-Canadian televangelist, best known for his regular "Miracle Crusades"— revival meeting or faith healing summits that are usually held in stadiums i ...

Brendan Burke Brendan Gilmore Burke (December 8, 1988 – February 5, 2010) was an athlete and student manager at Miami University for the Miami RedHawks men's ice hockey, RedHawks men's ice hockey team. The youngest son of Brian Burke (ice hockey), Brian Bu ...

* Brandon Crisp *

Chris Benoit Christopher Michael Benoit ( ; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career, but is notorious for Chris Benoit double-murd ...

("Wrestler: Fight to the Death") * Chuckie Akenz *

Charles Manson Charles Milles Manson (; November 12, 1934 – November 19, 2017) was an American criminal, cult leader, and musician who led the Manson Family, a cult based in California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Some cult members committed a Manson ...

and the

Manson Family The Manson Family (known among its members as the Family) was a Intentional community, commune, gang, and cult led by criminal Charles Manson that was active in California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The group at its peak consisted of a ...

Scouts Canada Scouts Canada is a Canadian Scouting association that provides programs for young people ages 5 to 26. It aims "to help develop well-rounded youth, better prepared for success in the world." Scouts Canada, in affiliation with the French-language ...

Communications Security Establishment The Communications Security Establishment (CSE; , ''CST''), formerly (from 2008-2014) called the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC), is the Government of Canada's national cryptologic agency. It is responsible for foreign signal ...

David Frost Sir David Paradine Frost (7 April 1939 – 31 August 2013) was an English television host, journalist, comedian and writer. He rose to prominence during the satire boom in the United Kingdom when he was chosen to host the satirical programme ...

and Mike Danton *

École Polytechnique massacre École or Ecole may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * Éco ...

("Montreal Massacre – Legacy of Pain") *

Jian Ghomeshi Jian Ghomeshi (born June 9, 1967) is a Canadian broadcaster, writer, musician, producer and former CBC personality. From 1990 to 2000, he was a vocalist and drummer in the Thornhill-based folk-pop band Moxy Früvous. In the 2000s, he became ...

Rob Ford Robert Bruce Ford (May 28, 1969 – March 22, 2016) was a Canadian politician and businessman who served as the 64th mayor of Toronto from 2010 to 2014. Before and after his term as mayor, Ford was a city councillor representing Ward 2 Etobi ...

Dick Cheney Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American former politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He has been called vice presidency o ...

MIM-104 Patriot The MIM-104 Patriot is a mobile interceptor missile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, the primary such system used by the United States Army and several allied states. It is manufactured by the U.S. defense contractor Raytheon and derives it ...

and its ineffectiveness during the

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

as a

missile defense Missile defense is a system, weapon, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception, and also the destruction of attacking missiles. Conceived as a defense against nuclear weapon, nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic mi ...

system * Guy Paul Morin *

Suicide of Amanda Todd Amanda Michelle Todd (November 27, 1996 – October 10, 2012) was a 15-year-old Canadian student and victim of cyberbullying who committed suicide in her home in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. A month before her death, Todd posted a video ...

* Jane and Finch *

Noor Chowdhury S.H.M.B Noor Chowdhury is a retired army officer of Bangladesh Army who was convicted for his part in the 15 August 1975 Bangladeshi coup d'état. Career In 1974, Noor was a major of the Bangladesh Army in the First Bengal Lancer unit. A Major ...

Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, known for corporate branding purposes simply as OLG since 2006, is a Crown corporations of Canada, Crown corporation owned by the Government of Ontario, Canada. OLG conducts and manages gaming on behalf o ...

("Luck of the Draw") * Pierre Vallières *

Polygamy Polygamy (from Late Greek , "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marriage, marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, it is called polygyny. When a woman is married to more tha ...

Bountiful, British Columbia Bountiful is a settlement in the Creston Valley of southeastern British Columbia, Canada, near Cranbrook and Creston. The closest community is Lister, British Columbia. Bountiful is made up of members of two polygamist Mormon fundamentali ...

* PROFUNC *

Steven Truscott Steven Murray Truscott (born January 18, 1945) is a Canadian man who, at age fourteen, was convicted and sentenced to death in 1959 for the rape and murder of classmate Lynne Harper. Truscott had been the last known person to see her alive. He wa ...

* '' To Sell a War'' *

Tunagate Tunagate was a 1985 Canadian political scandal involving large quantities of tuna that had been declared unfit for human consumption that were sold to the public under order of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, John Fraser. The story broke o ...

David Russell Williams David Russell Williams (born March 7, 1963) is a Canadian serial rapist, murderer and former colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Williams was born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England and his family later immigrated to Canada. He studied ...

Mark Twitchell Mark Andrew Twitchell (born July 4, 1979) is a Canadian convicted of first-degree murder in April 2011 for the murder of John Brian Altinger. His trial attracted particular media attention because Twitchell had allegedly been inspired by the fi ...

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

Iglesia ni Cristo The (INC; ; ) is an independent Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, church founded in 1913 and registered by Felix Manalo, Félix Manalo in 1914 as a corporation sole, sole religious corporation ...

Julian Assange Julian Paul Assange ( ; Hawkins; born 3 July 1971) is an Australian editor, publisher, and activist who founded WikiLeaks in 2006. He came to international attention in 2010 after WikiLeaks published a series of News leak, leaks from Chels ...

Buffy Sainte-Marie Buffy Sainte-Marie (born Beverley Jean Santamaria; February 20, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and social activist. Sainte-Marie's singing and writing repertoire includes subjects of love, war, religion, and mysticism, and h ...

