Journalistically speaking, presenting inflated or misattributed figures as fact, without verification, is not only a violation of the core pillar of accuracy but also veers into the realm of propaganda. We therefore ask that CJAD 800 issue an on-air correction to address these two inaccuracies (the estimated date and death toll numbers) to ensure that listeners are provided with properly verified information.
To the CJAD 800 Radio,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (www.cjpme.org) to express concern regarding your recent radio segment featuring Israel’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sharren Haskel, aired on March 23, 2026 at 10:05 AM.
My primary concern is that the segment enabled Israel’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sharren Haskel, to present uncorroborated claims as fact, without sufficient scrutiny or contextualization. I believe the segment fails to meet the journalistic standards of verification, context, and accuracy expected of CJAD 800 Radio.
One such claim presented without evidence was that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps killed 30,000 people, including children, nearly 60 years ago. The assertion was presented in a confusing manner, conflates unrelated events and significantly inflates the reported death toll of executions carried out by the Iranian regime in 1988. The 1988 killings were carried out 37 years ago, not nearly 60, but I am aware of no other notable historical events that otherwise resemble the claim made.
Human Rights Watch say the exact number of executions during the 1988 massacres remains uncertain, with estimates ranging between 2,800 and 5,000 prisoners across at least 32 cities in Iran.
Journalistically speaking, presenting inflated or misattributed figures as fact, without verification, is not only a violation of the core pillar of accuracy but also veers into the realm of propaganda. We therefore ask that CJAD 800 issue an on-air correction to address these two inaccuracies (the estimated date and death toll numbers) to ensure that listeners are provided with properly verified information.
At a time of rising tensions and a growing regional war, accurate information is especially important. While I understand that the host cannot know the intricacies of every historical event during an interview, I believe it would only be responsible to share this information with listeners retroactively to correct the historical record.