On Friday’s Q segment, Jian Ghomeshi brought in the media panel and posed this question: [The] vast majority of eligible voters rely on media to provide highlights and analysis and to expose what might be lost in the valley of carefully crafted zingers — how well is the media doing at this task?

Well, if you believe Q‘s Media Panel — John Cruickshank, Judy Rebick and John Tory — the answer is not so great. Pretty terrible, actually. Rebick says the mainstream media is failing the democratic process. Tory says it’s not doing its job when it comes to calling out politicians who don’t discuss the real issues. Cruickshank says the media captured the feeling of the leaders’ debate accurately — at least when it comes the emptiness and lack of ideas.

Can the coverage be fixed? Well, Rebick believes the biggest story of the election is what citizens groups are doing. It’s time, she says, for the media to grow a backbone. And, according a follow-up segment, plenty of people agree (starts at the 29:33 mark).

To hear the full Media Panel discussion visit CBC’s website.