2024-01-31 Montréal Gazette made a change following a CJPME letter
On January 31, Montréal Gazette made a change following a CJPME letter.
The Montréal Gazette opinion article by Allison Hanes was about Islamophobia and, largely, different types of hate.
While Hanes mentioned that “1,200 [Israeli civilians] were murdered [on Oct. 7],” she omitted to mention the number of Palestinian casualties since October 7.
Following CJPME’s letter, Hanes added that “more than 26, 000 Palestinians have been killed.”
2024-01-29 The Hill Times published two letters by CJPME volunteers
On January 29 and 24, the Hill Times ran letters by MAP volunteers. “Liberals failing to prevent genocide” by Thomas Becket argued that the Liberals weren’t doing enough to prevent genocide. His words ring even more true since Canada’s defunding of UNRWA. “Israel should have no say in deciding who should be allowed to come to Canada” by Renée Nunan-Rappard highlights many of the double standards surrounding Canada’s immigration program for Palestinians in Gaza.
CJPME appreciates the excellent contributions of our dedicated volunteers. Lasting change comes from the bottom up.
2024-01-23 Winnipeg Free Press changes offensive headline after CJPME complaint
On January 23, the Editor of the Winnipeg Free Press informed CJPME that he changed a headline after a complaint. “Escaping the Gaza chaos” told the story of Israeli teenagers who left a town in northeastern Israel, the furthest point from Gaza in Israel. The story misleadingly described Israel as “war-torn” and portrayed Israelis as escaping the same kind of threats as those faced by Palestinians in Gaza, who have faced genocidal attacks for over 100 days.
While none of the article’s problematic language was changed, the headline was altered to “Young Israeli skaters get a reprieve from the horrors back home.” To conflate Palestinian and Israeli suffering is a form of anti-Palestinian racism. The violence experienced by Palestinians is 20 times worse than Israelis by death toll alone at this point. This doesn’t even consider the damage to homes, infrastructure, and much else.
CJPME plans on submitting a complaint to the National NewsMedia Council regarding these issues, but a change to the headline was an important modification nonetheless.
2024-01-23 CBC admits to amplifying damaging hearsay, issues corrections and editor’s note
On January 23, 2023, CBC British Columbia’s Director of Journalism and Programming informed CJPME that it had made several changes to an article of concern, “UBC family medicine prof resigns, claiming antisemitism in faculty and student body.” CJPME complained that the article was vague and made loaded claims about an important document based entirely on hearsay.
CBC updated the article to make clear that they did not have access to the document they were reporting on, a petition created by medical students at the University of British Columbia, which was slandered in the piece for allegedly dehumanizing Jewish people. Acknowledging that this wasn’t fair, CBC’s article now reads:
The CBC has not viewed the [UBC medical students’] petition, but a CTV report notes the document does "not condone the actions of Hamas in attacking Israeli citizens and taking hostages" and describes Palestinians as "continually abused, traumatized and killed by the settler state of Israel.
In addition, an editor’s note now reads:
This story has been updated with additional context and to clarify that CBC News has not seen the petition referenced by Ted Rosenberg.
This was a profound oversight by CBC and a damning admission of bias. The situation displays a willingness to accept anti-Palestinian claims without proper evidence or vetting. CBC should be acknowledged for its transparent response and taking accountability.
2024-01-17 Ottawa Citizen issues correction to rectify significant underreporting of Palestinian casualty numbers
On January 17, 2024, CJPME learned that the Ottawa Citizen corrected an article following a CJPME complaint. The article was about a pro-Palestinian protest on the 100th day of Israel’s deadly military campaign in Gaza.
The article included an inaccurate number of Palestinians killed by Israel. The author, Marlo Glass, had originally reported that the death toll was “nearing 20,000,” but he has since corrected it to “surpassing 24,000.”
While CJPME has been disappointed by the Ottawa Citizen’s coverage since October 7, this decent article and prompt change is a step in the right direction.
2024-01-15 Powell River Peak publishes CJPME letter to the editor to correct false claim by mayor
On January 15, 2024, CJPME was informed that a major correction, in the form of a letter to the editor, was published by the newspaper Powell River Peak. The article in question, “Councillors support ceasefire,” was published online and in print. It contained a glaring false claim by the mayor of Powell River, Ron Woznow. Powell River Peak paraphrased the mayor, stating “Hamas, the Palestinian government, received $6 billion from Syria and other Arab countries to launch an attack on Israel, which led to many deaths.” This is a disproven conspiracy spread largely by right-wing factions in the US.
In response to this false claim, CJPME sent a letter of complaint making clear the mayor’s claim was false. You can read that here.
