It gets ratings for TV networks and it sells newspapers (or it simply provide provocative content for the free dailies). I’m talking about the type of hidden camera investigation you see on Dateline NBC.
Le Journal de Montreal takes it to the next level with its sensationalist stories usually involving undercover reporters. There was the stunt last January where a reporter pretended to be a unilingual anglophone and still managed to get job offers from 15% of the retailers she applied with. It got a lot of attention from other media and politicians in the province. As several commentators pointed out, no one talked about the fact that 85% of the retailers approached actually declined to hire her because she did not speak French. Read Fagstein’s blog for his views on this and interesting comments on this story. Journal-does-it-again
Then a month later, Le Journal de Montreal attempted to repeat the stunt but this time couldn’t distort the findings for effect.
Instead of a reporter, they hired Thierry Daraize, a chef who has worked at such fine establishments as the Ritz-Carlton and le Club St-Denis, to work at three fast food restaurants “incognito”: KFC, Burger King and McDonalds.
His big findings?
Speed wins over quality. Grease is involved in the process. Things are pre-cut to save time. Some of the food is pre-cooked and kept warm. Drinks are a mix of syrup and carbonated water. Quel scandal!
It got the front page of the Journal and not much else. You can view photos of Chef Daraize in various uniforms at Journal de Montreal
It was a silly stunt and Quebeckers learned nothing from it. They’re already well aware that they shouldn’t overindulge in fast food.
The findings from Stats Can’s Canadian Community Health Survey on Nutrition released in 2006 showed that Quebeckers adopt a more moderate approach to fast food.
In general Canadian diets are similar across provinces but the study also found some notable differences:
Quebecers eat less fast food than other Canadians, 18 per cent compared to 25 per cent. Ontarians were above average with 29 per cent of adults reporting they had eaten at a fast-food outlet in the previous 24 hours.
Quebec residents get a smaller proportion of their calories from snacks than other regions - 20 per cent for adults, compared to 26 in the Atlantic provinces. Twenty-three per cent is the national average.
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