"In contrast, the students’ demands, which focus on protesting Israel’s genocidal actions in Gaza and standing in solidarity with Palestinians, are given relatively little attention. The article fails to provide substantial interviews with student leaders or adequately explore their motivations and goals."
November 21, 2024
To:
Joe Lofaro, Digital Reporter, CTV News Montreal
Christopher Bury, Managing Editor, CTV News Montreal
Dear Mr. Lofaro and Mr. Bury,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) regarding your recent article titled “Dawson College to close Thursday after students hold strike in solidarity with Gaza” published on November 19, 2024.
I want to first mention that I appreciate CTV Montreal’s decision to cover this story, as student strikes in support of Gaza have received limited media attention. However, I do take issue with how your article frames the issue, particularly through the headline and lead paragraphs, which emphasize the school closure and alleged “safety” threats. These angles detract from the students’ message and lend undue weight to unfounded claims about security risks.
The article starts off prominently citing Dawson College spokesperson Academic Dean Leanne Bennett, who justifies the closure as a precautionary measure due to “tensions at the college” and the need to protect “students and employees.” Such a statement, particularly when placed at the forefront of the article, implies that the pro-Palestinian student strike poses an inherent risk to safety. Historically, solidarity actions like these have been overwhelmingly peaceful. The repetition of these allegations in subsequent sections of the article further reinforces a prejudicial narrative that portrays the student organizers in a negative light.
In contrast, the students’ demands, which focus on protesting Israel’s genocidal actions in Gaza and standing in solidarity with Palestinians, are given relatively little attention. The article fails to provide substantial interviews with student leaders or adequately explore their motivations and goals. I encourage CTV Montreal to include quotes from the student associations involved higher up in the article. I also believe student associations quoted in your story should have the right to reply to these pointed accusations by Dawson regarding the strike. At the very least, a third-party expert on Montreal’s history of student activism should be provided to diversify your sources and ensure a more balanced perspective.
Lastly, you quote Federation CJA and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) condemning Dawson for capitulating to students “hijacking” the school. These organizations are not merely Jewish groups. They are pro-Israel organizations. Misrepresenting these groups as merely Jewish organizations rather than “pro-Israel” groups is misleading. Given that the Jewish Canadian community is not a monolith, I’m disappointed that Mr. Lofaro didn’t include other voices within Canada’s Jewish community, especially those who are part of the growing Palestine solidarity movement. For every statement that Federation CJA, CIJA or Bnai Brith Canada puts forward condemning Palestinian advocacy, I can find an equal amount of positive statements from Independent Jewish Voices calling for wide ranging divestment and the boycott of complicit Israeli academic institutions. By not including these diverse viewpoints, CTV Montreal fails to meet the journalistic standards set by the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), which emphasize fairness and diversity in reporting. According to the CAJ, diversity is essential to fair reporting, and voices from all segments of society—including minority views within communities—are necessary to uphold public trust and understanding. Solely conveying the opinions of CIJA doesn’t accurately and fulsomely reflect the experiences of the entire Jewish Canadian community of Montreal. It is the responsibility of CTV Montreal, to ensure full understanding of community dynamics.
Please clarify that Federation CJA and CIJA hold pro-Israel stance to prevent misrepresentation and ensure that your readers receive a more nuanced understanding of these pro-Israel organizations' motivations by including the voices of Jewish Canadians standing in solidarity with pro-Palestine protersters.
I trust that you will take these points into account and ensure that your coverage reflects the true concerns of students advocating for Palestinian liberation.
I await your response,
Anthony Issa
Media Analyst CJPME