"Please correct your inaccurate claim by referring to future broadcasts of this investigation in the context of “Israel’s war on Gaza” and not the overly passive term “conflict in the Middle East.” I also believe that this deserves an on-air-correction as this framing is insulting to the many Arab-Canadians and Jewish-Canadians impacted by the war who live in Montreal and listen in to your broadcast daily."
December 4, 2024
To:
Jonathan Whitten, News Director, CityNews
Dear Mr. Whitten,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to express concern over your news segment aired at 6:45 am on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. I take particular issue with your mention that “the Quebec government is launching an investigation into two English-language CEGEPs in Montreal in the context of a conflict in the Middle East.”
It is both inaccurate and broad to frame the Quebec Minister’s investigation into safety concerns at Dawson and Vanier CEGEPs as being related to “the conflict in the Middle East.” For more than a year, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has been widely recognized as genocidal from the ICJ and UN bodies/experts, has killed least 44,532 Palestinians - including 17,492 children, with more than 10,000 missing with many still trapped under the rubble of bombed homes and tents. Students have been striking in solidarity with the Palestinians, protesting against Israel's ongoing genocide in occupied Gaza.
This is not merely a response to "the conflict in the Middle East"—it is part of a broader academic boycott movement and an extension of the student encampments that occurred over the summer. The significance of these protests is far more nuanced than your segment suggests.
Furthermore, in her radio interview, Minister Déry specifically referred to la guerre au Proche-Orient / the war in the Levant region (ie. Israel’s military siege on Gaza) and not a generalized conflict.
Given the journalistic standards set by the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), which emphasize fairness and accuracy in reporting, please correct your inaccurate claim by referring to future broadcasts of this investigation in the context of “Israel’s war on Gaza” and not the overly passive term “conflict in the Middle East.” I also believe that this deserves an on-air-correction as this framing is insulting to the many Arab-Canadians and Jewish-Canadians impacted by the war who live in Montreal and listen in to your broadcast daily.
Please understand that my concerns are rooted in a good-faith effort to hold Canadian media accountable for their coverage of the Israel-Palestine issue and to raise awareness about harmful stereotypes that dehumanize Arabs.
I look forward to your prompt response and to seeing concrete changes in your future reporting.
Warmest regards,
Lynn Naji
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East