"By neglecting to include MPs who oppose Israel’s aggressive military operations, your report fails to meet basic standards of journalistic integrity that apply even in segments like this. The lack of balance deprives your audience of the basic context needed to understand the ongoing crisis and Canadian politicians’ views on it."
October 3, 2024
To:
Chris Bury, CTV News Montreal
Dear Mr. Bury,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to express serious concern about the glaringly one-sided coverage of the emergency debate on the crisis in Lebanon at the House of Commons aired by Newstalk 800 CJAD on Oct.2, 2024.
It is unfortunate that your brief report about Parliament’s emergency debate about Lebanon and Israel, called for by NDP MP Heather McPherson, only quoted the views of pro-Israel MP Anthony Housefather, whose particular comments were exceptionally one-sided. By doing so, you ignored the broader parliamentary discourse, including voices that condemned Israel’s actions in both Lebanon and Palestine. Of course, in such a short segment, you cannot be expected to represent all voices. However, the choice to highlight only one, and that of Housefather in particular, is a hallmark of the issue of selective reporting. This selective reporting reflects a troubling pattern in your coverage, which amplifies pro-Israel voices while sidelining those challenging Israel’s ongoing violations of international law.
For example, you could have provided a platform for alternative perspectives, such as those of NDP MPs Heather McPherson and Lindsay Mathyssen—both of whom have vocally condemned Israel’s war crimes in Lebanon and Palestine. McPherson has rightly called for an arms embargo and sanctions on Netanyahu’s extremist government, while Mathyssen emphasized Canada’s duty to confront Israeli war crimes and impose immediate sanctions. These important viewpoints, and others like them, deserve equal attention in your coverage, even if only briefly cited.
By neglecting to include MPs who oppose Israel’s aggressive military operations, your report fails to meet basic standards of journalistic integrity that apply even in segments like this. The lack of balance deprives your audience of the basic context needed to understand the ongoing crisis and Canadian politicians’ views on it.
Please ensure that future reports on this issue include diverse viewpoints ensuring your audience receives balanced and accurate perspectives on these issues rather than unchallenged, one-sided narratives from Israel.
Sincerely,
Lynn Naji
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East