"I insist that you refer to Israel’s plan as ethnic cleansing, or use similar clear and accurate phrasing, in future coverage and retract any mentions of evacuation and moving Palestinians in this context. I look forward to hearing from you on this matter."
August 7, 2025
To the CBC News Morning team,
I am writing to suggest some clarifications to your recent broadcast coverage on the CBC News Morning with Heather Hiscox broadcast (Thursday, August 7, 2025) that would help to provide your audience with critical context needed to understand the situation more clearly.
First, I would like to thank you for saying the word “Palestine” in regards to statehood. In the past 22 months of Canadian media coverage of this genocide, we have been hard pressed to find a media outlet that will say the word despite the fact that it is recognized as such by the majority of 193 of UN member states. As Canada is set to officially recognize the Palestinian statehood this September, we hope this language will continue to be a part of your coverage.
At the same time, we encourage you to stop using language that effectively whitewashes the crimes being committed by Israel. The host refers to what the Israeli government is suggesting as the next phase of their plan as an “evacuation” of Palestinians that Israel will be “moving”. What Israel is proposing to do to the Palestinians in Gaza is called ethnic cleansing and it is a war crime under international law.
The CBC has a duty to fully inform Canadians about the legal ramifications of Israel’s actions—and, by extension, those lending support, including the Canadian government. To continue minimizing the gravity of this situation is a failure of journalistic integrity.
CBC’s JSP states that “Good usage and accuracy are essential to high quality journalism. Our language should be simple, clear and concrete.” The term “evacuation” obfuscates the clear reality, that Israel is violently displacing a civilian population in Gaza. There are many ways of describing this reality, but “evacuation” might be the worst possible choice.
I insist that you refer to Israel’s plan as ethnic cleansing, or use similar clear and accurate phrasing, in future coverage and retract any mentions of evacuation and moving Palestinians in this context. I look forward to hearing from you on this matter.
Nikki Mutch
Media Advocate
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East