"I insist that the Canadian Press meet its own standards and include an introductory paragraph at the top of this article with basic, balanced context surrounding the ongoing situation. I am only asking that The Canadian Press meet its own published principles."
October 9, 2023
To:
Andrea Baillie, Editor-in-Chief
Tim Cook, Managing Editor
Dear Andrea Baillie and Tim Cook,
I am concerned that your article, “Live updates | Israel taking 'significant military steps' in response to Hamas attack,” fails your mandate in important ways. The Canadian Press claims that “Context and perspective are fundamental parts of the report of The Canadian Press,” but this article is missing essential context and skews heavily in its citations towards a certain perspective.
An article intended for a broad Canadian to stay up-to-date on these events should include some basic context for readers. As it stands, your article buries references to Israel’s blockade and effective occupation of Gaza.[1] There is no mention of Israel’s near-nightly military raids that have targeted Palestinian villages for the last year. There is no mention of Gaza’s crushing unemployment and poverty rates. There is a reference to “surprise” attacks, which only further obfuscates the essential context that surrounds this ongoing conflict. This is all in sharp contrast to the large number of references there are to Palestinian “terror.”
I insist that the Canadian Press meet its own standards and include an introductory paragraph at the top of this article with basic, balanced context surrounding the ongoing situation. I am only asking that The Canadian Press meet its own published principles.
As you continue to cover the events in the region, I invite you to review The Arab and Middle Earn Journalists Association’s “Media Resource Guide: Palestine / Israel.” I’ve attached the PDF. It was updated October 7, 2023.
Sincerely,
Jason Toney
Director of Media Advocacy, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
[1] United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza conflict (2009), https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/special-sessions/session9/fact-finding-mission, para 276.