Season 34 (2008–09)

The 2008–09 television season was the 34th season of ''The Fifth Estate''.

Season 36 (2010–11)

The 2010–11 television season was the 36th season of ''The Fifth Estate''.

Season 37 (2011–12)

The 2011–12 television season was the 37th season of ''The Fifth Estate''.

Season 38 (2012–13)

The 2012–13 television season was the 38th season of ''The Fifth Estate''.

Season 39 (2013–14)

The 2013–14 television season was the 39th season of ''The Fifth Estate''.

Season 43 (2017–18)

The 2017–18 television season was the 43rd season of ''The Fifth Estate''.

Season 45 (2019–20)

The 2019–20 television season is the 45th season of ''The Fifth Estate''. (Where two episodes appear in one program, a "/" is included between the episodes.)

Season 46 (2020–21)

The 2020–21 television season is the 46th season of ''The Fifth Estate''. (Where two episodes appear in one program, a "/" is included between the episodes.)

Awards

''The Fifth Estate'' has won many awards, including

Gemini Award The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's English-language television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in t ...

s—among them ten for Best Information Series—numerous domestic investigative journalism awards, many New York and Columbus awards, International Emmys, and in 2000 and 2010 the

Michener Award The Michener Award is one of the highest distinctions in Canadian journalism. The award was founded in 1970 by Roland Michener, who was Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada () is the federal representative of the . The m ...

, Canada's top journalism prize, which is open to all media and has only one annual winner. A 2003 co-production with ''The New York Times'' and PBS's '' Frontline'' was recognized with the Pulitzer, Peabody,

Polk DNA polymerase kappa is a DNA polymerase that in humans is encoded by the ''POLK'' gene. It is involved in translesion synthesis DNA repair is a collection of processes by which a cell (biology), cell identifies and corrects damage to the ...

, and other awards. ''The Fifth Estate'' is one of two television programs (with ''The Twilight Zone'' being the first) to win an

, a prize presented to theatrical films: '' Just Another Missing Kid'', originally a ''The Fifth Estate'' episode, was released in theatres in the United States and won the 1982

Controversies

The Savoie scandal

In 1992, ''The Fifth Estate'' aired an expose of Inspector Claude Savoie of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, accusing him of being corrupt. On 21 December 1992, Savoie shot himself in his office at the RCMP's headquarters. Many felt that ''The Fifth Estate'' bore some responsibility for Savoie's suicide.

Julian Sher Julian Sher is a Canadian investigative journalist, filmmaker, author and newsroom trainer based in Montreal, Quebec. He was an investigative producer for ten years then a senior producer for five years with the CBC's '' The Fifth Estate''. He has ...

of ''The Fifth Estate'' who worked on the Savoie story stated in 2022: "I didn't kill him, I didn't load the gun, I didn't put the gun to his head. He made his choices. I'm not responsible but if Dan and I had decided not to do the story, if we had not covered this stuff, would he be alive? He might have decided to kill himself when the RCMP (investigated him)...The lesson I learned from that is the consequences of our work. For many of the people we tell stories about, it's their lives and sometimes their deaths."

Libel suit

The CBC was successfully sued for

libel Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making assertions ...

over an episode that aired on 27 February 1996. Two doctors were interviewed for an episode about prescription drugs. Both doctors alleged their interviews were unfairly edited to give the false impression they were involved in kickbacks, cover-ups of patient deaths and other disreputable activities. Cardiologist Martin Myers asked for an apology plus $25,000, while researcher Frans Leenen asked for an apology plus $10,000. The CBC opted to fight the charges in court. The doctors ultimately prevailed. Myers was awarded $200,000, plus interest and costs, while Leenen won $950,000, plus interest and costs that could total over $2 million, a record for Canadian libel. The CBC has no libel insurance. Judges in both cases ruled that journalists at ''The Fifth Estate'' had twisted the facts and acted with malice, with one writing in his decision; "this was sensationalistic journalism of the worst sort and should serve as an embarrassment to this so-called 'flagship' investigative programme." The episode's host Trish Wood, producer Nicholas Regush, the researcher and executive producer David Studer were assessed

punitive Punishment, commonly, is the imposition of an undesirable or unpleasant outcome upon an individual or group, meted out by an authority—in contexts ranging from child discipline to criminal law—as a deterrent to a particular action or beha ...

and aggravated damages.

Iglesia ni Cristo

The CBC and ''The Fifth Estate'' were sued in February 2019 by the

Iglesia Ni Cristo The (INC; ; ) is an independent Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, church founded in 1913 and registered by Felix Manalo, Félix Manalo in 1914 as a corporation sole, sole religious corporation ...

after officials said one of the show's broadcasts defamed their church, calling the show "slanderous" and acting "without evidence."

CBC News CBC News is the division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC ...

responded by stating they stand behind the story. The episode in question, "Church of Secrets", which aired on 11 November 2018 and was hosted by Bob McKeown, detailed the controversies surrounding the church, including accusations of financial irregularities, kidnapping, and the murder of a Canadian man. In particular, McKeown interviewed the widow of a murder victim allegedly killed by INC members after a series of verbal altercations, as well as following the story of excommunicated ministerial worker Lowell Menorca II, who sought refugee status in Canada. The news crew also attempted for and were denied an interview with

Eduardo V. Manalo Eduardo Villanueva Manalo (; born on October 31, 1955 in Quezon City, Philippines) also known as Ka Eddie Boy, was the former Executive Minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC). He was the third generation of the Manalo family to lead the churc ...

after an event in

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

. During the attempt for an interview, their vehicle's tires were slashed, which McKeown suspected was an act of intimidation by INC, though an INC member denied the allegation.

Notes

References

External links

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