2023-12-12 CJPME appears in the media about 1,000 times in the course of two months (Oct. 7-Dec. 7)
CJPME’s media efforts have been significantly overhauled in the last year. That work has led to a drastic increase in the voice we have in the Canadian media landscape. Between our press releases, staff comments, and volunteers, CJPME has appeared in almost 1,000 unique stories in Canada. This solidifies us as one of the leading voices in the country on issues related to Palestine.
These stories have included print and online articles, national and local television segments, syndicated radio appearances, and much else. We have appeared in over 350 different media outlets in print, online, television, and radio. 
2023-12-11 CJPME prompts Northern News Services corrections
On December 7, 2023, CJPME complained about a Northern News Services article that appeared in multiple newspapers. The article, “Yellowknife councillors to vote on Israel-Hamas ceasefire motion,” included multiple factual errors. Israeli death toll numbers were exaggerated and claimed to be all civilian deaths. Palestinian casualties were omitted.
The article has since been updated to accurately reflect the facts based on CJPME-provided information. There is also now an editor’s note which reads, “This story has been updated to reflect the corrected Israeli death toll and the amount of Palestinian casualties, according to both sides.”
You can read CJPME’s original letter of complaint here.
2023-12-08 The Maple highlights CJPME's complaint about biased wire service used by Postmedia
On December 8, 2023, The Maple published “Postmedia Called Out For Publishing Israeli Propaganda As ‘News.’” It is focused on CJPME’s complaint that Postmedia (the parent company of National Post and over a hundred other Canadian newspapers) uses a pro-Israel wire service called the Jewish News Syndicate to cover stories about Israel and Palestine. The articles are highly one-sided and repeat the preferred narrative of the Israeli military.
The article shows the value of CJPME’s work in the context of holding media accountable. We appreciate The Maple’s decision to investigate and highlight our work.
CJPME has filed a formal complaint with the National NewsMedia Council about Postmedia’s practice.
2023-12-06 Toronto Star corrects article about “From the river to the sea” chant after CJPME complaint
On December 6, 2023, CJPME learned that a previous complaint with Toronto Star was upheld. The article stated that “to some, [the chant is] a cry for the repatriation of a people kicked to the outskirts of a land they call home.”
CJPME complained that by using the word “outskirts,” the article downplays the Nakba. There are nearly 7 million Palestinian refugees around the world today. They were not merely kicked to the “outskirts” of Palestine. Many were kicked entirely out of the territory and are stateless to this day.
The article now reads, "To some, it’s a cry for the repatriation of a people kicked out of a land they call home." CJPME believes this is a meaningful improvement. We remain committed to demanding fair coverage of pro-Palestine rallies.
2023-11-30 The Taber Times publishes CJPME rebuttal of poll that was revealed to be Israeli covert operation
On November 30, 2023, CJPME volunteer Walter Thomas Beckett was published in the Taber Times. His article, “ASG Israel-Hamas poll methodology suspect,” rebutted a Taber Times piece about a poll conducted by Aurora Strategy Global. Beckett critiqued the suspicious language used in the polling that revealed a sharp bias.
A subsequent investigation by The Breach revealed that the poll was secretly organized by the Israeli consulate in Toronto.
This situation highlights the necessity for journalists to exercise skepticism when reporting on public opinion polls.
CJPME is grateful for the compelling work of its volunteers. Applause is due for Mr. Becket
2023-11-28 After CJPME MAP Alert, Globe and Mail corrects article and adds Editor’s note
On November 28, 2023, CJPME confirmed that Globe and Mail corrected false claims in their article, adding a “Includes clarification” tag at the top and an Editor’s note at the bottom. This was after a CJPME MAP Alert.
Previously, the article claimed that a protest at an Indigo bookstore included “antisemitic messages.” This was an inflammatory and untrue claim, as there were no anti-Jewish messages whatsoever. The Globe removed the reference.
Indigo is being boycotted by many Canadians due to the CEO’s charity that provides funding to foreign soldiers who enlist in Israel’s military. CJPME responders also complained about the Globe and Mail’s failure to include this critical context. We are pleased that subsequent articles have included this information.
An editor’s note now reads: “The photo caption above has been updated to clarify that police allege paint and posters were put on windows of the Indigo store in an incident of hate-motivated mischief targeting Jews.” While still a problematic repetition of the Toronto police’s line about their investigation, it is an important example of CJPME’s MAP holding journalists to account.
