On October 21, 2024, CJPME sent a letter to CBC News requesting a revision to its problematic coverage of anti-Palestinian racism in an article published on October 20, 2024.
CBC had referred to B.C. Conservative candidate Brent Chapman’s racist comments about Palestinians as “alleged” and “seen as racist,” minimizing the hateful nature of his statements. Chapman’s remarks, which included offensive and dehumanizing stereotypes, were clear examples of anti-Palestinian racism. CJPME called for more accurate and direct reporting, urging CBC to remove such euphemisms. We emphasized that, while qualifiers may be appropriate in cases of legitimate doubt, they were entirely inappropriate in this instance of unequivocal hate speech.
Following sustained advocacy from CJPME, CBC acknowledged the concerns raised and confirmed that the article was updated to explicitly state that Chapman’s remarks constitute anti-Palestinian racism. The terms “alleged” and “seen as racist” were removed from the article.
This is an important step toward ensuring that anti-Palestinian racism is accurately recognized and reported in Canadian media, without the use of language that unnecessarily casts doubt on the seriousness of hate speech against Palestinians.
CJPME remains committed to holding media outlets accountable for biased coverage and advocating for responsible journalism that upholds fairness and accuracy.