The Media Accountability Project  

To Global News producers and editors,

I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to express concern regarding a broadcast segment on Global Durham – Global News Morning, aired on March 13, 2025 at 6:15 a.m., which discussed the upcoming Al-Quds Day protest.

I take issue with the following statement in the broadcast:

“Thousands of people taking to the streets of Iran to mark al-Quds Day… The annual day was established by the Ayatollah after the 1979 Islamic revolution… It's a way to express solidarity with Palestinians in opposition to Israeli control of Jerusalem. The day often gives rise to anti-Israel rhetoric, which is raising global concerns given current tensions in the Middle East… while rallies are scheduled in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver.”

While it is accurate that Al-Quds Day originated in Iran in 1979 following the Iranian Revolution, the broadcast presented this fact in a manner that reduces the pluralistic aspect of these protests into a single state-driven narrative originating from Iran. This framing strips away the varied motivations of the different civil society groups that attend these demonstrations held in numerous countries.

These rallies often involve coalitions of student organizations, anti-war activists, diaspora communities, and human rights advocates.

The broadcast's presentation of Al-Quds Day misleads its audience by linking these protests in cities such as Toronto or Montreal directly to state-sponsored rallies in Iran. This dehumanizing framing portrays Canadians who attend these demonstrations as terrorist sympathizers acting on behalf of a foreign state.

Such framing falls short of the Canadian Association of Journalists’ principle of accuracy, which requires journalists to provide sufficient context for audiences to properly understand events.

Consider for example, a hypothetical broadcast segment on International Women’s Day which framed a Women's Day march as through the lens that it's an expression of Bolshevik ideology as it was first institutionalized as a state holiday in the Soviet Union by Vladimir Lenin in 1922. The same dynamic applies to Al-Quds Day. While it originated in Iran, its current expression in the context of Canada reflects a wide range of political, religious, and political advocacy related to Palestine.

For example, the UK based Islamic Human Rights Commission has described the Al-Quds Day march in the United Kingdom as a long-standing public demonstration involving participants from multiple faith traditions, including Muslim, Christian, and Jewish organizations, and aimed at advocating for Palestinian rights.

Although reasonable people may disagree about the political implications of these demonstrations, responsible journalism requires that audiences receive sufficient context to understand the range of perspectives surrounding them.

For this reason, I recommend that Global News consider a more contextualized script when reporting on Al-Quds Day events. For example:

Today marks the annual observance of Al-Quds Day, an international day of protest and solidarity focused on the status of Jerusalem and Palestinian rights. Established in Iran in 1979, the event has since evolved into a global phenomenon observed in many countries.

In Iran, state-organized rallies drew large crowds expressing opposition to Israeli and U.S. policies in the region. Meanwhile, in cities across Europe and North America, activists are organizing demonstrations that they say aim to highlight Palestinian human rights after Israel's military siege on Gaza which lasted two-years.

Authorities in some cities have debated whether to restrict these demonstrations, citing concerns over political tensions, while organizers argue that the marches represent a legitimate form of political expression.

I would also encourage Global News to review guidance such as the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association’s Reporting on Iran Guide, which asks reporters "to be aware of local context and historical nuance in reporting on unrest or protest."