"This is the press, an irresponsible press. It will make the criminal look like he's the victim and make the victim look like he's the criminal. If you aren't careful the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." Malcolm X. 1964
June 17, 2025
Dear Global News team,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) regarding the segment broadcast this morning, June 17, 2025, on Global News Calgary (CICT). I want to raise serious concerns about the framing and one sidedness of this report.
The opening line makes an unverified implication: “The United States and Israel say they want to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon”. This leads the viewer to believe that Iran is actually pursuing a weapon which is patently untrue. This framing irresponsibly amplifies the narrative advanced by the U.S. and Israeli governments, while failing to inform viewers that these claims are unverified. It is also deeply ironic to omit the fact that Israel itself possesses a longstanding and undeclared nuclear arsenal—something it refuses to subject to international inspections. For decades Israel has been saying an Iranian nuclear bomb is imminent without providing evidence. Repeating this narrative amounts to hysterical fear mongering and serves to normalize and justify Israel’s unlawful acts of aggression.
Given the ample evidence contradicting the claim of an imminent Iranian threat, the report should have included an Iranian perspective or at least acknowledged a counter narrative exists.
Will Global make a correction clearly stating that no evidence has been presented that verifies Iran is “acquiring” a nuclear bomb and ensure that this crucial context is added in future reporting?
Secondly your report cites only US and Israeli sources which violate basic journalistic standards of balance and impartiality. This is a conflict with two sides but your report gives voice to only one. Iran has made many public statements over the past few days but you chose to ignore them and thereby created bias in your segment. This single viewpoint “reporting” is unethical and I hope it does not continue at Global.
Why was the Iranian perspective in this segment ignored?
The broadcast moves into Trump’s belligerent threats towards Iran yet fails to mention the illegality of his words. Regardless of whether or not Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, it is not justification for bombing Tehran or attacking any part of a sovereign state. The fact that you transmit these threats of violence without any context or analysis means you have normalized Israeli and US aggression. This is totally unacceptable. The report casually states “another top Iranian military official” has been killed by Israel like you are updating the weather. You are reporting on an illegal targeted murder. Would Global report so matter-of-factly if an Israeli military commander was assassinated by Iran?
The segment finishes by repeating and reinforcing the Israeli excuse of strikes being necessary to “curtail Iran's nuclear program” backed up with a video clip of an Israeli official saying “the truth of the matter is, there was no other choice”. This is pure propaganda. Global News offered no context, no critical analysis, and no counterpoint to challenge this narrative. This is not balanced journalism—it is an unfiltered platform for Israeli propaganda.
In international law, a “preemptive strike” refers specifically to an act of self-defense in response to an imminent and clearly established threat—one that is about to materialize within hours or days. To date, Israel has produced no valid evidence that Iran was on the verge of launching an attack. In fact, the US made public that there are no signs Iran is seeking to build a nuclear weapon.
The framing, structuring and content of this segment is not mere neutral “reporting”. It is a blatantly one sided piece that reinforces false Israeli/US narratives and attempts to justify Israeli aggression and dehumanize Iranians by omission.
Will you make an on-air correction to rectify the glaring omissions and one-sided framing in this misleading segment?
I hope you take this feedback seriously and I look forward to your response.
Thank you for reading,
Jeff Winch
"This is the press, an irresponsible press. It will make the criminal look like he's the victim and make the victim look like he's the criminal. If you aren't careful the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." Malcolm X. 1964