"It is the journalist’s responsibility to accurately represent both sides of the story, which means you have to mention the motivations behind the student protests, which stem from Israel’s indiscriminate bombings of Palestinians in Gaza."
June 11, 2024
To:
Andy Riga, Reporter, Montreal Gazette
Marilena Lucci, Editor-in-Chief, Montreal Gazette
Jeff Blond, Managing Editor, Montreal Gazette
Dear Mr. Andy, Ms. Marilena, and Mr. Jeff,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to express concerns regarding your article: “Projectiles' thrown at police at McGill, UQAM pro-Palestinian protests: chief” published by Montreal Gazette on June 10, 2024.
First, I take issue with the headline “Projectiles' thrown at police at McGill, UQAM pro-Palestinian protests: chief.” The headline emphasizes the police chief’s defense against McGill and UQAM pro-Palestine protestors, making the narrative sympathetic to the police and prioritizing their narratives. Moreover, the headline does not mention the protestors’ perspectives and their reasons for demonstrating, thus, highlighting one side of the story while downplaying the other. I urge you to change the headline to “Pro-Palestine protestors accuse police of disproportionate force”.
Second, your article reports the police chief’s statements extensively, providing a comprehensive view of his defense and including quotes about projectiles. However, statements from the protestors are positioned after an extensive recounting of the police narrative and buried at the end, limited to two statements from a student group without further elaboration or context. You write: “The protesters are demanding McGill divest from investments in Israel and break academic ties with Israeli institutions. The student group said it is against ‘police on campus and police brutality.’”
This structural choice implies a lower priority on the protestors’ viewpoint. Your article is, therefore, unbalanced and presents a narrative that heavily favors the police perspective while marginalizing the protestor’s viewpoint.
On June 6, McGill students occupied the James administration building to call their university to publicly condemn the genocide in Gaza and stop the economic forces that enable it. Providing context on the McGill and UQAM demonstrations would inform readers that the student escalations are responses to Israel’s massacres of Rafah and Jabalia. I suggest adding this context to your article:
- In Tal-al Sultan in Rafah on the night of Sunday, May 26, 2024, Israel unleashed seven 900kg bombs alongside missiles on Palestinian displacement camps.
- There are harrowing videos showing burnt bodies extracted from the flames, toddlers who have been decapitated, and Palestinians with blown-off limbs. The United Nations Hyman Rights Office of the High Commissioner reported that at least 46 Palestinians were killed in this Israeli air strike in Rafah with 23 victims being children, women, or elderly persons.
It is the journalist’s responsibility to accurately represent both sides of the story, which means you have to mention the motivations behind the student protests, which stem from Israel’s indiscriminate bombings of Palestinians in Gaza.
I, therefore, urge you to mention the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the broader boycott and divestment that the students are calling for. You can directly quote McGill’s intentions behind their occupation of the James administration building on June 6th.
I hope you make these edits promptly and keep in mind my recommendations in future reporting on students who are encamping and demonstrating against the genocide in Gaza.
Sincerely,
Lynn Naji
Junior Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East