Powell River Peak’s editor removed the statement from the online article and accepted a CJPME letter to the editor to correct the record in print. CJPME’s Fatima Haidar’s letter reads:
Mayor Ron Woznow claims that Hamas, the Palestinian government, received $6 billion from Syria and other Arab countries to launch an attack on Israel. This is a lie. With a simple search, one can find that this claim misinterprets another story: the August prisoner swap deal between Iran and the United States. The agreement brokered $6 billion of Iranian assets unfrozen in exchange for the release of five American prisoners. The original claim came from Republicans, who believed the $6 billion was the US taxpayers’ money. It is not. It is Iranian funds and not a single penny of the $6 billion has yet been spent. Woznow cannot make such a claim without providing any evidence, especially as an elected official. The media also has a moral duty to make sure that it publishes accurate information and not lies. Such a bold statement only furthers the ongoing misinformation and disinformation about the October 7 events. One expects more than elected officials and media participating in information warfare.
While CJPME appreciates Powell River Peak’s effort to correct the record, a clear editor’s note should also have been added to the online edition to make the deletion of the mayor’s comments clearer. CJPME is dedicated to holding the media to account during the ongoing avalanche of misinformation related to the 2023 Gaza-Israel Conflict.
2024-01-15 CJPME complaint leads to Toronto Star correction and editor’s note
On January 15, 2024, CJPME learned that the Toronto Star corrected an article and added an editor’s note for clarification following a CJPME complaint. The article was about Canada’s initial silence regarding South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide, which is now in front of the ICJ.
The article included an inaccurate account of Palestinian deaths. To resolve the issue, the Star reframed the paragraph, which now includes information about the deaths of women and children, and added an editor’s note which reads:
This story has been updated to provide more context on the death tolls in the Israel-Hamas war.
CJPME appreciates the Toronto Star’s notable efforts to make clear corrections and clarifications for its readers when appropriate.
2024-01-11 – CBC corrects an article and a headline following a CJPME complaint.
On January 11, 2024, CJPME learned that CBC corrected an article and headline following a CJPME complaint.
The article was about a pro-Palestine protest, and it included accusations that the protest was targeting a “Jewish neighbourhood.”
CJPME’s Fatima Haidar complained that CBC writing “Jewish neighbourhood” meant taking the biased claims of pro-Israel groups at face value. This smear tactic is being used against pro-Palestine demonstrators across Canada. Pro-Israel groups are trying to portray demonstrators as being antisemitic for protesting in “Jewish neighbourhoods,” but it’s not clear what that even means. The protests this CBC article focused on, in Windsor and Toronto, were both diverse neighbourhoods.
After our complaint, CBC reformulated the sentence this way: “Organizers say they weren't aware they were marching in a neighbourhood considered to be Jewish.”
Similarly, the headline was changed from “Pro-Palestinian march in Jewish neighbourhood sparks criticism from Windsor Jewish Federation” to now reading “Pro-Palestinian march in neighbourhood groups says is historically Jewish sparks criticism.”
This subtle change is hugely important in combatting unfair portrayals of pro-Palestine rallies. Smear campaigns like this are unacceptable and should not be propped up by news media.
2024-01-11 – 10 media outlets publish CJPME letter to the editor
On January 11, 2024, CJPME had a letter to the editor published in 10 media outlets on the same day.
Fatima Haidar was published in Gananoque Reporter, The Belleville Intelligencer, Kingston This Week, Trenton Trentonian, The Kingston Whig-Standard, Napanee Guide, The Recorder & Times, County Weekly News, Pembroke Observer and News, and Cornwall Standard Freeholder.
Haidar argued that the situation in Israel-Palestine is not a religious war. This was in response to the claim being made by another writer.
You can read the unedited letter here.
CJPME continues to put a significant emphasis on publishing letters in newspapers around the country. Publishing pieces like these helps set the record straight on Palestine and Palestinians. That editors continue publishing our work also shows the legitimacy we have built up with newsrooms and our ever-growing influence in the public discourse.
2024-01-10 – Global News corrects an article following a CJPME complaint.
On January 10, 2024, CJPME learned that Global News corrected an article following a CJPME complaint.
The article was about a Toronto pro-Palestine protest, and it claimed that its placement was chosen because it is neighbourhood “with a large Jewish population.”
CJPME’s Fatima Haidar complained that the organizers of the protests released a press statement, “Eglinton-Lawrence & Don Valley 4 Palestine,” which makes clear that the protests are not taking place in the location because it is a “Jewish neighborhood.”
Haidar suggested adding a reference to this press statement and giving voice to the Toronto January 6 protest organizers to counterbalance the critics’ point of view. Haidar added that the press statement also shows that the protests at Avenue Road were part of a larger effort, which included protests at high-visibility sites all over Toronto and Ontario.
Global News added the following paragraphs:
Organizers, however, have said the location of the demonstration was not chosen because of local demographics and said attendees include people of various faiths and backgrounds.
“We are protesting because of its accessibility to us and its visibility,” a statement from Eglinton-Lawrence and Don Valley for Palestine said.
The group said it was following a model used to draw attention to other causes, including the war in Ukraine.