2023-11-27 CJPME prompts headline change: From Hamas “command centre” to tunnel with “toilets and air conditioning”
On November 24, 2023, CJPME staff, as well as members of CJPME Saskatoon, wrote to the Saskatoon Star Phoenix about a problematic headline. It read: “Hamas tunnel under Al-Shifa shows how terror group was using the hospital as command center.” However, the story itself described the tunnel under al-Shifa in some detail. Despite Israel’s bold claims about the area serving as a command centre before attacking the hospital, when they went in, they found no more than some toilets and air conditioning — not much else.
After CJPME’s efforts, the headline was updated and now reads, “Toilets and air conditioning: Videos show inside Hamas tunnel under Al-Shifa hospital.” It is a dramatic change and an appropriate one.
This incident helps highlight the need for journalists to be skeptical of Israeli military claims, as history shows the claims are often highly sensationalized. Media should also not exaggerate headlines to generate traffic.
2023-11-23 Newspapers have published over 40 CJPME Media Responder letters since Oct. 7
Since October 7, 2023, CJPME staff, volunteers, and media responders have published more than 40 letters to the editor in newspapers around Canada. The exact number is likely over 50, but some of the links are no longer accessible to us to confirm. A number of CJPME collaborators have also published op-eds in major papers.
That means we have been publishing about a letter a day since the conflict began. This is a remarkable feat in our effort to balance the narrative that is so often biased against Palestinians.
Special thanks to all of our media responders and congratulations to the following volunteers and responders for their recent publications: Brian Otto, Janice Paquette, Asif Kazmi, David Johnson, Melanie Murray, Debbie Hubbard, William Roberts, Tom Beckett, Dahlia Shuhaibar, Renee Nunan-Rappard, and Grace Batchoun. If we forgot your name, we probably missed your publication — please reach out and let us know!
2023-11-16 – CTV admits calling anti-genocide posters "pro-Hamas" an error after CJPME Alert
On November 15, 2023, CJPME launched a MAP Alert about a problematic CTV Montreal News at Six segment. The anchor, Mutsumi Takahashi, said that posters calling for a ceasefire, which were in many of Montreal’s metro stations, were “pro-Hamas.” The issue was compounded by surrounding coverage that excluded Palestinian perspectives and amplified Israeli ones.
On November 16, 2023, CTV Montreal’s Director of News and Public Affairs informed CJPME that “it was an error to label the metro station posters as ‘pro-Hamas’.” As a result, they removed the newscast from their website. While CJPME is glad that CTV acknowledged its mistake, it is inappropriate to merely delete a mistake from the public record and not make a public statement to clarify the error.
CJPME has filed a formal complaint with the Canadian Broadcasting Standards Council (CBSC) demanding that an on-air correction be made.
2023-10-27 – La Presse corrects an article on Hamas tunnels following CJPME letter
On October 22, 2023, La Presse published « Détruire les tunnels pour détruire le Hamas » (“Destroy the tunnels to destroy Hamas”), which misleadingly claimed that Israel ended its occupation of the Gaza Strip in 2005. Following a CJPME letter, La Presse corrected the error, clarifying that Israel only withdrew its illegal settlements and ground forces in 2005. This change helps make clear that Gaza is under Israel’s effective control.
The original text reads:
“The tunnels’ construction began before Israel ended its occupation in 2005.”
The corrected text is:
”Tunnel construction began before Israel withdrew its troops and settlements from the Gaza Strip in 2005.”
Given that La Presse is one of the most-read French-language newspapers by francophones, this is an important improvement.
Version française :
Le 22 octobre 2023, La Presse a publié " Détruire les tunnels pour détruire le Hamas ", qui affirmait de façon trompeuse qu'Israël avait mis fin à son occupation de la bande de Gaza en 2005. À la suite d'une lettre de CJPMO, La Presse a corrigé l'erreur, précisant qu'Israël n'a retiré ses colonies illégales et ses forces terrestres qu'en 2005. Ce changement indique clairement que la bande de Gaza est sous le contrôle effectif d'Israël.
Le texte original se lit comme suit :
« La construction des tunnels a commencé avant qu’Israël cesse son occupation en 2005. »
Le texte corrigé est le suivant :
« La construction des tunnels a commencé avant qu’Israël retire ses troupes et ses colonies de la bande de Gaza en 2005. »
Étant donné que La Presse est l'un des journaux de langue française les plus lus par les francophones, il s'agit d'une amélioration importante.
2023-10-16 – Le Droit adds important editor’s note following CJPME letter
On October 16, 2023, the French-language newspaper Le Droit published «Une nuit qui n’en finit plus» (“A night that never ends”). The article contained unverified allegations of war crimes by Hamas but stated them as fact. Following a CJPME letter of complaint, Le Droit added a note to correct the record.
