"CJPME is extremely disappointed by this editorial decision by CTV as the suffering of Palestinians, particularly in Gaza following October 7, is a crucial part of this ongoing story, yet it is almost entirely absent from your coverage. You should have included interviews with grieving Palestinian families whose loved ones have been killed in Gaza."
October 8, 2024
To:
Rosa Hwang, Executive Producer, CTV National News
Omar Sachedina, Chief News Anchor and Senior Editor, CTV National News
To CTV’s National News broadcasting newsroom,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to express deep concern regarding CTV National News recent broadcast titled “Israel bombards Lebanon,” reflecting the events that occurred on October 7, 2023.
Over the course of the 23-minute broadcast, most of the content focuses on the suffering of Israelis describing their experiences and the Jewish community of Montreal feeling unsafe due to increased antisemitism. The program portrays October 7 solely through the lens of Israeli suffering, with no critical analysis of the broader context that led to the events of that day. Apart from one Palestinian briefly featured in a segment about the Gaza visa program, the broadcast fails to offer any meaningful engagement with Palestinian voices. CJPME is extremely disappointed by this editorial decision by CTV as the suffering of Palestinians, particularly in Gaza following October 7, is a crucial part of this ongoing story, yet it is almost entirely absent from your coverage. You should have included interviews with grieving Palestinian families whose loved ones have been killed in Gaza.
I also take issue with the segment from 7:46-9:49 about the rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia in Canada due to Oct. 7 and Israel’s subsequent military siege in Gaza. The video is very one-sided as CTV makes no mention of the rise of anti-Palestinian racism or attacks on Arab institutions and mosques. The broadcast highlights alleged violence against Jewish institutions and then cites CIJA statistics about Jewish Canadians feeling unsafe, without balanced sourcing or similar data regarding Palestinians and Arab Canadians experiencing a parallel increase in hate crimes.
I sincerely hope that CTV National News has plans to incorporate more Palestinian voices in upcoming broadcasts. As it stands, your broadcast does a disservice to your viewers and fails to meet basic journalistic standards by silencing Palestinians and their narratives.
I await your response,
Anthony Issa
Media Analyst
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East