These notable changes seek to make media more accurate and balanced regarding pro-Palestine protests across the country.
2024-01-05 NNC sides with CJPME, Niagara Independent makes significant changes to article
On January 5, 2023, CJPME learned that the National NewsMedia Council (an ethics body in Canada) sided with us in regard to a complaint against an article in the Niagara Independent. You can read the original letter of complaint here.
The Niagara Independent newspaper published a racist article by Chris George with false claims and hateful language. The paper categorized the article as “News.” After a CJPME complaint, the paper re-categorized the article as “Opinion” and made corrections, like deleting references to babies beheaded by Hamas, which there is no evidence of. However, despite these major changes, no editor’s note was added to the article to inform the reader of the changes. It is imperative that when editors make notable changes, notes are added to make it obvious to the reader.
CJPME filed a complaint with the NNC about the failure to add an editor’s note. In a recent email, the NNC informed both CJPME and Niagara Independent that the newspaper should add an editor’s note. Despite the NNC’s clear recommendation, the Niagara Independent has still not yet added an editor’s note. This is a stain on their journalism.
The NNC was clear, writing:
We would agree with you that content should be labelled appropriately and best practice is to include an editor's note alerting readers to any changes that have been made….
NNC would emphasize to the news organization, copied here, that articles should be labelled appropriately at first instance and any changes made should be clearly explained to readers for the sake of transparency.
Unfortunately, the NNC did not make this situation a formal case for their website database. Their opinion was only given via email. CJPME is disappointed by the NNC’s failure to make a formal decision despite their clear indications that ethics were violated in this case. That said, we are glad that the NNC has affirmed CJPME’s position that the Niagara Independent is acting inappropriately.
2023-12-19 Toronto Sun forced to walk back fabricated accusations against pro-Palestine protesters
On December 19, 2023, the Toronto Sun was forced to walk back total fabrications made in an article by Joe Warmington. The notorious right-wing journalist accused pro-Palestine protesters of “threatening to kill our police.” Warmington’s article contradicted the Toronto Sun’s own reporting on the incident from the same day, which made clear that one protester at a shopping mall in Toronto had a heated exchange with another person. Police were merely standing between them. Warmington made it sound like a mob of protesters were threatening the police. The police were not the target of threats. The truth was obvious in the video, and the police confirmed that they were not threatened. It was an example of a journalist trying to make a story fit into his pre-existing anti-Palestinian biases.
Warmington’s lies were so rampant that the article was given a new headline and significantly re-written after our complaint. The article no longer makes the false claim that protesters were threatening the police and was toned down. The article still cites numerous Tweets that spread the lie that protesters were threatening to kill police, showing just how rampant misinformation is online and how little accountability there is.
2023-12-19 CJPME complaint prompts correction and editor’s note in CityNews Vancouver
On December 19, 2023, CJPME was informed that an article published by CityNews Vancouver had been updated and given an editor’s note after our complaint.
The original version of the article highlighted Israeli deaths but excluded Palestinian ones. The editor informed us that this was an error and promptly resolved the problem. CJPME appreciates the rapid resolution of this case.
2023-12-18 CJPME published in The Hill Times, The Star Phoenix, and The Regina Leader-Post on same day
On December 18, 2023, CJPME had three letters published on the same day.
Fatima Haidar was published in both The Star Phoenix and the Regina Leader-Post. Both of her letters challenged racist language used to demean pro-Palestine demonstrators in Saskatchewan.
Jason Toney was published in The Hill Times challenging a hawkish editorial that shrugged off Palestinian civilian deaths and called for the eradication of Hamas.
CJPME continues to put a significant emphasis on publishing letters in newspapers around the country. Publishing pieces like these helps raise awareness of Palestinian struggles and reminds people that they are not alone in their concerns. That editors continue publishing our work also shows the legitimacy we have built up with newsrooms
2023-12-12 CJPME wins case with National NewsMedia Council against Kingston Whig-Standard
On December 12, 2023, CJPME is proud to announce that we won a case with the National NewsMedia Council, the body in Canada responsible for making judgements about journalistic standard violations. On November 2, the NNC announced that it had upheld CJPME’s complaint against the Kingston Whig-Standard for its violation of important journalistic principles.
The Kingston Whig-Standard unpublished an article about a pro-Palestine event following pressure from pro-Israel advocacy groups. CJPME complained that unpublishing the article was a violation and the NNC affirmed that position. The NNC decision states:
Similarly, removing content on the basis of strong objections from readers or so-called ‘pressure campaigns’ from advocacy organizations is not in accordance with journalistic standards.
While the NNC is mindful of the pressures on community news organizations and supports the newsroom’s objective to find a solution to concerns raised about accuracy and context in divisive matters such as these, the steps taken to address such concerns must be journalistically sound.
For the reasons outlined above, Council upheld the complaint about unpublishing the article.
You can read more about the case and the reasons for the Council’s decision here