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.