As it stands the broadcast does not inform viewers of any prior ceasefire violations, nor does it critically examine Israel’s role in undermining the ceasefire. This omission contributes to the dehumanization of victims and does not meet the standard of full, fair, and proper presentation of the news as outlined in the Canadian Association of Journalists’ Ethics Guidelines and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Code of Ethics.
Dear CityNews editorial team and producers,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to express my concern regarding your broadcast on CityNews 24/7 aired on May 3, 2026 at 08:30, reporting on Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon.
While the segment reports that at least 13 people, including women and children, were killed in Israeli strikes, it fails to meet basic journalistic standards of accuracy and fairness by omitting critical context and privileging the Israeli military’s framing of events. Assertions by the Israeli military are presented without qualification or independent verification, which is particularly concerning given the well-documented need for skepticism when reporting claims made by parties to a conflict.
According to Al Jazeera, Israel has been issuing forced evacuation orders in South Lebanon. In many of the Israeli attacks, no warnings, or no reasonably effective warnings, were given, preventing many civilians from evacuating safely. Israel’s vaguely communicated blanket evacuation warnings and displacement orders – covering almost 14 per cent of Lebanon’s territory – have led to the displacement of over a million people, according to the Lebanese authorities. The total death toll since the Israel-Hezbollah war escalated on March 2 is 2,659, with 8,183 injured. While Israel claims that its attacks target Hezbollah, most killed in this war and during the current cewase-fire have been civilians.
As it stands the broadcast does not inform viewers of any prior ceasefire violations, nor does it critically examine Israel’s role in undermining the ceasefire. This omission contributes to the dehumanization of victims and does not meet the standard of full, fair, and proper presentation of the news as outlined in the Canadian Association of Journalists’ Ethics Guidelines and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Code of Ethics.
I urge CityNews to review this segment and center Lebanese perspectives in future on-air broadcasts on the situation in Lebanon.
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Media Analyst
