The Media Accountability Project  

Article lacks balance; omits Palestinian perspectives

"I was also disappointed that the news report failed to include any Palestinian voices or perspectives.. Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza have been directly impcted in every aspect of their lives as a result of the 15-month long genocide in Gaza. You can’t declare that you are presenting a balanced report on the ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire agreement if there is no opportunity for a Palestinian to express their opinion."

January 14, 2025

Dear Mr. McAviney and Mr. Sekhon,

I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to express concern regarding a Global News segment, which was part of Global National on January 13. It featured a report by Vincent McAviney discussing the status of a potential ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. 

Language is powerful and can imply or create  doubt or bias in the minds of the listener. Since 2007, the Palestinian Ministry of Health – Gaza, has been responsible for managing healthcare and medical services in Gaza. Using ‘Hamas-run’ to describe the Health Ministry rather than the official name could create doubt about the accuracy of the reported number of casualties.

I was also disappointed that the news report failed to include any Palestinian voices or perspectives.. Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza have been directly impacted in every aspect of their lives as a result of the 15-month long genocide in Gaza. You can’t declare that you are presenting a balanced report on the ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire agreement if there is no opportunity for a Palestinian to express their opinion. 

Your Journalistic Practices and Principles state that “Our primary directive is to report accurate, balanced, timely and comprehensive news and information in the public interest…Integrity, fairness and transparency are at the foundation of our newsgathering process.

The two concerns I have identified violate your stated principles of balance and fairness.

It is your duty to ensure fair representation of perspectives and facts, particularly on sensitive and controversial topics.

I hope Global News will consider these concerns and endeavor to address them in future news reports.

Sincerely,

Debbie Hubbard

CJPME: Okanagan

Kelowna, British Columbia

 

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