The journalist, Karine Tremblay, quoted an Israeli citizen’s questionable claims but did not question them. Given the clear violation of journalistic standards, Le Droit published a clarification that reads (translated):
“Le Droit would like to clarify that some of the war crimes reported by our speaker have not yet been confirmed by official bodies, but have been reported in various media.”
It is critical that journalists report on the ongoing conflict carefully and fulfill their basic journalistic responsibilities. CJPME is glad to see Le Droit take accountability.
Version Français :
Le 16 octobre 2023, le journal francophone Le Droit a publié "Une nuit qui n'en finit plus". L'article contenait des allégations non vérifiées de crimes de guerre commis par le Hamas, mais les présentait comme des faits. Suite à une lettre de plainte de CJPME, Le Droit a ajouté une note pour rectifier l'article.
La journaliste, Karine Tremblay, a cité les affirmations douteuses d'un citoyen israélien mais ne les a pas remises en question. Compte tenu de la violation manifeste des normes journalistiques, Le Droit a publié une mise au point qui se lit comme suit :
« PRÉCISION - La Tribune tient à préciser que certains crimes de guerre rapportés par notre intervenante n'ont pas encore été confirmés par les instances officielles, mais rapportés dans différents médias. »
Il est essentiel que les journalistes rendent compte du conflit en cours avec prudence et qu'ils assument leurs responsabilités journalistiques fondamentales. CJPMO se réjouit de voir Le Droit prendre ses responsabilités.
2023-10-17 Three Toronto Star articles corrected after CJPME complaint
On October 17, 2023, CJPME complained that all three articles published by Tonda MacCharles of the Toronto Star omitted Palestinian casualties despite noting Israelis killed. Given that Israel’s attacks have killed thousands of civilians, these numbers are essential for readers to understand the asymmetrical nature of the violence.
Following CJPME’s complaint, the Toronto Star acknowledged the problem in an email and updated all three pieces.
The three articles are:
- “Israel-Hamas war: Mélanie Joly says sixth Canadian confirmed dead, two others still missing – ‘she was a brilliant, beautiful young woman’”(published October 17),
- “Cabinet minister says her daughter hides her star of David necklace – and that she feels ‘heartbreak and fear’ as a parent”(published October 16)
- “Israel-Hamas war: Canadians trapped in Gaza may be able to leave Saturday, Ottawa says”(published October 13)
We appreciate the Star’s prompt resolution of this issue, but we continue to monitor for similar unfair omissions.
2023-10-16 – Toronto Star corrects article following CJPME alert
On October 16, 2023, CJPME received confirmation from the Toronto Star that changes were made to an article by Allan Woods following a CJPME alert. The article was titled, “Israel-Hamas war: Will Israel face tunnel warfare in Gaza?”
The changes included removing quotation marks from the word refugees (in reference to Palestinian refugees) as well as including Palestinian casualty numbers, which were omitted despite reference to Israeli casualties.
We are appreciative of the MAP Responders who helped us in this effort and applaud the Toronto Star for making these prompt changes.
2023-10-16 – CJPME prompts CBC to correct inaccurate map of Palestine
On October 16, 2023, CJPME launched an alert about a CBC article by Chris Brown titled, “Palestinian workers stranded in West Bank fear for families in Gaza — but refuse to condemn Hamas.”
Following the alert and a formal letter of complaint by CJPME, CBC promptly corrected an inaccurate map that showed Israel as including all of Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. The map was an egregious violation of CBC’s own standards and ran afoul of Canada’s own policy.
CBC’s Sr. Manager of Journalistic Standards, Nancy Waugh, confirmed via email that the change was made in response to CJPME efforts. You can read CJPME’s letter here.
2023-10-16 – CJPME publishes over 20 Letters to the Editor since October 7
Since October 7, 2023, CJPME has published over 20 Letters to the Editor in various newspapers in Canada. The content has primarily focused on challenging misinformation, anti-Palestinian racism, and unbalanced media coverage of the ongoing events in Gaza.
While a flood of problematic media continues to pour in, these letters help fight unfair narratives about Palestine and its people.
So far, we’ve published letters in:
- Globe and Mail
- Toronto Star
- Winnipeg Free Press
- The SaltWire Network (various newspapers in Atlantic Canada)
- Cape Breton Post (Sydney)
- The Chronicle Herald (Nova Scotia)
- The Guardian (Charlottetown)
- Niagara Falls Review
- The Standard (St. Catharines, ON)
- Niagara Falls Review (ON)
- Welland Tribune (ON)
- Orangeville Citizen
- The Telegram
- Surrey Now-Leader (BC)
- Pique Newsmagazine
Some of these publications have published multiple letters by CJPME. All of our Letters to the Editor can be found in this list.