"To ensure balanced reporting and avoid double standards in your reporting, I, therefore, recommend explicitly stating that these Palestinians were killed by Israel. This adjustment would maintain accurate reporting and uphold the high standards of journalism expected by The Globe and Mail's readers."
April 25, 2024
To:
Adrian Morrow, US Correspondent, The Globe and Mail
Sandra Martin, Standards Editor, The Globe and Mail
Dear Adrian Morrow,
I am writing to ask for correction in the article: “Pro-Palestinian protesters dig in at Columbia University, other U.S. campuses,” published on April 24 in The Globe and Mail.
The first point I'd like to address is regarding the "six-month-old invasion of the Gaza strip," which should be edited to military invasion. According to the International Press Institute’s glossary of loaded language, failing to precede operation with “military” diminishes the confrontational or violent nature of the action. I suggest making this change for the sake of accuracy, as the term "invasion" could potentially imply non-military forms of invasion.
Secondly, when mentioning the death toll of Israel’s military assault on Gaza, you write:
"After Hamas killed about 1,200 people during an Oct. 7 attack on Israel, more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza."
While it's clear for you that Hamas was responsible for the 1,200 deaths in Israel on Oct. 7, the passive voice used in reporting the 34,000 Palestinian deaths obscures Israel’s responsibility. Over the past six months, various sources, including news media outlets, Human Rights organizations, and the International Court of Justice, have reported on the systematic, targeted attacks by the Israeli military and the plausibility of a genocide.
To ensure balanced reporting and avoid double standards in your reporting, I, therefore, recommend explicitly stating that these Palestinians were killed by Israel.
This adjustment would maintain accurate reporting and uphold the high standards of journalism expected by The Globe and Mail's readers.
Sincerely,
Mary Ann Matta,
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East