"The article reports that Canada was not involved in any operations and had no advance notification of the U.S. strikes. However, publicly available reporting from CBC News indicates that up to 18 Canadian Forces members were deployed on exchange with U.S. units in Bahrain and Qatar at the time of the strikes. Former senior Canadian general Denis Thompson stated that, absent explicit restrictions from Ottawa, it is highly likely that Canadian officers embedded with U.S. forces would have been involved at some level in planning or coordination."
Dear Canadian Press and CTV editorial teams,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to express concern regarding your article, “Canada urges diplomatic solution in Iran, won’t say if it views strikes as illegal,” published March 2, 2026.
My primary concern is that the article repeats claims by Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand without adequate scrutiny or contextualization.
The article reports that Canada was not involved in any operations and had no advance notification of the U.S. strikes. However, publicly available reporting from CBC News indicates that up to 18 Canadian Forces members were deployed on exchange with U.S. units in Bahrain and Qatar at the time of the strikes. Former senior Canadian general Denis Thompson stated that, absent explicit restrictions from Ottawa, it is highly likely that Canadian officers embedded with U.S. forces would have been involved at some level in planning or coordination.
While the Department of National Defence disputes this assessment, the existence of this dispute is itself relevant. By excluding this context, the article presents the government’s claim of non-involvement as uncontested fact.
Under the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) Ethics Guidelines, journalists are expected to distinguish clearly between assertions and verified fact. In this case, the article does not provide readers with sufficient context to assess the completeness or credibility of the government’s statement.
Second, the article relies almost exclusively on Canadian government sources, including Minister Anand, Prime Minister Carney, and official statements. Missing are perspectives from international law experts, former diplomats, Iranian voices, or independent analysts. Senior Canadian diplomatic figures have publicly questioned both the legality and prudence of Canada’s support for the strikes. The absence of such perspectives results in single-viewpoint reporting on a highly controversial act involving the assassination of a foreign head of state.
The CAJ’s principles of fairness and diversity require that the media provide a meaningful range of credible viewpoints, particularly in matters of war and international law.
Third, I take issue with the lack of precision and passive voice used when framing the civilian deaths in Iran: “Iranian officials have said more than 150 people, including children, died after a reported missile strike hit a school in southern Iran.”
Using the words “died” rather than “killed” creates a passive tone in your sentence while also obscuring the fact Israel struck the school in southern Iran. Also, describing the direct attack by Israel as a “reported missile strike” weakens the credibility of the statement without reason. Israel is not contesting this attack and UNESCO says that the bombing came from US and Israeli military attacks on Iran. Given this context, there is no reason to raise journalistic skepticism
The IMEU guidance for journalists stresses the importance of avoiding passive voice when reporting on Israeli strikes on civilians. As it stands, the article also violates CAJ principles and it should be revised to clearly state who carried out the strike if known, or attribute uncertainty explicitly.
Finally, the article repeats the government’s justification that Canada supports the United States in “acting to prevent” Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon without examining whether such a threat was imminent, whether the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed an active weapons program, or whether preventive military action complies with international law.
The IAEA has continued to monitor Iran’s nuclear program and has not confirmed the existence of an active nuclear weapons program.
Presenting a contested security justification without contextual analysis risks blurring the line between assertion and verified fact.
To conclude, I request that CTV and the Canadian Press revise this article by reviewing my four concerns. Your reporting needs to adhere to the expected standards of Canadian journalistic ethics, especially as the war on Iran continues and your coverage follows.
I look forward to your response, and I will be monitoring your coverage in the coming days, if not weeks.
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Media Analyst
