The Media Accountability Project  

Dear Global News and M. Semple,

I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to express concern regarding your recent video interview featuring Iranian exile Ali Rezaei Madj published Mar 15, 2026.

I believe the video fails to meet journalistic standards regarding context, verification, and balance expected by Global.

First, the segment presents Mr. Rezaei Madj as a “normal person” and a former fitness trainer without disclosing relevant information about his political orientation and activism. 

After reviewing M. Rezaei Madj’s public instagram, it is clear that he is an outspoken supporter of the Iranian monarchist movement, praises Israel, MAGA and openly supports Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s former Shah. 

 

Supporters of the Pahlavi dynasty (monarchists) are considered problematic by various observers, opposition groups, and Iranians due to a combination of historical baggage, the nature of their current opposition activities, and the perceived authoritarian tendencies within their movement.

This political context is important for Canadians viewers unaware of the numerous Iranian political movements and opposition groups. By excluding this information, the segment misleads viewers into interpreting his views as representative of all Iranians in opposition to the current regime when this is clearly not the case.

This leads to my next point of concern which is that the segment relies entirely on a single voice to characterize the sentiments of Iranians both inside and outside the country. Mr. Rezaei Madj makes sweeping claims about the attitudes of millions of people without any counterbalancing perspectives or journalistic scrutiny. For example, he asserts that, “you cannot find any real Persian that is upset about the war that right now is happening in Iran,” suggesting that all “real Persians” support foreign military attacks on their country. Such a claim is extraordinary and highly controversial, yet the segment offers no alternative viewpoints from other Iranians, scholars, or analysts who might challenge or contextualize this assertion. Presenting such sweeping generalizations without balance is a distorted impression of Iranian public opinion by Global and M. Semple.

Additionally, the interview with Mr. Rezaei Madj allows questionable factual claims to pass without challenge. At one point, Mr. Rezaei Madj states that “the casualties goes more than 40,000 people” in reference to protesters killed by Iranian authorities. While the Iranian government’s repression of protests has indeed resulted in significant loss of life and has been widely condemned by human rights organizations, the figure cited by Mr. Rezaei Madj is far beyond any credible estimates reported by reputable sources. Yet this claim is neither questioned nor contextualized by the interviewer, leaving viewers with the impression that the figure is factual.

According to the latest report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mai Sato, examining the regime’s crackdown on nationwide protests between December 2025 and January 2026, there remain significant discrepancies in reported casualty figures. The report notes:

“According to a statement of 22 January by the National Security Council, 3,117 people were killed. Of these, the State describes 2,427 as ‘innocent civilians and defenders of public order and security’ allegedly killed by ‘terrorists’, and the remaining 690 as ‘terrorists’. Figures submitted to the Rapporteur from non-State sources run into the tens of thousands, including reports from health professionals and information from families who visited overwhelmed morgues across various cities. A conservative estimate from 15 February records 7,015 confirmed deaths (at least 6,508 protesters including 226 minors; 214 security force members; and others), with a further 11,744 deaths under review.”

Even the highest documented estimates therefore fall significantly short of the 40,000 deaths cited by Mr. Rezaei Madj. Given that this UN report has been publicly available since March 9, 2026, the Globe and Mail had ample opportunity to verify or contextualize the claim. Allowing such a dramatic figure to stand without challenge misinforms viewers about the scale of the protests and the violence that followed. At minimum, this claim should be corrected or clarified through an editor’s note.

Taken together, these issues (failure to disclose the interviewee’s political affiliations, reliance on a single and highly partisan source, lack of scrutiny toward questionable factual claims on Iranians killed in anti-government protests, and the broadcasting of sweeping generalizations about an entire population) fall short of the Globe and Mail’s responsibility to provide accurate, contextualized, and balanced reporting on complex international issues.

I urge Global to consider these concerns and to ensure that future coverage of Iran includes a broader range of perspectives and more rigorous fact-checking. I also believe Global should issue an editor's note clarifying the number of Iranians killed in anti-regime protests is under review, with estimates between 3,117 and 11,744.

Thank you for your time,